Job Summary:
The Lead Network Engineer serves as the technical leader for network infrastructure and connectivity services across the enterprise. This role combines advanced network architecture and engineering responsibilities with team leadership, mentoring, and technical governance. The Lead Network Engineer partners closely with management to develop engineering talent, establish standards, drive modernization initiatives, and ensure the reliability, scalability, and security of the organization's network environment.
Leadership Duties and Responsibilities:
Provide coaching, mentoring, performance feedback, and professional development guidance to network engineers through regular one-on-one meetings and structured development plans.
Perform annual performance reviews in partnership with management.
Serve as the technical leader for the network engineering function, providing architectural oversight and technical direction.
Partner with management to improve operational processes, prioritize work, refine backlogs, and align resource assignments with business needs and team capabilities.
Evaluate networking technologies, vendors, and service providers, providing technical recommendations and contributing to lifecycle and investment planning.
Technical Duties and Responsibilities:
Lead the end-to-end design of complex enterprise and hybrid cloud network architectures, including on-prem data centers, cloud interconnects, and global WAN topologies.
Architect, implement, and optimize advanced routing solutions using MPLS, MPBGP, OSPF, VXLAN, and EVPN concepts.
Oversee the operational health, support strategy, and lifecycle planning for Cisco switching, Meraki wireless, and Versa SD-WAN platforms.
Engineer and maintain Palo Alto firewall architectures, including segmentation, global security policies, and threat prevention.
Design, implement, and support segmented Operational Technology (OT) networks, ensuring secure connectivity between manufacturing systems and enterprise environments.
Design and support Azure hybrid connectivity, including ExpressRoute, VNET architectures, NSGs, and cloud DNS; AWS/GCP exposure a plus.
Establish, maintain, and enforce network engineering standards, design patterns, and operational best practices across the enterprise.
Partner with operations teams to ensure network availability, resiliency, monitoring, capacity planning, and incident response processes are effective and continuously improved.
Develop and enhance secure network access and connectivity strategies using Cisco ISE, segmentation, and zero-trust principles while partnering with cloud, security, systems, and application teams.
Support network integration, separation, and expansion activities associated with acquisitions, divestitures, and new facility deployments.
Analyze and improve network performance across LAN, WAN, SD-WAN, wireless, and cloud environments.
Develop network roadmaps and long-term architectural strategies that align technology investments with business objectives.
Lead complex rootcause analyses and drive long-term corrective actions.
Lead the adoption of network automation and infrastructure-as-code practices using technologies such as Python, Ansible, Terraform, and API-driven integrations.
Drive major network initiatives including modernization, cloud migrations, refresh programs, and architectural redesigns.
Maintain high-quality documentation, architecture diagrams, and technical standards.
Experience:
Bachelor's degree in information technology, or related field.
5+ years of network engineering experience, including experience leading complex architectural initiatives and mentoring engineers.
Proficiency in MPLS, BGP/MPBGP, OSPF, VXLAN, EVPN, and large-scale routing architectures.
Strong knowledge of network security principles and technologies, including Palo Alto firewalls, segmentation, VPNs, Cisco ISE, zero-trust, and SASE architectures.
Experience designing and supporting OT environments and familiarity with automation technologies such as Python, Ansible, or Terraform is strongly preferred.
Experience with Cisco Catalyst, Cisco/Meraki wireless, and Versa SDWAN platforms.
Experience designing and supporting Azure network connectivity (ExpressRoute, VNETs, NSGs, DNS).
The Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Universal Forest Products and its subsidiaries and affiliates are equal opportunity employers. All qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex or national origin.
