Lead Network Engineer - SD-WAN & AIOps Specialist

Lead Network Engineer – SD-WAN & AIOps Specialist

Responsibilities

• Design and implement end-to-end management of Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN architecture, including core control plane components: Cisco SD-WAN Manager (vManage), Controller (vSmart), Validator (vBond), and Edge routers (cEdge/vEdge)
• Drive Zero-Touch Provisioning (ZTP) and Plug-and-Play (PnP) templates to scale deployments across campuses, branches, and colocation facilities
• Configure Cisco Cloud OnRamp for SaaS and IaaS to deliver optimized application path selection and multi-cloud connectivity
• Maintain service uptime guidelines by managing control component certificates, on-demand snapshots, and automated software upgrades
• Integrate AI/ML capability frameworks within Cisco Catalyst Center (DNA Center) and Cisco ThousandEyes to establish deep visibility and predictive problem mitigation
• Automate Day-0 to Day-N configuration tasks using Python, Ansible, and Terraform via Cisco SDKs and REST APIs
• Leverage telemetry data, NetFlow, and streaming logs to build predictive baselines, optimize bandwidth usage, and forecast capacity
• Embed Security-by-Design principles using application-aware routing, micro-segmentation, zones, and centralized SASE structures
• Configure and troubleshoot complex Layer 2 and Layer 3 policies, including BGP, OSPF, EIGRP, BFD, QoS, and IPsec/GRE encapsulation

Requirements

• 8–12 years of total experience, including 5+ years of hands-on Cisco SD-WAN engineering and 3+ years of automation and observability experience
• Knowledge of Cisco SD-WAN (Viptela) architecture and operations, vManage APIs, and the Overlay Management Protocol (OMP)
• Skills in Python scripting, REST API integration, and automation tools such as Ansible and Terraform
• Expertise in AIOps, event correlation, telemetry, and observability tools including ThousandEyes, Grafana, and Dynatrace
• Proficiency in utilizing Linux, Docker/KVM hypervisors, and programming environments to interact with system APIs
• Familiarity with packet capture analysis (Wireshark) and core services such as DHCP, DNS, PKI, and AAA/RADIUS security
• Background in managing enterprise-grade Cisco routing/switching environments, with at least 2–3 years focused on Cisco SD-WAN solutions and network automation
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field

Nice to have

• Cisco Certified Specialist - Enterprise SD-WAN Implementation (ENSDWI)
• Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP Enterprise)
• Cisco Certified DevNet Associate / Professional