Network SME

Designation:

Subject Matter Expert – Digital Network & Security

Sr. Subject Matter Expert – Digital Network & Security

Location: Houston, US

Experience:

§ 8-12 Years of relevant IT Experience

Basic Qualification:

§ Bachelor’s degree in engineering

§ Diploma

Certifications:

§ NSE4 or Above is Manadatory

Network Operations - Service Deliverables

The service consists of providing operations support for network & security infrastructure.

Roles & Responsibilities: This role is responsible for providing overall end-to-end technical assurance of network design for WM’s internal/external LAN/WAN/WIFI services. Provide engineering and technical support for service requests/projects, technical consulting and implementation aspects related to the network infrastructure. Work with WM’s Network engineering team, Service Delivery/Project Managers and Change Managers to ensure the successful design, development, and implementation of activities in the network infrastructure.

Network & Security Management:

• Oversee and manage routers, switches, firewalls (FortiGate, Cisco, PaloAlto), SDWAN/SDLAN, load balancers (F5), wireless LAN, IPS, proxies, and cloud infrastructure.
• Optimize network performance, security, scalability, and availability through continuous monitoring and automation (SNMP, sFlow, Netconf, telemetry).
• Implement Leaf-Spine/3-Tier architecture, gateway load balancing, and WAN technologies.

Incident Management & Troubleshooting:

• Lead Network P1 calls and drive service restorations.
• Perform Root Cause Analysis (RCA) for network incidents and implement corrective/preventive actions.

Change Management & Implementation:

• Lead execution of key network changes with minimal/no service disruption.
• Lead new technology rollouts and network scope expansions, ensuring team readiness.

Collaboration & Communication:

• Work with service owners and cross-functional teams to execute changes and manage impacts.
• Lead all network related communication to stakeholders.

Security, Compliance & Continuous Improvement:

• Drive network security improvements and ensure compliance with organizational standards and SLAs.
• Simplify and optimize processes through automation and continuous learning.
• Enhance network security, stability, and customer satisfaction.

Technology Knowledge Areas –

· Firewall: FortiGate, Palo Alto, Cisco ASA

· SDWAN: Fortinet

· Wi-Fi: Fortinet, Juniper Mist

· Routing: Good knowledge on routing protocols - OSPF, BGP, AIGRP, EIGRP, Static routing

· Switching: Good knowledge on switching protocols STP, LACP, MCLAG, VLAN, VTP

· VPN: Strong knowledge on SSL and IPSEC

· Load Balancer: F5 LTM

· Hands-on knowledge of Ansible, Linux shell and python scripting, and other automation tools

· Experience with enterprise network tools like Splunk, Netscout

• Knowledge on cloud solutions for Network Security (Azure/AWS)

· Hands-on knowledge of Ansible, and python scripting, would be an added advantage.

Technology Experience -

· SDWAN & SDLAN Solutions: Hands-on experience in the implementation, troubleshooting, and administration of SDWAN solutions, including Fortinet, FortiGate SDWAN. Proficient in configuring, optimizing, and securing WAN networks, ensuring high availability and performance.

· Routing & Switching: Extensive experience in managing and troubleshooting Cisco Routers and Nexus switches, with in-depth knowledge of routing protocols (OSPF, BGP, static routing, VRF) and switching technologies (VLAN, STP, VPC, stacking).

· Firewalls: Expertise in deploying, configuring, and troubleshooting next-generation firewalls, including Fortinet FortiGate, Checkpoint, Cisco ASA and Palo Alto

· Load Balancers: Hands-on experience in managing and configuring F5 LTM, GTM, APM load balancers, ensuring effective traffic distribution and optimizing network performance and availability.

· IPS/IDS: Proficient in managing and troubleshooting IPS solutions from Checkpoint, Palo Alto, and Fortinet, providing advanced threat prevention and security monitoring.

· Proxy Servers: Expertise in troubleshooting and managing Zscaler PITC proxy servers to ensure secure internet access and application performance.

· Tunneling Protocols: Solid knowledge of IPSEC and GRE tunneling protocols for secure site-to-site and remote access VPNs.

· Cloud Infrastructure & Security: Experience in managing firewall solutions in Cloud environments (Azure/AWS), ensuring security, compliance, and seamless connectivity across cloud-based applications and networks.

· Network Monitoring & Tools: Hands-on experience with network monitoring and management tools like Splunk, Netscout and ThousandEyes for performance monitoring, troubleshooting, and proactive issue resolution.

· Wireless Solutions: Experience in implementing and troubleshooting Fortinet, Juniper Mist Wireless Controllers and Access Points, along with familiarity in managing wireless networks for both SDLAN and traditional LAN environments.

Soft Skills

· Strong technical skills and excellent verbal and written communication skills, customer relationship skills and interpersonal skills in working with cross-functional teams.

Desirable

· NSE7 / CCIE-Data Center

· CCNP – R&S, Security

· CCSA/CCSE

· PCNSA/PCNSE

· F5 201/301

Background Check Requirement:

Background Verification and Drug test