Level 2 Cisco Engineer / Network & Telecommunications Lead

Job Title: Level 2 Cisco Engineer / Network & Telecommunications Lead

Job Type & Location: Onsite || Piscataway NJ, 08854 || Long-term contract

Role Overview

The Network and Telecommunications Lead is responsible for the design, implementation, and operational management of enterprise network infrastructure. This role covers WAN, LAN, wireless, SD-WAN, voice systems, security, and monitoring platforms, ensuring high availability, performance, and security across global offices, data centers, and cloud environments.

The ideal candidate brings deep hands-on technical expertise, strategic planning capabilities, and strong vendor and stakeholder management skills to support secure, scalable, and high-performance connectivity in a complex global environment.

Key Responsibilities

Global Network Architecture & Operations

• Design, deploy, and manage the lifecycle of WAN, LAN, and wireless networks across global offices and data centers.

• Oversee SD-WAN architecture, including templates, circuit prioritization, and traffic routing policies.

• Manage VPN, firewall, and NAT configurations for secure connectivity between on-prem and cloud environments (Azure, AWS).

• Maintain and support Cisco Catalyst and Nexus switches, wireless controllers, and access points.

• Act as the escalation point for global network incidents and changes.

Wireless & Voice Infrastructure

• Manage corporate and guest wireless networks across global sites.

• Maintain SSID segmentation, security protocols (WPA2/WPA3), and guest access portals.

• Coordinate wireless site surveys, AP mapping, and RF tuning, especially for auction rooms and high-density environments.

• Manage and troubleshoot Cisco UCaaS, RingCentral integrations, and AudioCodes gateways.

• Support Christie's live sales by ensuring network stability during critical events.

Security & Compliance

• Oversee certificate lifecycle management for VPNs, wireless controllers, and internal services.

• Manage and review firewall policies, segmentation strategies, and vulnerability remediation in collaboration with Infosec teams.

• Maintain and troubleshoot LAN/WAN security infrastructure.

• Manage and maintain Network Policy Server (NPS) services.

Data Center & Physical Infrastructure

• Perform physical data center patching.

• Manage and maintain physical network devices across sites.

• Maintain and troubleshoot F5 systems.

Monitoring & Reporting

• Maintain SolarWinds for network monitoring, NetFlow analytics, and configuration backups.

• Produce WAN utilization, LAN availability, and performance reports.

Vendor & Contract Management

• Manage vendor relationships and support contracts, including Cisco and other network vendors.

• Coordinate contract renewals, licensing true-ups, and global network support agreements.

Team Leadership & Collaboration

• Provide technical mentorship to regional network engineers.

• Collaborate with internal teams, external vendors, and stakeholders.

• Participate in strategic planning, budgeting, and governance meetings.

Required Skills & Experience

• 10+ years of experience in enterprise network engineering and operations.

• Expert-level knowledge of Cisco technologies:

  • Catalyst, Nexus, DNA Center, Client, SD-WAN

• Strong expertise in WAN routing, BGP, NAT, VPN, and firewall architectures.

• Hands-on experience with high-density wireless design and troubleshooting.

• Strong understanding of cloud networking, including Azure ExpressRoute and IPsec tunnels.

• Proficiency with SolarWinds, NetFlow, and network monitoring tools.

• Proven experience managing global vendors and support contracts.

• Excellent communication, documentation, and stakeholder management skills.

Preferred Certifications

• Cisco CCNP or CCIE (Enterprise or Security)

• Versa SD-WAN certification (or equivalent experience)

• Cloud networking certification (Azure or equivalent)

• ITIL Foundation