Senior Network Engineer providing tier-3 support and ownership for hybrid enterprise connectivity across data centers, cloud, branches, and remote users. Responsibilities include Palo Alto firewall administration, Azure networking, Cisco switching, routing and switching protocols, VPNs, network services, segmentation, and troubleshooting. The role is hybrid in Chicago with occasional regional travel and is structured as a six-month contract-to-hire.
CTI Staffing is partnering with a well-established engineering services organization to find a Senior Network Engineer for their infrastructure team, based in Chicago, IL (hybrid, onsite Tuesday through Thursday).
This team keeps a hybrid enterprise network running across data centers, cloud, branch offices, and remote users. You'll be the senior escalation point for anything that touches connectivity or security, with real ownership over firewalls, cloud networking, and routing. This is a 6-month contract-to-hire with a clear path to full-time.
What You'll Do
- Provide tier-3 support and troubleshooting across data center, WAN, campus, wireless, Internet edge, and Azure environments.
- Configure and maintain Palo Alto firewalls, including policies, NAT, routing, VPN, certificates, authentication, logging, and high availability.
- Design, configure, and support Azure networking and hybrid connectivity to on-prem.
- Manage Cisco Catalyst and Meraki switching across campus and branch offices.
- Implement and troubleshoot VLANs, VRFs, STP, HSRP, QoS, iBGP, eBGP, and EIGRP.
- Administer DNS, DHCP, IP address management, and network segmentation supporting Active Directory and cloud services.
- Support remote-access and site-to-site VPNs, including Zscaler and GlobalProtect.
- Travel occasionally to regional offices for site surveys, implementations, and hands-on troubleshooting.
Requirements
Must-Have:
- 7+ years supporting enterprise network environments, including time in a senior network engineering role.
- Hands-on Palo Alto firewall administration: policies, NAT, VPN, and HA in production.
- Hands-on Azure networking experience, such as VNets, peering, NSGs, VPN Gateway, or ExpressRoute.
- Strong routing and switching depth with BGP, EIGRP, VLANs, VRFs, STP, and HSRP.
- Experience with Cisco Catalyst and/or Meraki in multi-site environments.
- Working knowledge of DNS, DHCP, IPAM, and subnetting in Active Directory environments.
- Ability to work onsite in downtown Chicago Tuesday through Thursday.
- US Citizen or Permanent Resident.
Nice-to-Have:
- Zscaler (ZIA/ZPA) administration.
- GlobalProtect deployment and troubleshooting.
- Wireless design or support experience.
- Colocation or data center migration experience.
- PCNSE, CCNP, or AZ-700 certification.
Technical Environment:
- Palo Alto Networks (NGFW, GlobalProtect)
- Microsoft Azure networking
- Cisco Catalyst, Cisco Meraki
- Zscaler
- BGP, EIGRP, QoS, VRF
- DNS, DHCP, IPAM, Active Directory
What Success Looks Like:
- You're the go-to tier-3 resource, resolving incidents end to end within your first 60 days.
- Firewall and cloud network configurations are cleaner, documented, and easier to support.
- You've earned a full-time offer by the end of the contract.
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