Senior Network Engineer - Odessa, TX

Senior Network Engineer (Cisco, Palo Alto, BGP/OSPF, Wireless)

Location:  Odessa, TX -  Hybrid work schedule of Onsite and Remote
Employment Type:  Full Time
Reports To:  Director of Network Infrastructure / CTO

Job Summary:

We are seeking a highly skilled Senior Network Engineer to design, implement, and maintain complex enterprise networks across Cisco and Palo Alto platforms, with a focus on dynamic routing (BGP/OSPF), network segmentation, and enterprise Wi-Fi infrastructure. This individual will serve as a key technical leader for cross-platform routing, firewall integration, and wireless network performance optimization.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design, configure, and troubleshoot BGP and OSPF across multi-vendor environments (Cisco & Palo Alto)
• Maintain and optimize enterprise LAN/WAN topologies, including VRFs, VLANs, and IPsec/GRE tunnels
• Manage Palo Alto firewalls (Virtual Routers, Static/Dynamic Routing, Security Zones, NAT, Panorama)
• Lead design and deployment of enterprise Wi-Fi infrastructure (preferably Cisco Wireless or Aruba)
• Analyze and resolve complex network and connectivity issues across Layer 2/3 and Layer 7 firewalls
• Configure and maintain Cisco Catalyst, Nexus, ISR/ASR routers, and Wireless LAN Controllers (WLCs)
• Ensure proper route redistribution and protocol interoperability between devices and domains
• Implement high availability (HA) designs for routing/firewalls, including failover validation
• Conduct network performance tuning and wireless spectrum analysis (interference, roaming, AP load)
• Develop and maintain network diagrams, as-builts, configuration templates, and runbooks
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including security, cloud, and application owners

Required Skills & Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience in network engineering, with enterprise or service provider background
• Expertise in OSPF (single/multi-area) and BGP (iBGP, eBGP, route-maps, communities, path selection)
• Strong hands-on experience with Cisco routers/switches and Palo Alto firewalls
• Proven experience managing enterprise wireless networks, including: RF planning and AP placement, Wi-Fi 5/6/6E standards, 802.1x authentication, WLCs, RADIUS, and guest network segmentation
• Familiarity with tools such as Ekahau, Cisco Prime/DNAC, Wireshark, and AP controllers
• Proficient with CLI (Cisco IOS/PAN-OS) and GUI tools (Panorama, Cisco DNA Center, Meraki Dashboard)
• Scripting experience (Python, Ansible, etc.) is a plus
• Ability to analyze packet captures and routing tables under outage or failover scenarios

Preferred Certifications:

• CCNP Enterprise or CCIE (Routing & Switching or Enterprise Infrastructure)
• PCNSE (Palo Alto Certified Network Security Engineer)
• CWNA / CWNP or vendor-specific Wi-Fi certifications (e.g., Cisco Wireless Specialist)

Soft Skills:

• Strong troubleshooting and incident response capabilities under pressure
• Excellent written and verbal communication for technical documentation and team collaboration
• Independent, accountable, and able to prioritize across multiple projects and incidents