Senior Network Engineer

Job Summary:

We are seeking a highly skilled Senior Network Engineering Specialist with deep expertise in Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI). This is a technical, hands-on role within the Network Engineering team.

The ideal candidate will have Subject Matter Expert (SME)-level knowledge and practical experience managing, designing, and troubleshooting ACI environments. Candidates with prior experience working in Cisco TAC or Cisco CX teams managing ACI will be given preference.

Roles & Responsibilities

Part of a team that is responsible for the Network Engineering & Deployment function and supporting Datacenter, Campus, Remote Offices and Public Cloud Network transformation projects

Network Transformation Architecture:

• Lead the design, engineering, and execution of next-generation network transformation solutions.
• Collaborate with internal teams, including cloud, security, and application stakeholders, to align network infrastructure with business needs.
• Provide technical leadership in building highly resilient, scalable, and secure hybrid/multi-cloud network environments.

Design, Deployment, and Operations:

• Architect and deploy advanced Cisco ACI infrastructure across datacentres (DC1 & DC2).
• Integrate ACI with hybrid cloud and multi-cloud environments to ensure seamless connectivity and performance.
• Manage day-to-day operations, monitoring, and troubleshooting of ACI fabric components.
• Collaborate with vendors, Cisco TAC, and internal teams to resolve complex network incidents and escalations.

Policy Management and Automation:

• Develop and implement policy-driven network architectures using Cisco ACI's capabilities.
• Utilize automation tools (e.g., Ansible, Python) to streamline network operations and ensure efficiency.
• Ensure network policies align with industry best practices and compliance requirements.

Documentation and Governance:

• Maintain accurate network diagrams, policy documentation, and technical procedures.
• Ensure all infrastructure and operations meet internal governance and security standards.

Mentorship and Knowledge Sharing:

• Provide SME-level guidance to internal teams and mentor junior network engineers.
• Lead knowledge transfer sessions to enhance team capabilities in ACI and related technologies.

Required Tech expertise:

10 to 15years of experience in Cisco Network technologies , with at least 3+ years focused on Cisco ACI.

Deep knowledge of Cisco ACI components and concepts, including:

• Fabric Architecture: Spine-Leaf topology, Fabric Discovery, and Fabric Access Policies.
• Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC): Clustering, APIs (REST, XML, JSON), and GUI management.
• Endpoint Groups (EPGs), Contracts, and Filters: Policy-based connectivity and segmentation.
• Tenant Model: VRFs, Bridge Domains, and Layer 2/3 connectivity across multiple tenants.
• ACI Multi-Site and Multi-Pod deployments.
• Integration with L4-L7 services (e.g., firewalls, load balancers) using Service Graphs.
• Expertise in ACI troubleshooting: Health Scores, Service Graphs, and CLI/APIC diagnostics.
• Experience with Cisco Nexus Dashboard Insight for monitoring and managing ACI environments effectively.

VXLAN and EVPN Expertise:

• VXLAN Fabric Architecture: Understanding of VXLAN encapsulation for scalable Layer 2 and Layer 3 networks.
• MP-BGP EVPN (Ethernet VPN): Control plane for VXLAN, providing seamless Layer 2 extension and optimized Layer 3 routing.
• Interoperability between ACI and non-ACI environments using VXLAN/EVPN.

BGP and OSPF Routing Expertise:

• In-depth knowledge of BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) for managing external and internal routing policies.
• Experience with BGP peering, route filtering, and path selection in complex ACI and datacenter environments.
• Expertise in OSPF (Open Shortest Path First) for building dynamic Layer 3 routing in underlay networks.
• Integration of BGP and OSPF within ACI fabric to manage hybrid cloud and multi-pod deployments.

Solution Architecture:

• Solution-level understanding of Cisco ACI interoperability with:
• Firewalls (e.g., Palo Alto, Checkpoint , Fortinet).
• Load Balancers (e.g., F5 GTM, LTM, ASM).
• Micro-Segmentation solutions and policy enforcement.
• IPAM, DNS, and DHCP systems.
• Added advantage for candidates with hands-on experience integrating ACI with these solutions, though a willingness to learn and adapt to new technologies is acceptable.
• Experience with Ansible, Python scripting, and ACI REST APIs for automation.
• Knowledge of ACI App Center integrations and customization of ACI apps.
• Experience with integrating ACI with multi-cloud environments (AWS, Azure, GCP).