Cisco Catalyst NMS Engineer – Network Automation (w/ active Secret)

CriticalSolutions, LLC; Norfolk (VA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Life Insurance

Supplemental Insurance

401K Matching

Flexible PTO/Holidays

Education Reimbursement

Job summary

Critical Solutions is seeking an NMS Engineer to design, deploy, and optimize enterprise network management platforms focusing on Cisco Catalyst portfolio. You will ensure visibility, health monitoring, and automated lifecycle management across campus networks using Catalyst Center and SD-WAN tools.

The role requires DoD Secret clearance eligibility, onsite Norfolk, VA, and a salary range of $85,000–$110,000. Strong scripting and network engineering background are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, IT, Network Engineering, or equivalent technical field.

Responsibilities

• Design and deploy enterprise-scale NMS solutions with high availability and DR.
• Install and integrate Cisco Catalyst Center (vManage/Validator/Smart) across on-premises and virtual environments.
• Configure telemetry (SNMP, Syslog, NetFlow) for deep infrastructure visibility.
• Coordinate identity services with Cisco ISE for RBAC.
• Automate provisioning and software image management to simplify OS upgrades and patching.
• Develop templates in Catalyst Center for consistent campus LAN/WLAN deployments.
• Create dashboards and alerts to monitor KPIs like link utilization and memory usage.

Skills

Networking fundamentals

Routing protocols (OSPF EIGRP BGP)

Automation (Python/Ansible)

NMS monitoring

Education

Bachelor's degree in IT/Computer Science/Network Engineering

Tools

Cisco Catalyst Center

Catalyst SD-WAN Manager

Cisco IOS-XE

Job description

Role Summary

The Network Management System (NMS) Engineer is responsible for designing, deploying, and optimizing enterprise network management and orchestration platforms, focusing primarily on the Cisco Catalyst portfolio. This role bridges the gap between traditional network engineering and modern automated operations. The engineer ensures full visibility, health monitoring, and automated lifecycle management of the enterprise network through tools like Cisco Catalyst Center (formerly DNA Center), Catalyst SD-WAN Manager, and other NMS tools.

Location: Norfolk, VA

Clearance: Secret

Type: Full-time, Onsite

Salary Range: $85,000 - $110,000.

Role Summary

The Network Management System (NMS) Engineer is responsible for designing, deploying, and optimizing enterprise network management and orchestration platforms, focusing primarily on the Cisco Catalyst portfolio. This role bridges the gap between traditional network engineering and modern automated operations. The engineer ensures full visibility, health monitoring, and automated lifecycle management of the enterprise network through tools like Cisco Catalyst Center (formerly DNA Center), Catalyst SD-WAN Manager, and other NMS tools.

Key Responsibilities

• NMS Platform Deployment & Architecture
• Design and deploy enterprise-scale NMS solutions, ensuring high availability, robust disaster recovery, and seamless backup capabilities.
• Install and integrate Cisco Catalyst Center (vManage/Validator/Smart) across on-premises and virtual environments.
• Establish foundational telemetry, including the configuration and tuning of SNMP, Syslog, NetFlow, and streaming gRPC telemetry for deep infrastructure visibility.
• Manage identity services integration, linking NMS platforms with Cisco ISE for secure, role-based access control (RBAC).
• Catalyst Switch & Router Deployment Operations
• Orchestrate hardware lifecycles, including automated provisioning, switch stacking, and device upgrades for Cisco switch and router in an enterprise network.
• Develop configuration templates and blueprints within Catalyst Center to ensure uniform deployment across campus LAN and WLAN architectures.
• Support software image management (SWIM) to automate risk-free patch compliance and OS upgrades across thousands of campus devices.
• Execute migration runbooks to seamlessly transition legacy infrastructure to modern Catalyst platforms.
• Network Assurance & Performance Tuning
• Utilize NMS AI-driven assurance features to proactively detect network anomalies, track client health, and isolate root causes before performance degrades.
• Build custom dashboards and alerts to monitor vital KPIs like link utilization, memory consumption, temperature, and PoE allocation.
• Integrate third-party tools, connecting Catalyst telemetry pipelines to external IT systems like ServiceNow for ticketing or Splunk/SIEM for security operations.
• Troubleshoot complex issues by leveraging NMS packet-capture tools, Wireshark, and sensor data to resolve Layer 2/3 connectivity bottlenecks.
• Automation & Programmability
• Automate repetitive tasks by using Python, Ansible, or other scripting platforms alongside Catalyst Center REST APIs to scale network provisioning.
• Deploy Cisco Plug-and-Play (PnP) capabilities to achieve true zero-touch provisioning (ZTP) for remote site switch deployments.

Technical Skills

Required Qualifications & Technical Competencies

• Deep platform expertise with Cisco Catalyst Center (DNA Center), Catalyst SD-WAN, and Cisco IOS-XE.
• Strong understanding of enterprise networking, including routing protocols (OSPF, EIGRP, BGP), VLANs, STP, and L2/L3 architectures.
• Hands-on experience with modern campus designs, including Cisco SD-Access (SDA), VXLAN fabric, and TrustSec segmentation.
• Proficiency in monitoring protocols, specifically SNMP (v2c/v3), RMON, Syslog, NetFlow/IPFIX, and REST APIs.
• Scripting capabilities in Python or Ansible for parsing NMS API payloads and automating bulk workflows.

Experience & Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in computer science, IT, Network Engineering, or an equivalent technical field.
• Certifications: CCNP Enterprise (highly preferred) or CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure. Specialized Cisco automation or Catalyst specialist certifications are a significant plus.

LOCATION:

• Onsite 100%
• Norfolk, VA

Additional Information

CLEARANCE REQUIREMENT:

Must possess an active DoD Secret Clearance

In addition, selected candidate must undergo background investigation (BI) and finger printing by the federal agency and successfully pass the preceding to qualify for the position. US CITIZENSHIP IS REQUIRED.

Critical Solutions Pay And Benefits

Salary Range: $85,000 - $110,000 per year. The salary range for this position represent the typical salary range for this job level and this does not guarantee a specific salary. Compensation is based upon multiple factors such as responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, certifications, and other requirements.

BENEFIT SNAPSHOT: 100% premium coverage for Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance, Supplemental Insurance, 401K matching, Flexible Time Off (PTO/Holidays), Higher Education/Training Reimbursement, and more.