Cloud Network Engineer

Maricopa Community Colleges; Tempe (AZ); On-site; USD 98,000 - 127,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

ASRS Pension

Tuition Reimbursement

Professional Development

Job summary

The MARICOPA COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT (MCCCD) ITS is seeking a highly skilled Cloud Network Engineer to design, implement, and optimize the district's hybrid cloud network. You will bridge on-premises infrastructure with AWS services and lead high-impact networking initiatives across campus locations.

As a principal-level engineer, you will define standards, mentor junior admins, ensure security controls, and drive cost-aware governance while delivering reliable, scalable connectivity

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree plus 7+ years in IT networking with cloud exposure.
• AWS and cloud security experience preferred.
• Experience with multi-site, multi-cloud networking environments.
• AWS certs or equivalent certification within 6 months of hire.
• Strong IaC skills with Terraform or similar tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and architecture of scalable cloud and on-prem networks (AWS VPCs, Direct Connect, routers, firewalls).
• Implement and deploy high-availability network services across hybrid environments.
• Oversee network operations, monitoring, troubleshooting, and vendor coordination.
• Provide mentorship and architectural guidance to junior admins and teams.
• Collaborate with Cybersecurity to enforce security controls and compliance.
• Develop SOPs, cost-optimization strategies, and disaster recovery plans.

Skills

Cloud networking

Hybrid cloud

Networking architecture

Mentorship

Security & compliance

Education

Bachelor's degree in information technology or related field

Tools

AWS

Terraform

CloudFormation

Python

Git

Job description

MARICOPA COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT (MCCCD)

Job Opening: Cloud Network Engineer

Starting Salary Range: $97,533.68 - $126,793.38/annually, DOE

Where to apply: https://www.maricopa.edu/about/careers/full-time-staff; Job 323287 or keyword “Cloud Network Engineer”

Open until filled: First review of resumes will be the week of September 28, and as needed thereafter

Why you want to be here...

The Maricopa County Community College District is one of the largest community college systems in the nation. Home to 10 individually accredited community colleges and 31 satellite locations, we proudly serve students in every corner of the Valley. Each day, our dedicated faculty, staff, and administrators, live out our vision—creating excellence in education for a better world.

We focus on people—not profits.

With 100% acceptance, zero rejections, and affordable tuition, we provide the flexibility and support our students need to succeed in and beyond the classroom. Discover how we’re changing college.

We don’t just support our community—we help build it.

We are the largest provider of workforce development training in the state. The activities of our colleges and their students support one out of every 28 jobs in Maricopa County. Learn about our economic impact.

We believe our employees are our most valuable asset.

Our 10 colleges and District Office support nearly 10,000 jobs and careers throughout Greater Phoenix.

Join us in making a real difference in the lives of over 140,000 college students each year.

Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) is committed to providing a competitive and comprehensive benefits program that supports our employees' and their families' health and well-being. Therefore, the MCCCD benefits support every stage of life and are designed to meet the diverse needs of our community. Explore the wide range of benefits and perks available to eligible employees at MCCCD:

Affordable and Comprehensive Benefits Package:

• Nationwide Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage


• Paid Time Off: Vacation, Sick Leave, and Personal Time


• 20 Paid Observed Holidays


• Company-paid Life Insurance, AD&D, and Short-Term Disability plans, with the option to purchase supplemental coverage


• Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) Pension, including Long Term Disability and Retiree Health Insurance with 100% employer-matching contributions


• Optional Retirement Plans: 403(b), 457(b), Roth 403(b), Roth 457(b)


• Tuition Reimbursement for employees and dependents


• Annual Professional Development Funding

Employee Health & Wellness Programs:

• District-Wide Wellness Program with Workshops and Webinars


• Monthly Health & Wellness Calendar and Newsletter


• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)


• Sight-On-Site Eye Care Services


• Qualifying Employer for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (potential loan forgiveness for federal Direct Loans after meeting repayment requirements and working full-time for an eligible employer)

What cool stuff does this job do?

Information Technology Services (ITS) at the MCCCD is seeking a highly skilled and collaborative Cloud Network Engineer. This role is responsible for the architecture, implementation, and continuous optimization of the District’s hybrid cloud network environment. The Cloud Network Engineer will serve as the primary subject matter expert, bridging the gap between on-premises infrastructure and AWS cloud services to ensure a seamless, secure, and high-performance experience for students, faculty, and staff. As a principal-level position, you will work with a high degree of autonomy, define technical standards, and architect solutions that support the user experience while mentoring colleagues on the nuances of cloud-centric networking and connectivity.

Where will my time be spent?

20% - Design & Architecture: Leads the strategic planning and design of scalable, resilient cloud and on-premise network architectures. Architectures include AWS services (VPCs, Transit Gateways, Direct Connect, Route 53) and on-premise infrastructure consisting of enterprise switches, core routers, firewalls, and wireless (Wi-Fi) systems, primarily utilizing Cisco and Arista platforms.

20% - Implementation & Deployment: Engineers, provisions, and maintains robust, high-availability, and low-latency network services across the District’s hybrid ecosystem, including centralized data centers, physical campus locations, and multi-cloud environments.

20% - Network Operations: Directs dynamic routing protocols and advanced traffic management strategies to optimize connectivity between physical campuses and cloud-hosted enterprise systems; oversees proactive monitoring, deep-packet troubleshooting, and tier-3 operational support across all physical and cloud networks; Manages telecom and networking service vendors, including the oversight of work orders, support tickets, and SLA compliance.

15% - Mentorship & Training: Serves as a district-wide technical lead by supporting, training, and providing architectural guidance to junior administrators and cross-functional teams, fostering a culture of continuous learning and alignment with infrastructure best practices.

15% - Security & Compliance: Collaborates closely with the District Cybersecurity team to implement, manage, and audit on-premise and cloud-native security controls, including Web Application Firewalls (WAF), enterprise firewalls, IPS/IDS, and Network Access Control Lists; proactively monitors firewall logs and network telemetry to safeguard institutional data.

10% - Governance & Process: Establishes and documents SOPs, network policies, and configuration templates; identifies cloud cost-optimization opportunities and defines robust network disaster recovery strategies to streamline delivery, institutional resilience, and regulatory compliance; performs related duties as assigned.

So, to be considered I need to have...

Bachelor's Degree from a regionally accredited institution in information technology or related field with seven (7) years of technical experience in IT communication networks and/or networking infrastructure and/or network security and systems, including some experience with public cloud, hybrid cloud, and/or software defined networking.

OR

An equivalent combination of the conferred degree, education, certification and directly related full-time work experience as described above sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job such as those listed above, unless otherwise subject to any other requirements set forth in law or regulation, may be considered.

Special Certification Requirements:

Successful candidates will need to possess a current certification or obtain the following within six (6) months of hire:

• Base-level AWS certification:


• AWS Solutions Architect (Associate or Professional)

AND

• Specialty certification in their focus area, such as AWS Certified Advanced Networking, Azure Network Engineer Associate, CCNP, JNCIP, or other Professional/Expert level certification acceptable to the hiring manager; OR


• Documented training in their focus area, such as AWS Networking

You'd like me to also have...

• Experience in Cloud Software Defined Networking, preferably AWS (VPC, Transit Gateway, Site-to-Site VPN, PrivateLink, Direct Connect) and traditional routing/switching protocols (BGP, OSPF)


• Experience with CloudFormation, Terraform, Python, and other tools for automating network deployments, maintenance, and versioning (Infrastructure as Code & GIT).


• Experience implementing cloud-native monitoring and logging solutions (e.g., AWS CloudWatch, VPC Flow Logs, Traffic Mirroring, or third-party tools like Splunk/New Relic) to proactively identify performance bottlenecks and troubleshoot complex connectivity issues


• Experience managing public cloud infrastructure, preferably AWS, in a higher education environment


• Experience leading cross-functional initiatives and serve as a technical consultant for DevOps and Systems teams


• Experience managing a complex multi-site, multi-cloud network with multiple data centers


• One year of relevant full-time MCCCD experience during the previous two years

Special Working Conditions

There is a mandatory minimum in-office expectation

The selected candidate will need to reside in the Phoenix area or relocate within an agreed upon timeframe

This role may involve after hours work and non-regular business hours

May be required to sit for a prolonged period of time; viewing a computer monitor

May be required to present in large meetings and sponsored events

ITS does not sponsor individuals for any type of work visas

Legalease

ITS does not sponsor individuals for any type of work visas.

MCCCD will not discriminate, nor tolerate discrimination in employment or education, against any applicant, employee, or student because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship status (including document abuse), age, disability, veteran status or genetic information.

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, states: \"No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.\"

The policy of the MCCCD is to provide an educational, employment, and business environment free of gender discrimination. Incidents of misconduct should be reported to the college Title IX Coordinator, as outlined in policy, contact information is available at this link Title IX Coordinators.

The Clery Act is a Federal law requiring United States Colleges and Universities to disclose information about crime on and around their campuses. Crime reporting data for each of the Maricopa Community Colleges, as required under the Clery Act, is available at this link Clery Act.