Manager, Network Engineering

NextGen | GTA: A Kelly Telecom Company; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

NextGen | GTA: A Kelly Telecom Company is seeking a seasoned Manager, Network Engineering to lead a team responsible for designing, implementing, and supporting a carrier-grade IP and optical network. The role combines hands-on technical leadership with strong project management to ensure reliability, scalability, and security across the network.

The ideal candidate has 15+ years in carrier networking with leadership, expertise in MPLS, BGP, IS-IS/OSPF, VPNs, and ROADM/DWDM, and hands-on work

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Telecommunications, or equivalent.
• 15+ years of carrier/service provider networking experience, including leadership responsibilities.
• Strong expertise in MPLS (LDP, RSVP-TE or Segment Routing), BGP, IS-IS & OSPF, Layer 2/Layer 3 VPNs, Carrier Ethernet, and optical transport networks (ROADM/DWDM).
• Hands-on experience with Juniper, Cisco, Nokia, and Ciena platforms.
• Excellent troubleshooting, communication, leadership, and organizational skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the Network Engineering team, including hiring, coaching, performance management, and professional development.
• Oversee network engineering projects, including upgrades, migrations, capacity planning, and technology deployments.
• Evaluate new technologies and provide strategic recommendations for network improvements.
• Manage network capacity, engineering priorities, budgets, and project timelines.
• Support IP and optical network design, testing, and implementation.
• Ensure adherence to change management processes and operational standards.
• Develop technical documentation, implementation plans, and engineering procedures.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for engineering operations and on-call support.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver reliable and scalable network services.

Skills

MPLS (LDP, RSVP-TE or Segment Routing)

BGP

IS-IS & OSPF

Layer 2/Layer 3 VPNs

Carrier Ethernet

ROADM DWDM optical transport

Network hardware platforms (Juniper, C

Python

Ansible

NETCONF

YANG

gNMI

EVPN

DCI

Segment Routing

IP/Optical convergence

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Telecommunications, or equivalent experience

Tools

Juniper

Cisco

Nokia

Ciena

Job description

We are seeking an experienced Manager, Network Engineering to lead a team responsible for the design, implementation, optimization, and support of a carrier-grade IP and optical network infrastructure.

This role provides technical leadership, oversees network engineering projects, manages team performance, drives technology initiatives, and ensures the reliability, scalability, and security of the network. The ideal candidate combines strong hands-on technical expertise with proven leadership and project management experience.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the Network Engineering team, including hiring, coaching, performance management, and professional development.
• Oversee network engineering projects, including upgrades, migrations, capacity planning, and technology deployments.
• Evaluate new technologies and provide strategic recommendations for network improvements.
• Manage network capacity, engineering priorities, budgets, and project timelines.
• Support IP and optical network design, testing, and implementation.
• Ensure adherence to change management processes and operational standards.
• Develop technical documentation, implementation plans, and engineering procedures.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for engineering operations and on-call support.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver reliable and scalable network services.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Telecommunications, or equivalent experience.
• 15+ years of experience in carrier/service provider networking, including leadership responsibilities.
• Strong expertise in:
• MPLS (LDP, RSVP-TE or Segment Routing)
• BGP
• IS-IS & OSPF
• Layer 2/Layer 3 VPNs
• Carrier Ethernet
• Advanced knowledge of ROADM, DWDM, and optical transport networks.
• Hands-on experience with Juniper, Cisco, Nokia, and Ciena platforms.
• Experience with network architecture, capacity planning, network modernization, and large-scale migrations.
• Strong troubleshooting skills involving routing, telemetry, packet captures, and network performance analysis.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and organizational skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Python, Ansible, NETCONF, YANG, gNMI, or other network automation tools.
• Experience with EVPN, DCI, Segment Routing, and IP/Optical convergence.