Network Administrator

Steel Dynamics; Columbus (MS); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Steel Dynamics in Columbus, Mississippi is seeking a Network Administrator to own the day-to-day operation, reliability, and growth of the Cisco-based network infrastructure across offices, data center, and plant. This hands-on role requires strong Cisco skills, experience with IOS/IOS-XE, VLANs, firewalls, and VPNs, and the ability to support manufacturing environments.

You will document configurations, monitor performance, and mentor junior IT staff while coordinating with vendors and site

Qualifications

• Hands-on Cisco IOS/IOS-XE CLI expertise.
• Knowledge of TCP/IP, IPv4/subnetting, VLANs, DNS/DHCP.
• Experience configuring firewalls, VPNs, and segmentation.
• Strong documentation and clear communication.
• Ability to work in an active industrial environment with PPE.

Responsibilities

• Administer and maintain Cisco routers, switches, wireless LAN controllers, access points, and firewalls.
• Manage firewall and VPN connectivity to remote sites.
• Implement VLANs, trunking, spanning tree, and inter-VLAN routing.
• Monitor network health, analyze logs, and lead root-cause analysis.
• Support plant-floor OT networks with production teams.
• Plan maintenance, IOS upgrades, and hardware refreshes.
• Maintain network documentation and diagrams.
• Coordinate with admins, vendors, and end users; mentor junior staff.
• Occasional night and weekend work.

Skills

Cisco expertise

TCP/IP knowledge

Network monitoring

Documentation & communication

Independent worker

Education

Associate's degree in IT

Bachelor's degree in IT

Tools

CUCM

Cisco IE switches

Fiber optics

Job description

Network Administrator

Job Locations: US-MS-Columbus

ID: 2026-8343

Pos. Category: Information Technology

Subsidiary

Steel Dynamics

Overview

Own the day-to-day operation, reliability, and growth of the Cisco-based network infrastructure across the division's offices, data center, and manufacturing plant. This is a hands-on role for a network professional with strong Cisco skills who is comfortable supporting networks in a manufacturing environment.

Responsibilities

• Administer, configure, and maintain Cisco routers, Catalyst switches, wireless LAN controllers and access points, and firewalls across office, data center, and plant environments
• Manage Cisco firewall and VPN connectivity to remote sites
• Implement VLANs, trunking, spanning tree, and inter-VLAN routing per change management procedures
• Proactively monitor network health and performance, analyze logs and alerts, and lead troubleshooting and root-cause analysis for complex connectivity, latency, and outage issues
• Support plant-floor and OT networks, partnering with OT and controls engineers to keep production systems connected, segmented, and secure
• Plan and execute maintenance, IOS upgrades, hardware refreshes, and expansion projects
• Oversee installation of switches, access points, optics, and fiber/copper cabling
• Maintain accurate network documentation, including device inventory, IP addressing, VLANs, switch-port records, uplinks, configuration backups, and diagrams
• Apply network security best practices, including ACLs, port security, segmentation, and configuration standards
• Coordinate with system administrators, vendors, service providers, and end users, and mentor junior IT staff
• Occasional night and weekend work required

Qualifications

• Strong, hands-on Cisco expertise, including IOS/IOS-XE CLI, Catalyst switching, routing, and wireless
• In-depth knowledge of TCP/IP, IPv4 addressing and subnetting, VLANs, trunking, spanning tree, DNS, and DHCP
• Experience configuring and supporting firewalls, VPNs, and network segmentation
• Proficiency with network monitoring and troubleshooting tools, and a structured, evidence-based approach to diagnosing problems
• Strong documentation habits and clear communication skills with both technical and non-technical audiences
• Self-starter who works well independently and as part of a team
• Ability to work in an active industrial environment, including heat, noise, required PPE, use of lifts, network closets, and walking long distances through active production areas
• Valid driver's license
• Associate's degree in an IT-related field

Preferred

• Cisco CCNA certification strongly preferred; CCNP a plus
• 6-8 years of progressive network administration or engineering experience, with significant time supporting networks in a manufacturing or industrial setting
• Experience with Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM)
• Experience with Cisco Industrial Ethernet (IE) switches
• Hands-on experience with fiber optics, SFP modules, and wireless site surveys
• Experience supporting network buildouts for new facilities or major plant expansions
• Bachelor's degree in an IT-related field

Steel Dynamics, Inc., and all affiliated entities are equal opportunity employers.