Network Engineer

Florida Polytechnic University; Lakeland (FL); On-site; USD 71,000 - 78,000; Full time

Job summary

Florida Polytechnic University seeks a Network Engineer to join the IT Infrastructure team. The role focuses on configuring and maintaining the campus LAN/WAN, wireless, and security posture while driving improvements and documenting standards.

You will help plan projects, respond to incidents, and collaborate with IT Security, systems, vendors, and student workers to keep services stable and secure.

Qualifications

• Associate's degree in computer science, IT, or a related field.
• One year of experience as a network engineer or similar role.
• Equivalent combination of education and experience considered.
• Bachelor's degree preferred.
• Three+ years supporting enterprise campus networks preferred.
• CCNA/CCNP or equivalent certification preferred.

Responsibilities

• Administer, configure, and maintain LAN, WLAN, and WAN infrastructure; plan changes after hours.
• Monitor performance; respond to alerts and incidents; perform root cause analysis.
• Plan, design, and implement network projects; develop standards and capacity plans.
• Maintain network security with 802.1X, firewalls, and vulnerability remediation.
• Create and maintain network documentation; automate routine tasks.
• Provide guidance to technicians; collaborate with multiple teams and vendors.
• Support ITS auxiliary services such as housing, dining, and partnerships.
• Pursue continuous learning and knowledge sharing within the team.
• Perform other duties to support department and University objectives.

Tools

Palo Alto Networks

Fortinet

Cisco Catalyst

NetBox

Python

Ansible

PowerShell

Job description

Make a difference at one of Florida's premier institutions for education in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Florida Polytechnic University, ranked the No. 1 public college in the region by U.S. News and World Report, offers a unique working environment that encourages faculty and staff to be part of a culture that prizes collaboration, innovation, and the willingness to go above and beyond to ensure our students and University succeed. Florida Poly offers a small campus academic environment where students form connections with their faculty and peers as they pursue high-value degrees in engineering and applied sciences.

Florida Poly's deliberately small classes, affordability, and outstanding graduate outcomes have helped it earn recognitions such as being named a top value school, in the top 25 nationally for affordability, and in the top five best universities in the South for tech students. Accredited by ABET and SACSCOC, Florida Poly is educating some of the brightest minds in Florida and attracting standout talent from across the nation.

JOB TITLE

Network Engineer

JOB DESCRIPTION SUMMARY

The Network Engineer serves as a core member of the IT Infrastructure team, reporting to the Director of IT Infrastructure Services and working closely with the Lead Network Engineer. This role is responsible for the day-to-day engineering, administration, and continuous improvement of the University's wired, wireless, and wide area network infrastructure. Responsibilities include configuring and maintaining switching, routing, wireless, and firewall environments; monitoring performance and resolving complex network issues; delivering network projects from planning through deployment; and maintaining accurate documentation and standards. The Network Engineer participates in an on-call rotation, plans and performs after-hours maintenance to minimize impact to users, and provides technical guidance to Technicians and student workers. The Network Engineer also supports ITS auxiliary services, such as residence halls, dining, and external partnerships.
This role is ideal for a highly technical, self-motivated, and hard-working individual with a strong passion for networking and a drive to build infrastructure that is stable, secure, and well documented. A positive attitude, a commitment to seeing tasks through to completion, and taking pride in the quality of your work are essential. If you thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced environment with a diverse portfolio of projects, enjoy deep technical collaboration with a close-knit infrastructure team, and are eager to continuously expand your skills in enterprise networking, security, and automation, this position offers significant opportunity to make a tangible impact across the University.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Administer, configure, and maintain the University's LAN, WLAN, and WAN infrastructure, including switches, routers, wireless, firewalls, and VPN. Plan, test, and implement changes and upgrades, scheduling user-impacting work after hours.
• Monitor network performance; respond to alerts, service requests, and escalated incidents; and perform root cause analysis to resolve complex issues. Participate in a rotating on-call schedule to respond to after-hours incidents and outages.
• Participate in the planning, design, and implementation of network projects, including new construction and renovations. Develop and recommend standards, roadmaps, and capacity plans to support current and future needs.
• Maintain and improve network security, including segmentation, 802.1X/NAC, firewall policy, and vulnerability remediation, in partnership with IT Security and in alignment with frameworks such as CIS, NIST, and PCI.
• Create and maintain accurate network documentation, including diagrams, configurations, IP address management, and procedures. Automate routine tasks using scripting, AI, and network automation tools where feasible.
• Provide technical guidance to Network Technicians and student workers. Collaborate with systems, security, and application teams, vendors, and contractors; evaluate vendor products and services and recommend improvements.
• Support network services delivered through ITS auxiliary operations, such as residence halls, dining, and external partnerships.
• Proactively pursue opportunities to learn new systems and technologies, share knowledge, and partner with team members to continually enhance departmental expertise and effectiveness.
• Perform all other duties assigned to support department and University objectives.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Associate's degree in computer science, Information Technology, or a related field.
• One (1) or more years of experience as a network engineer, network administrator, or similar role.
• Equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field.
• Three (3) or more years supporting enterprise or campus networks, preferably in higher education.
• Experience with Palo Alto Networks or Fortinet firewalls, Cisco Catalyst switching, and enterprise wireless.
• Experience with network automation (e.g., Python, Ansible) and documentation platforms such as NetBox.
• Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) or Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) or equivalent vendor certification.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Strong understanding of enterprise and campus network design, including LAN/WAN, VLANs, Spanning Tree, wireless (802.11), and routing protocols such as OSPF and BGP.
• General awareness of EVPN, VXLAN, and Clos (spine-leaf) fabric architectures; hands-on proficiency is not required.
• Hands-on experience configuring and troubleshooting enterprise switching, routing, and wireless platforms (e.g., Cisco, Arista) using the command line interface (CLI).
• Experience administering next-generation firewalls (e.g., Palo Alto Networks and Fortinet), VPN, and 802.1X/network access control solutions.
• Working knowledge of core network services (DNS, DHCP, NTP, RADIUS/TACACS+, QoS) and cloud networking in Microsoft Azure and/or AWS.
• Experience with network monitoring, management, and documentation tools (e.g., Zabbix, SNMP, syslog, and NetBox).
• Understanding of scripting and automation (e.g., Python, Ansible, or PowerShell) to automate repetitive tasks.
• Ability to effectively utilize artificial intelligence (AI).
• Ability to take ownership of issues, perform root cause analysis, and drive problems to resolution.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to explain technical issues clearly to both team members and non-technical users.
• Ability to work outside normal business hours to implement changes and solutions to limit impact/exposure to users.

PHYSICAL DEMAND AND WORKING CONDITIONS:

Physical requirements include occasional lifting and carrying of 5 to 70 pounds and occasional use of ladders and lifts. This role requires sitting, standing, reaching, walking, twisting, and kneeling, as well as the visual acuity, speech, hearing, hand-eye coordination, and manual dexterity needed to operate a computer and basic office equipment. Work is performed primarily in an office, with regular work in data centers and telecommunication rooms.

REQUIRED LICENSES, CERTIFICATIONS, AND/OR OTHER SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS OF LAW:

• Must possess a valid driver's license.
• This position requires a criminal background check, which will include a Level II screening as required by Florida Statute *435.04.
• This position is subject to federal and state privacy regulations.

NORMAL WORK SCHEDULE:

This position is salaried and exempt. The normal work schedule is Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; however, occasional after-hours work (evenings, weekends, and holidays) may be required. Local travel between university locations and local vendors may be required. Occasionally, travel to professional events and conferences may be required. This position is eligible for a flexible work schedule.

TARGET HIRING SALARY & BENEFITS:

$71,400-$77,700. Benefits include medical, personal, and parental leave, paid holidays, State of Florida health insurance and retirement plans.

LOCATION/WORK MODEL:

Full-time/On-site

NOTE:

Employment-based visa sponsorship will NOT be considered for this position.

APPLICATION DEADLINE DATE:

The position may be open for 14 days with a minimum of 7 days; however, review of applications will commence immediately.

DIVERSITY STATEMENT:

Florida Polytechnic University is an equal opportunity/equal access institution. It is the policy of the Board of Trustees to provide equal opportunity for employment and educational opportunities to all (including applicants for employment, employees, applicants for admission, students, and others affiliated with the University) without regard to race, color, national origin, ethnicity, sex, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status or genetic information.

Employment is contingent upon eligibility to work in the US. An appointment is not final until proof is provided.

FLORIDA POLY BENEFITS INFORMATION:

Florida Poly qualified employees have the opportunity to take advantage of a variety of health benefits (through the State of Florida) to help meet their specific needs, as well as the needs of their family. This comprehensive coverage includes flexible spending accounts, medical and life insurance, and worker's compensation.

Health benefits are administered through People First, on behalf of the State of Florida, as pre-tax insurance plans. People First handles all new hire enrollments, coverage changes, premium administration, and dependent eligibility. Their Service Center is staffed Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. EST, at 1-866-663-4735.

RETIREMENT:

Florida Poly offers great options for retirement. From the required selection of a state plan to additional voluntary retirement plans, our employees have many opportunities to save and prepare for their future. Click Here for more information.

OTHER BENEFITS:

• Discounts & Perks
• Annual Leave
  • To help promote work-life balance, Florida Poly provides a generous leave program, which includes paid time off and paid holidays. Qualified employees may accrue 22 days of annual leave. In addition, the University observes the holidays listed in our University Holidays policy FPU-1.008.
• Sick Leave
  • Qualified employees may also accrue 12 days of annual sick leave and participate in our Sick Pool Program.
• Employee Assistant Program (EAP)

EXPLORE LAKELAND FLORIDA:

Conveniently located along I-4 between Tampa and Orlando, Lakeland is home to Florida Polytechnic University and many other businesses and attractions. Click here to explore Lakeland, Florida.