Principal Network Admin

Alliance of Professionals & Consultants, Inc.; Pasadena (TX); On-site; USD 110,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Alliance of Professionals & Consultants, Inc. is seeking a Principal (Sr) Network Administrator for an onsite role in Houston, TX with 25% travel.

You will set the strategic direction for our network, lead modernization, and establish standards to keep the environment stable and secure. You will design and maintain enterprise routing, SD-WAN/SASE, Azure networking, and hybrid connectivity across onsite and cloud, partner with IT teams and vendors, respond to incidents, and drive security,

Qualifications

• 8+ years as a Network Administrator in multisite environments.
• Experience modernizing and maintaining enterprise networks.
• Experience with Microsoft Server on-prem and Azure networking.

Responsibilities

• Establish network standards across the organization.
• Design and maintain enterprise routing and switching.
• Administer SD-WAN/SASE and network security (Cato Networks).
• Support Starlink satellite connectivity for remote sites.
• Manage Azure networking components and VPN/ExpressRoute.
• Respond to network incidents and coordinate with vendors.
• Maintain privileged access and network backups.

Skills

Network administration

Azure networking

SD-WAN/SASE

Routing & switching

Security & firewalls

Starlink connectivity

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field

Tools

Cato Networks

Azure ExpressRoute

Entra ID

Active Directory

Job description

Job Title

Principal (Sr) Network Admin

Type

Direct Hire

Work Location

Onsite position located in Houston, TX with 25% travel

Job Overview

As a Senior Network Administrator, you will set the strategic direction for network and establish the standards that keep it stable and secure. You will lead network modernization, administration, and fault resolution across physical and cloud environments, provide technical support to employees, and partner with other IT teams and vendors to resolve network-related issues. You will also partner closely with the business as expands, ensuring the network scales securely to support new sites, acquisitions, and operational needs while maintaining security posture.

Essential Job Responsibilities

• Establish network and infrastructure standards across the organization.
• Design, configure, and maintain enterprise routing and switching infrastructure across corporate and site locations, including VLAN segmentation, spanning tree, dynamic routing (OSPF/BGP), and QoS policies.
• Administer SD-WAN/SASE and network security environment (Cato Networks), including firewall policy management, secure connectivity between the corporate network and field/site locations, and site failover.
• Support and maintain Starlink satellite connectivity network for remote and field site locations, including provisioning, troubleshooting, and integration with the broader corporate WAN/SD-WAN environment.
• Install, configure, and maintain physical and virtual server and network infrastructure platforms.
• Administer and optimize Microsoft Azure network and infrastructure components, including virtual networks, network security groups, VPN Gateway/ExpressRoute connectivity, and hybrid identity integration between on-premises Active Directory and Microsoft Entra ID.
• Respond to and resolve network-related incidents in a timely manner, address alerts and escalations, and work with IT leadership, other IT teams, and vendors to produce strategic solutions to recurring problems.
• Maintain and periodically audit privileged accounts and access permissions.
• Assist in the configuration and troubleshooting of IP-based peripherals such as printers, scanners, and mobile devices.
• Collaborate with other IT team members to identify and resolve complex issues.
• Work closely with the IT Security team to implement and maintain network security measures, including firewalls, intrusion detection/prevention systems, and access control policies.
• Monitor and analyze network traffic for potential security threats and vulnerabilities and implement appropriate mitigation strategies to minimize risk.
• Document current technical procedures and create knowledge base articles for the support team when needed.
• Maintain inventory of network hardware, software, and licensed assets.
• Maintain network topology diagrams, device alerting structure, and network management tools to ensure all devices' location and status are known 24x7 and detected issues are actioned.
• Train users to successfully operate new systems and equipment as needed.
• Conduct network vulnerability scans and privileged access rights reviews at specified intervals (weekly, monthly, quarterly).
• Establish and maintain network device patching cadence.
• Maintain network backups and ensure periodic testing as part of the DR plan.
• Participate in the 24/7 on-call rotation and act as primary contact point for network-related issues.

Core Working Relationships

• Business unit operations teams
• Information Technology team
• Business partner functions (HR, Procurement, Finance, Operations)
• External stakeholders
• Third party vendors and service providers

Key Competencies

• Service-oriented mindset.
• Strong Technical Acumen and solution oriented.
• Outstanding communication, organizational, and time management skills.
• Strong teamwork and interpersonal skills.
• Technical and End-User documentation writing.
• Incident, Change and Problem Management.
• Great analytical skills.
• Passion for continuous improvement and optimization across all areas of responsibility.

Required Skills & Experience

Proven/equivalent multi-year experience in related fields and activities. 8+ years of experience as a Network Administrator in a multisite organization. Proven experience modernizing and maintaining corporate systems. Experience troubleshooting network and connectivity issues. Working knowledge of Microsoft Server (on-prem) and Microsoft Azure, including basic Azure networking and Entra ID concepts. Working knowledge of routing/switching strategies and multi-site WAN/SD-WAN connectivity, including satellite-based connectivity (e.g., Starlink) for remote sites.

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field.
• Minimum: Proven, equivalent multi-year experience in related fields and activities.
• 8+ years of experience as a Network Administrator.
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft cloud technologies and server platforms.
• Strong knowledge of Azure networking, including virtual networks (VNets), network security groups, VPN Gateway/ExpressRoute, and Azure Firewall.
• Strong knowledge of on-prem and cloud routing and switching, SASE/SD-WAN (Cato Networks), and satellite connectivity (Starlink) for remote and field sites.
• Strong knowledge of On-Prem Active Directory and Microsoft Entra ID, including hybrid identity and directory synchronization.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work well independently and as part of a team.

Big Bonus Points if you Have:

• Relevant certifications:
• Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104), Azure Network Engineer Associate (AZ-700), SASE/SD-WAN certification (e.g., Cato Networks), or equivalent networking/identity credentials.

Job Requisition #

40306 #LI-KL1

Salary

A reasonable estimate of the Base Salary for this role is $110,000 - $130,000 per year. The disclosed pay range estimate has not been adjusted for the applicable geographic differential associated with the location at which the position may be filled. The compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case, such as skills and experience levels.

Meet APC

APC is a professional staffing and services organization focused on engaging people and positively impacting lives. As “Professionals serving Professionals”, we take pride in providing our employees and contractors with the highest level of customer service and support. APC is committed to creating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, genetics, or veteran status.