Senior Network Automation Engineer – CCIE | Python | Cisco | Arista

Elan Partners; Plano (TX); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Elan Partners in the Dallas–Fort Worth area is seeking a Senior Network Engineer for a 1+ year contract. The ideal candidate is hands-on, self-directed and brings deep expertise in network architecture, automation, and security to support a large enterprise environment.

You will design scalable, highly available networks, develop standards and documentation, and build Python‑based automation plus Ansible playbooks.

Qualifications

• CCIE certification or equivalent senior-level experience.
• Extensive hands-on experience with Cisco and Arista networks.
• Experience with Python for network automation and Ansible.

Responsibilities

• Design scalable, highly available enterprise network architectures.
• Develop and maintain network standards, documentation, and best practices.
• Configure, optimize, and troubleshoot Cisco and Arista networking environments.
• Build Python-based automation to improve network efficiency and reliability.
• Develop and manage Ansible playbooks for automated deployment and configuration.
• Partner with DevOps teams to integrate network automation into CI/CD workflows.
• Design and enforce network security controls aligned with industry standards.
• Conduct risk assessments and implement mitigation strategies.
• Evaluate vendor products and technologies and provide technical recommendations.
• Maintain detailed documentation of network designs, configurations, and procedures.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to support ongoing operations and initiatives.

Skills

Network architecture

Automation

Security

Python

Ansible

CI/CD integration

Independent work

Education

CCIE certification or equivalent senior-level experience

Tools

Cisco

Arista

Fabric switching

GitHub

Bitbucket

Jenkins

Job description

1+ year contract

**Please note before applying:**

Must currently reside in the Dallas–Fort Worth area

No third-party/C2C candidates

We are seeking a highly experienced Senior Network Engineer to support a large, complex enterprise environment. The ideal candidate is hands‑on, self‑directed, and brings deep expertise in network architecture, automation, and security, with the ability to evaluate technologies and independently implement scalable, resilient solutions.

Requirements

• CCIE certification or equivalent senior-level experience
• Extensive hands‑on experience with Cisco and Arista network platforms, including fabric switching
• Advanced proficiency in Python for network automation
• Strong experience with Ansible for network configuration and orchestration
• Familiarity with integrating network automation into CI/CD pipelines (e.g., GitHub, Bitbucket, Jenkins)
• Deep understanding of enterprise network security principles
• Experience working within NIST‑aligned security frameworks
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication abilities
• Ability to work independently in complex environments

Responsibilities

• Design and implement scalable, highly available enterprise network architectures
• Develop and maintain network standards, documentation, and best practices
• Configure, optimize, and troubleshoot Cisco and Arista networking environments
• Build Python‑based automation to improve network efficiency and reliability
• Develop and manage Ansible playbooks for automated deployment and configuration
• Partner with DevOps teams to integrate network automation into CI/CD workflows
• Design and enforce network security controls aligned with industry standards
• Conduct risk assessments and implement mitigation strategies
• Evaluate vendor products and technologies and provide technical recommendations
• Maintain detailed documentation of network designs, configurations, and procedures
• Collaborate cross‑functionally to support ongoing operations and initiatives