Senior Network Engineer

Florida Polytechnic University; Lakeland (FL); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Florida Polytechnic University is seeking a Senior Network Engineer to join the Information Technology Services team. The role focuses on advanced design, implementation, and optimization of wired, wireless, and WAN infrastructure, with responsibilities spanning project leadership, after-hours maintenance, and collaboration with partner institutions.

Ideal candidates will have expertise in enterprise networking, security controls, and network automation, with a forward‑looking approach to

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, implementation, and optimization of complex network solutions, including campus core, data center, spine‑leaf fabrics, WAN, and wireless.
• Serve as escalation point for complex incidents; participate in on‑call rotation and after-hours maintenance.
• Lead network projects and workstreams from planning through deployment; develop standards, roadmaps, and capacity plans.
• Engineer and improve network security, including segmentation, 802.1X/NAC, next‑gen firewall policy, VPN, and vulnerability remediation.
• Establish and maintain network documentation, configuration standards, and procedures; develop automation using scripting and network automation tools.
• Mentor Network Engineers, Technicians, and student workers; collaborate with multiple teams and vendors.

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.

The University is equipped with cutting-edge facilities and equipment and two award-winning, architecturally distinct academic buildings. Its evolving curriculum, designed to meet the needs of industry and provide a life-long educational foundation for students, has helped the institution grow in prominence since its opening in 2014. 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.

Senior Network Engineer

ABOUT FLORIDA POLYTECHNIC INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES

The Information Technology Services (ITS) division at Florida Poly is dedicated to positioning the University as a leader among STEM institutions through the innovative use of information technology. Our mission is to transform teaching and learning, empower cutting‑edge research, enhance the student experience and success, enable data‑driven decision‑making, and optimize University operations and services.

Staffed by a team of energetic professionals, we prioritize service excellence, foster innovation, and pursue continuous improvement in a highly collaborative environment. Currently, we are driving a major transformation of IT infrastructures, architectures, and service delivery models to align with Florida Poly's new five‑year strategic plan and support its ambitious goals.

Reporting to the Vice President and CIO, ITS is organized into six teams, including Technology Support, IT Security, IT Infrastructure Services, DevOps, Enterprise Solutions, and Business Services.

SUMMARY OF POSITION

The Senior Network Engineer serves as a member of the IT Infrastructure team, reporting to the Director of IT Infrastructure Services and working with the Lead Network Engineer. This role performs advanced engineering, design, implementation, optimization, and complex troubleshooting of wired, wireless, and wide area network infrastructure. Responsibilities include designing and implementing complex solutions, leading assigned projects and technical workstreams, improving network performance and resiliency, and establishing standards and documentation. The Senior Network Engineer participates in an on‑call rotation, plans and performs after‑hours maintenance to minimize impact to users, and mentors Network Engineers, Technicians, and student workers. A significant portion of this role is dedicated to delivering network engineering services to external partner institutions, working on site and remotely alongside their IT staff, in addition to supporting ITS auxiliary services such as residence halls and dining.

This role is ideal for a highly technical, self‑motivated, and experienced engineer with a strong passion for networking and a drive to build infrastructure that is stable, secure, and well documented. A positive attitude, sound judgment, and taking pride in the quality of your work are essential, along with the professionalism to represent the University with partner institutions. If you enjoy leading complex projects, mentoring others, and continuously expanding your skills in enterprise networking, security, and automation, this position offers significant opportunity to make a tangible impact across the University and beyond.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the design, implementation, and optimization of complex network solutions, including campus core, data center, spine‑leaf (EVPN/VXLAN) fabrics, WAN, and wireless. Plan, test, and implement changes and upgrades, scheduling user‑impacting work after hours.
• Serve as an escalation point for complex, multi‑layer network incidents; lead root cause analysis and drive permanent corrective actions. Participate in a rotating on‑call schedule to respond to after‑hours incidents and outages.
• Lead assigned network projects and technical workstreams from planning through deployment, including new construction and renovations. Develop standards, roadmaps, and capacity plans, and evaluate risk and tradeoffs in design decisions.
• Engineer and improve network security, including segmentation, 802.1X/NAC, next‑generation firewall policy, VPN, and vulnerability remediation, in partnership with IT Security and in alignment with frameworks such as CIS, NIST, and PCI.
• Establish and maintain network documentation, configuration standards, and procedures, including diagrams, IP address management, and source of truth (e.g., NetBox). Develop automation using scripting, AI, and network automation tools.
• Mentor Network Engineers, Network Technicians, and student workers, and review engineering work for quality and standards. Collaborate with systems, security, and application teams, vendors, and contractors; evaluate products and recommend improvements.
• Deliver network engineering services through ITS auxiliary operations and external partnerships, including