Senior Network Engineer

University of Pennsylvania; United (PA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Pennsylvania is seeking a Senior Network Engineer to design, install, and manage a complex multi-vendor network across campus, data center, and WAN environments. The role emphasizes Cisco and Juniper routing and switching, network automation, and collaboration with internal teams.

The position requires on-campus presence with occasional after-hours on-call rotations and a focus on scalable, standards-based network solutions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required.
• Expert knowledge of IPv4/IPv6 and dynamic routing protocols (BGP/OSPF).
• Experience with Cisco Catalyst Center or similar network management tools.
• Proven ability to manage large enterprise networks.
• Linux administration and Python scripting experience.
• Experience with open-source automation tools (Nautobot, NetBox).
• Experience with Cisco and Juniper networking equipment.
• Ability to define and enforce standards and best practices.

Responsibilities

• Maintain performance and capacity of a large multi-vendor network.
• Design, implement, and support routing and switching solutions (Cisco/Nexus, Juniper).
• Define standards, methods, and best practices for networking.
• Engineer dual-stack routing (IPv4/IPv6) with BGP/OSPF/IS-IS; right-size policy integration.
• Plan and maintain network overlays (MPLS, VXLAN) for multi-tenant environments.
• Build automation using Python to improve deployment and workflows.
• Collaborate with campus partners to plan projects and resolve issues.
• Provide daily maintenance and on-call incident response.
• Anticipate capacity growth and evolving technology needs.
• Stay current with networking technologies and industry standards.

Skills

IPv4/IPv6 networks

Dynamic routing (BGP/OSPF/IS-IS)

Cisco/Juniper equipment

Linux administration

Python scripting

Network automation (Nautobot/NetBox)

Network monitoring/tools

Communication & collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in a related field

Tools

Cisco Catalyst Center

Nautobot

NetBox

Job description

Senior Network Engineer

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer inPhiladelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research,and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranksamong the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & WorldReport survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provideopportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education,all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach toscholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been rankednationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbeswho named Penn one of America's Best Large Employers in 2023. Penn offers a unique working environment within the city ofPhiladelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urbancampus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural,andrecreational activities. With its historical significance andlandmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety ofatmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home forwork and play.

Posted Job Title

Senior Network Engineer

Job Profile Title

Network Engineer Senior

Job Description Summary

The Senior Network Engineer plans, designs, installs, and manages acomplex, multi-vendor, dual-stack enterprise network. Theenvironment includes extensive use of Cisco and Juniper routing andswitching platforms (including campus, data center, and WANtechnologies). The position works with internal teams, Internetservice providers, and external partners to define technicalrequirements for network infrastructure. The Senior NetworkEngineer resolves complex networking issues and provides high-levelsupport to IT staff, and uses programming skills to build networkautomation and tooling. This role participates in an on-callrotation with other network engineers and must be able to respondto incidents on Penn's campus within one hour. This position is noteligible for remote work and requires a regular on-campus presence.The engineer leverages network management tools, evaluates newtechnologies, and helps define network policies and standards. Therole may supervise staff or lead major network projects.

Job Responsibilities

• Maintain performance and capacity of a large-scale,multi-vendor network by monitoring, troubleshooting, and resolvingproblems as they occur.
• Design, implement, and support enterprise routing and switchingsolutions using Cisco Catalyst and Nexus platforms and Juniperrouting and switching devices in campus, data center, and WANenvironments.
• Define standards, methods, and best practices for networkrouting, switching, automation, and monitoring across aheterogeneous infrastructure.
• Engineer and support dual-stack (IPv4 and IPv6) routing usingdynamic routing protocols such as BGP, OSPF, and IS-IS, includingpolicy design and integration with external peers and serviceproviders.
• Plan, implement, and maintain network overlays and relatedtechnologies (e.g., MPLS, VXLAN, and similar encapsulation/overlaymechanisms) to support multi-tenant and segmented services in bothcampus and data center environments.
• Build automation using Python and related tools to improvenetwork deployment, configuration management, and operationalworkflows.
• Work closely with campus partners and internal teams to planprojects, integrate services, and resolve complex networkproblems.
• Provide daily maintenance, including changes, modifications, orimprovements, as part of the ongoing administration of thenetwork.
• Plan for growth in throughput and overall capacity, and planfor technological advances and changes in requirements due to theevolution of computing systems.
• Stay current with networking technologies, industry bestpractices, and emerging standards through research andtraining.
• Bridge the gap between design and operations to ensuresolutions are scalable, supportable, and aligned with businessneeds.
• Provide technical leadership and participate in strategyplanning.
• Demonstrate a strong verbal presence in meetings, contributingperspectives, asking questions, and driving technical discussionsforward.
• Build trust quickly with both technical and non-technicalaudiences.
• Participate in a shared after-hours on-call rotation forcritical network incidents, including occasional early-morning,evening, or weekend work as required to support maintenance andincident response.
• Go beyond solving the issue: Mentor, collaborate with, andtrain operations staff, and more junior engineers asnecessary.
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science and 3 to 5 years of experience orequivalent combination of education and experience isrequired.
• Expert knowledge of networking: IPv4 & IPv6, dynamicrouting protocols such as BGP & OSPF, overlay technologies suchas MPLS & VXLAN.
• Experience with network management and monitoring tools,specifically Cisco Catalyst Center.
• Proven experience managing large enterprise networks.
• Experience with Linux administration and Python scriptingskills.
• Experience with open-source tools and automation frameworks(Nautobot, Netbox).
• Experience with Cisco and Juniper enterprise-grade networkingequipment.
• Experience building relationships with peers and partner teamsto ensure alignment on network strategy, execution and strategicgoals.
• Ability to define and enforce standards, methods, and bestpractices.
• Ability to take ownership of initiatives from concept throughimplementation and operational support.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills forcross-functional initiatives.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred

• Experience with network automation tools such as Nautobot orNetbox.
• Experience with Solidserver, Cisco Catalyst Center (DNAcenter), DX NetOps (Spectrum), Akips, Kentik.
• Experience with optical equipment, such as CienaWaveserverAI.
• Experience working in higher education.

In order to be considered for this role and move forward inthe process, candidates will be required to meet in person with thehiring team.

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

About Information Systems & Computing

Information Systems & Computing (ISC) is the University ofPennsylvania's central IT organization, providing the core network,data, voice, video, and enterprise application infrastructure andservices upon which Penn's numerous Schools and Centers build theirunique tools and capabilities. ISC's 300-plus employees work closely with the University's ITorganizations in order to create, deliver and support products andservices that help Schools and Centers operate efficiently andeffectively. We strive to be easy to work with, and to serve as atrusted advisor to Penn's IT community, faculty, staff and studentsin support of an environment of discovery and progress. ISC's focus on customer service and the high-quality,cost-effective, reliable implementation of modern IT solutionsadvances the mission of the University, as well as that of eachindividual School and Center. At Penn, technological freedom anddepartmental autonomy represent dearly held core values. ISCsupports those ideas by providing foundational services and cogentcounsel, empowering individuals and departments to employ theirdistinct strengths in support of their goals.

Learn more about us by visiting: https://www.isc.upenn.edu/about or www.linkedin.com/company/penn-information-systems-computing/.

Department / School

Information Systems and Computing

Pay Range

$84,961.00 - $125,000.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate's qualifications,experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to therequirements of the position, and in alignment with salary rangesbased on external market data for the job's level. Internalorganization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer.Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race,color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin(including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenshipstatus, age, disability, veteran status or any class protectedunder applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements

Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer ismade. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to therequirements of the job.

University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Pennoffers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health,dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and yourfamily's health and welfare. You can also use flexible spendingaccounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent careexpenses with pre-tax dollars.
• Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuitionbenefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can gettuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are alsoeligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans tohelp you save for your future. Penn's Basic, Matching, andSupplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on apre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investmentoptions through TIAA and Vanguard.
• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with asubstantial amount of time away from work during the course of theyear. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personalaffairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time withfamily-whatever your personal needs may be.
• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with GenworthFinancial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible familymembers) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of thecosts of long-term care services received at home, in the communityor in a nursing facility. If you apply when you're newly hired, youwon't have to provide proof of good health or be subject tounderwriting requirements. Eligible family members must alwaysprovide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
• Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed tosupporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competingdemands of work and personal life. That's why we offer a widevariety of programs and resources to help you care for your health,your family, and your work-life balance.
• Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides anarray of resources to help you advance yourself personally andprofessionally.
• University Resources: As a member of the Penn community,you have access to a wide range of University resources as well ascultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of theUniversity's libraries and athletic facilities, or visit ourarboretum and art galleries. There's always something going on atPenn, whether it's a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latestmusic or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the PennRelays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a memberof the Penn community, you're right in the middle of theexcitement-and you and your family can enjoy many of theseactivities for free.
• Discounts and Special Services: From arts andentertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find greatdeals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts andcultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admissionand memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoysubstantial savings on other goods and services such as new carsfrom Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movietickets, and admission to theme parks.
• Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offercreative approaches for completing work while promoting balancebetween work and personal commitments. These approaches involve useof non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or jobstructures.
• Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivableloan for eligible employees interested in buying a home orcurrently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used forclosing costs or home improvements.
• Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligibleemployees on qualified expenses in connection with the legaladoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for upto two adoptions in your household.

To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer.Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race,color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin(including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenshipstatus, age, disability, veteran status or any class protectedunder applicable federal, state, or local law.