Senior Network Engineer – Tier 3 Support / Network Architect

Impulse Strategic Solutions; Georgia; Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

Impulse Strategic Solutions in Houston, TX is seeking a Senior Network Engineer to serve as a Tier 3 escalation point and architecture leader. This hands-on role combines advanced networking with design, mentorship, and cross-functional collaboration.

The ideal candidate is a Cisco expert with FirePower, Catalyst, Meraki, SD-WAN, unified communications, and enterprise routing and switching experience. The role offers hybrid work with on-site support in Central Houston as needed.

Qualifications

• Associate degree in IT or equivalent work experience.
• CCNP certification mandatory; CCIE strongly preferred.
• 8+ years of network engineering experience.
• Advanced experience with Cisco FirePower, Catalyst, Meraki.
• SD-WAN and MPLS experience.
• Unified communications proficiency (CUBE, SIP).
• Azure ExpressRoute experience.
• OSPF, BGP, EIGRP, STP proficiency.
• Wireless 802.11 standards and Ekahau usage.
• Strong firewall, VPN, IDS/IPS skills.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the highest level of network escalation (Tier 3).
• Architect, design, implement, and maintain LAN/WAN, wireless, firewall, and voice infrastructures.
• Configure and manage Cisco FirePower, Catalyst, Meraki, and SD-WAN connectivity.
• Support unified communications including CUBE routers and SIP.
• Integrate cloud networking, including Azure ExpressRoute.
• Lead capacity planning and scalability assessments.
• Mentor junior/mid-level engineers and collaborate with teams.
• Engage in customer-facing technical discussions and on-call rotations.

Skills

CCNP

Cisco FirePower

SD-WAN

Meraki

LAN/WAN design

Network security

Mentoring

Wireshark

Education

Associate degree in IT

Tools

Ekahau

Wireshark

NetFlow Analyzer

Azure ExpressRoute

Job description

Houston, United States

• Salary 65-75hr contract 120k when hired directly
• City Houston
• State/Province TX
• Country United States

Job Description

Location:Hybrid (Primarily Remote with On-Site Support as Needed – Central Houston, TX)

Employment Type:Full-Time

Position Overview

We are seeking a highly skilledSenior Network Engineerto serve as aTier 3 escalation pointandnetwork architecture leaderwithin our infrastructure team. This is a hands‑on technical role that combines advanced network engineering expertise with strategic design, architecture, and mentorship responsibilities.

The ideal candidate is aCisco expertwith extensive experience inCisco FirePower, Cisco Catalyst, Cisco Meraki, SD-WAN, unified communications, and enterprise‑level routing and switching. You will play a key role insupporting, designing, and optimizingour network infrastructure while mentoring junior staff and collaborating with cross‑functional teams to ensure performance, reliability, and scalability.

About the Team

You will be joining a close‑knit infrastructure group consisting of:

• 1 Network Project Manager
• 1 Junior Server Administrator
• 1 Senior Server Administrator
• 1 Server Specialist

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as thehighest level of network escalation (Tier 3), providing on-site and remote technical support.
• Architect, design, implement, and maintain complexLAN/WAN, wireless, firewall, and voiceinfrastructures.
• Configure and manage enterprise-levelCisco FirePower, Catalyst, Meraki, andSD-WAN/MPLSconnectivity solutions.
• Support and configureunified communicationsincludingCUBE routers, voice gateways, and SIP.
• Integratecloud networkingsolutions, includingAzure ExpressRouteconnectivity.
  
• Implement and manage advanced routing and switching protocols (OSPF, BGP, EIGRP, STP) and redundancy technologies (HSRP, VRRP, GLBP).
• Configure, monitor, and securewireless networks(802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax) using tools likeEkahaufor spectrum analysis.
  
• Manage and optimize firewall rules, VPNs (SSL and Site‑to‑Site), and IDS/IPS systems.
  
• Conductpacket analysisusing Wireshark and NetFlow analyzer tools to diagnose and resolve network performance issues.
  
• Performcapacity planning and scalability assessmentsto ensure network growth readiness.
  
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate network solutions into enterprise systems.
  
• Lead network-related projects, ensuring timelines and deliverables are met.
  
• Maintain detailednetwork documentationand troubleshooting guides.
  
• Research and recommend new technologies to improve performance, security, and efficiency.
  
• Mentor junior and mid-level network engineers.
  
• Engage incustomer‑facing technical discussionsto align solutions with business objectives.
  
• Participate in on‑call rotations, including nights and weekends, for critical issues and maintenance windows.
  

Minimum Qualifications

• Associate degreein an IT-related field or equivalent work experience.
• CCNP certification(mandatory);CCIE strongly preferred.
• 8+ yearsof experience in network engineering.
• Advanced experience withCisco FirePower, Cisco Catalyst, Cisco Meraki.
• Experience withSD-WAN and MPLSsolutions.
• Proficiency withunified communications(CUBE routers, voice gateways, SIP).
• Cloud networking experience, specificallyAzure ExpressRoute.
• Expertise in advanced switching and routing protocols (OSPF, BGP, EIGRP, STP).
• Experience withwireless standards(802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax) andEkahautools.
• Strong firewall configuration and management skills.
• Expertise with VPNs (SSL and Site‑to‑Site).
• Knowledge ofIDS/IPS, DNS, DHCP, ICMP, SNMP, and other core network protocols.
• Experience with packet analysis and NetFlow tools (Wireshark, ManageEngine NetFlow Analyzer).
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent documentation and communication skills.
• Project management experience and ability to coordinate across teams.
• Adaptability, continuous learning mindset, and customer service focus.
• Willingness to work off‑hours for maintenance or emergencies.

Hybrid role:Primarily remote, with required on‑site work in Central Houston for critical support, installations, and projects.

Flexibility for after‑hours and weekend work when necessary.

Why Join Us?

This is acritical leadership rolein our network operations. You’ll have the autonomy to design and optimize enterprise networking, work directly on cutting‑edge Cisco technologies, and mentor the next generation of IT professionals. If you’re a seasoned engineer ready to take ownership of complex projects and influence infrastructure strategy, we want to hear from you.

“Impulse Strategic Solutions provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, protected veteran, disabled status, or genetic information. In addition to federal law requirements, Impulse Strategic Solutions complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has employees.”

“Impulse Strategic Solutions is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us [e-mail] .”

Impulse Strategic Solutions provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, protected veteran, disabled status, or genetic information. In addition to federal law requirements, Impulse Strategic Solutions complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has employees.