Senior Network & Systems Infrastructure Engineer (Cisco & VMWare)

Socket.dev; Fort Lauderdale (FL); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Socket.dev is seeking an experienced Infrastructure Engineer to manage our network, VMware virtualization, and storage infrastructure. You will administer Cisco switches/routers and firewalls, configure VPNs, and ensure security and performance across on-premises systems.

The role covers storage, backups, DR planning, documentation, and collaboration with security and software teams. On-site work in Fort Lauderdale, with an on-call rotation as needed.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of hands-on experience managing enterprise network and virtualization infrastructure.
• Strong expertise in Cisco networking: switching, routing, and firewall administration.
• Proven experience administering VMware vSphere in production environments.
• Solid knowledge of SAN/NAS storage, iSCSI/FC/NFS.
• Experience with monitoring and management tools.
• Excellent troubleshooting, analytical, and documentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Install, configure, and maintain Cisco switches/routers across LAN/WAN.
• Configure firewalls, VPNs, and access control policies with security in mind.
• Administer On-prem VMware vSphere environments and storage platforms.
• Manage VM lifecycles, templates, and migrations; perform patching and tuning.
• Support backup/DR solutions and monitor storage performance and capacity.
• Maintain infrastructure docs, runbooks, and change control processes.
• Collaborate with security, applications, and vendor teams; on-call as needed.

Skills

Cisco networking

VMware vSphere

Storage technologies

Network security

Monitoring tools

Scripting/Automation

Documentation

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/IT or equivalent

Tools

SolarWinds

PRTG

vRealize/Aria Operations

Job description

About the role

We are seeking an experienced Infrastructure Engineer to manage, maintain, and optimize our enterprise network and virtualization infrastructure. The role covers end-to-end administration of Cisco network switches, routers, and firewalls, as well as VMware virtualization platforms and associated storage systems. The ideal candidate combines strong hands-on technical skills with a proactive approach to configure monitor, capacity planning and documentation of core IT infrastructure.

What you'll do

Network Infrastructure

• Install, configure, and maintain Cisco switches and routers across LAN/WAN environments.
• Manage routing protocols VLANs, trunking, spanning tree, and inter-VLAN routing.
• Configure and administer Cisco firewalls, including access control policies, NAT, site-to-site and remote-access VPNs.
• Monitor network performance, troubleshoot connectivity and latency issues, and perform root-cause analysis.
• Implement network segmentation, QoS policies, and security hardening in line with best practices.
• Maintain firmware/IOS upgrade cycles, configuration backups, and change control for all network devices.

Server & Storage

• Administer On-prem VMware vSphere environments, including ESXi hosts, vCenter Server and resource pools.
• Manage VM lifecycle: provisioning, templates, snapshots, migrations (vMotion/Storage vMotion), and decommissioning.
• Perform configurations, performance tuning, monitoring and patch management.
• Support backup and disaster recovery solutions for virtualized workloads (e.g., Veeam or equivalent).
• Administer SAN/NAS storage platforms (e.g., Dell EMC) including LUN provisioning, zoning, and datastore management.
• Manage storage connectivity (iSCSI, Fibre Channel, NFS) between storage arrays and the VMware environment.
• Monitor storage capacity, IOPS, and latency; plan expansions and optimize utilization.
• Implement and test storage-level replication, snapshots, and data protection policies.

General Infrastructure & Operations

• Respond to incidents and service requests within defined SLAs; participate in on-call rotation as required.
• Maintain accurate infrastructure documentation: network diagrams, IP address management, runbooks, and configuration standards.
• Collaborate with security, application, and vendor teams on projects, upgrades, and audits.
• Support datacenter operations, including hardware installation, cabling, and environmental monitoring.
• Contribute to infrastructure improvement initiatives, automation (scripting), and technology refresh planning.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience).
• 5+ years of hands-on experience managing enterprise network and virtualization infrastructure.
• Strong expertise in Cisco networking: switching, routing, and firewall administration.
• Proven experience administering VMware vSphere (ESXi, vCenter) in production environments.
• Solid working knowledge of enterprise storage technologies (SAN/NAS, iSCSI, FC, NFS).
• Strong understanding of network security principles, VPNs, and access control.
• Experience with monitoring and management tools (e.g., SolarWinds, PRTG, vRealize/Aria Operations).
• Excellent troubleshooting, analytical, and documentation skills.

Preferred Certifications

• Cisco CCNA required; CCNP (Enterprise or Security) preferred.
• VMware VCP-DCV (Data Center Virtualization).
• Storage vendor certification (e.g., NetApp NCDA, Dell EMC) is a plus.
• ITIL Foundation is an advantage.

Desirable Skills

• Scripting/automation experience (PowerShell, PowerCLI, Python, Ansible).
• Experience with backup solutions (Veeam, Commvault) and DR planning.
• Familiarity with Windows Server and Active Directory environments.

Soft Skills

• Strong communication skills and ability to work with cross-functional teams and vendors.
• Self-driven, with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.
• Commitment to reliability, security, and continuous improvement.

Working Conditions

• On-call availability for critical incidents and scheduled maintenance windows (evenings/weekends as needed).
• Onsite required: Monday - Friday, 8am-5pm