Senior Technical Consultant - Network SDN

AHEAD; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 130,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance

401(k)

Paid holidays

Paid time off

Parental and caregiver leave

Job summary

AHEAD builds platforms for digital business and specializes in SDN technologies, including NSX, ACI, and AVI, in large enterprise data centers. The Senior Network Technical Consultant will lead architectural discussions, deployments, and knowledge transfer across client teams.

Ideal candidates bring 7+ years in data center environments, strong vendor tech knowledge, and a proactive problem-solving mindset to deliver reliable, scalable networking solutions.

Qualifications

• Minimum 7 years of data center experience in enterprise environments.
• Deep hands-on knowledge in Cisco, Arista, or VMware NSX for large-scale deployments/migrations.
• Strong ownership, problem solver, sense of urgency and proactive attitude.
• In-depth knowledge of underlay/overlay concepts, segmentation strategies, and interoperability.
• Experience with VMware NSX, NSX-T, and Avi.
• Knowledge of VXLAN, OTV, EVPN/BGP, and overlay networking.
• Proficiency in troubleshooting, performance optimization, and automation.

Responsibilities

• Serve as subject matter expert for software defined technologies.
• Participate in deployment of complex solutions, create deliverables, and conduct client workshops.
• Communicate architecture strategy and approach to client senior management and stakeholders.
• Implement design architecture objectives aligned with client demand and business goals.
• Ensure knowledge transfer to client teams for smooth operation of deployed solutions.
• Obtain and maintain relevant certifications.

Skills

Data center experience

NSX expertise

Network architecture

Ownership & urgency

Tools

VMware NSX

Avi Networks

VXLAN/EVPN

GSLB

Job description

AHEAD builds platforms for digital business. By weaving together advances in cloud infrastructure, automation and analytics, and software delivery, we help enterprises deliver on the promise of digital transformation.At AHEAD, we prioritize creating a culture of belonging, where all perspectives and voices are represented, valued, respected, and heard. We create spaces to empower everyone to speak up, make change, and drive the culture at AHEAD.We are an equal opportunity employer, and do not discriminate based on an individual's race, national origin, color, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, marital status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law, whether actual or perceived.We embrace all candidates that will contribute to the diversification and enrichment of ideas and perspectives at AHEAD.

AHEAD is seeking a Senior Network Technical Consultant with a specialization in Software-Defined Networking especially NSX, ACI and AVI. Deep hands-on technical knowledge and expertise in: Cisco, Arista, or VMware NSX large scale data center deployments/migrations

Roles & Responsibilities:

• Service as subject matter expert for software defined technologies
• Possess a strong understanding of Cisco ACI, Cisco or Arista VxLAN, and VMware NSX (V & T) technologies
• Participate in the deployment of complex solutions, create written deliverables, and conduct client workshops
• Ability to communicate and execute architecture strategy & approach in clear, concise, and understandable terms to client senior management and other client stakeholders
• Ability to implement design architecture objectives that align with client demand & business goals
• Receptive listening skills, with the ability to present ideas in a clear, concise fashion to technical and non-technical audiences
• Excellent situational leadership and timely decision-making skills
• Passionate about successful customer outcomes
• Ability to work effectively within all levels of an organization (internally & externally)
• Ability to work both individually and in a team environment
• Demonstrated ability to deliver multiple IT projects on time and within budget
• Ensure knowledge transfer to relevant client teams for smooth operation of deployed solutions
• Obtain and maintain certifications with associated qualifications

Preferred Qualifications, Capabilities & Skills:

• Minimum 7 years of data center experience in enterprise environments
• Deep hands-on technical knowledge and expertise in: Cisco, Arista, or VMware NSX large scale data center deployments/migrations
• Strong sense of ownership, problem solver, sense of urgency and ability to be proactive in resolving challenges
• Depth of knowledge around underlay, overlay concepts, segmentation strategies, and solution interoperability
• Experience with VMware technologies, NSX, NSX-T, and Avi.
• Strong understanding of VXLAN, OTV, EVPN/BGP, and overlay networking.
• Experience with AVI Networks load balancers, including GSLB, controllers, and data/control planes in VMware NSX environments
• Proficiency in troubleshooting, performance optimization, and automation.

The compensation range indicated in this posting reflects the On-Target Earnings ("OTE") for this role, which includes a base salary and any applicable target bonus amount. This OTE range may vary based on the candidate's relevant experience, qualifications, and geographic location.

Why AHEAD:Through our daily work and internal groups like Moving Women AHEAD and RISE AHEAD, we value and benefit from diversity of people, ideas, experience, and everything in between.We fuel growth by stacking our office with top-notch technologies in a multi-million-dollar lab, by encouraging cross department training and development, sponsoring certifications and credentials for continued learning.

USA Employment Benefits include:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• 401(k)
• Paid company holidays
• Paid time off
• Paid parental and caregiver leave
• Plus more! See benefits for additional details.

Use of AI:We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, assessing responses, or to capture recordings and create transcriptions or summaries during interviews. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans.If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please refer to the Candidate Privacy Notice or contact us at .You may opt-out of the review or analysis of your application and resume by AI tools by using the General Application. Please include the role you wish to apply for in the Additional Information field. You may also choose to opt-out of recording and transcription at any time, including after joining an interview. Candidates will not be penalized for choosing to opt-out.