Staff Network Engineer

Socket.dev; Wisconsin; Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) plan

Education assistance

On-site wellness

Job summary

Socket.dev is seeking a Staff Network Engineer to design, support, and modernize a global enterprise network in a hybrid Menomonee Falls, WI environment.

You will drive architectural decisions, mentor engineers, and own lifecycle management for network hardware across wireless, NAC, routing, switching, NGFW, and SD-WAN, delivering scalable solutions and robust governance.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in enterprise network engineering across wireless, routing, switching, and firewall tech.
• Hands-on expertise with cloud-managed wireless, NAC, NGFW, and SD-WAN in production.
• Ability to design robust, scalable solutions and mentor others.
• Experience supporting large, multi-site enterprise networks.
• Strong knowledge of network security, segmentation, and best practices.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience contributing to standards, governance, and change-management practices.

Responsibilities

• Design new network components and integrate with current architecture.
• Provide advanced engineering and operational support across enterprise wireless, NAC, routing, switching, NGFW, and SD-WAN.
• Lead troubleshooting and root cause analyses of complex, cross-platform incidents.
• Develop and execute test plans to validate network changes and deployments.
• Own lifecycle programs for a large inventory of network hardware (switches, APs, firewalls, SD-WAN devices).
• Establish governance standards and drive engineering-excellence practices.
• Mentor teams and communicate with stakeholders.

Skills

Enterprise networking

NAC

NGFW

SD-WAN

Cloud-managed wireless

Network automation

Tools

HPE Mist

Job description

Job Description:

*Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S.; Sponsorship is not available for this position.

*This position is Hybrid in our Menomonee Falls, WI Location

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Staff Network Engineer to help design, support, and modernize our global enterprise network environment. As a recognized technical authority within the network domain, you will contribute to architectural decisions, design robust multi-system solutions, drive adoption of best practices, and mentor other engineers. This role spans enterprise wireless, network access control (NAC), routing, switching, next-generation firewalls, and SD-WAN, with significant ownership of hardware lifecycle programs and operational excellence across a global, multi-site enterprise.

Core Technology Stack: Enterprise wireless (cloud-managed) · Network access control (NAC) · Next-generation firewalls · SD-WAN · Enterprise routing & switching · Network automation

Technical Leadership & Solution Design

• Serve as a recognized technical authority in enterprise networking; contribute to architectural decisions and evaluate emerging technologies for adoption.
• Design new network components and enhance existing ones independently, ensuring clean integration with current architecture.
• Develop solutions that integrate across multiple systems, weighing technical trade-offs for scalability, performance, and maintainability.
• Design and implement governance standards across projects; drive adoption of engineering-excellence practices.

Enterprise Network Engineering & Support

• Provide advanced engineering and operational support across enterprise wireless, network access control (NAC), routing, switching, next-generation firewalls, and SD-WAN.
• Lead troubleshooting and Root Cause Analysis on complex, cross-platform network incidents.
• Design and implement network enhancements aligned with architectural and security best practices.
• Develop and execute test plans to validate network changes and deployments.

Hardware Lifecycle Management

• Own lifecycle programs for a large inventory of network hardware - switches, wireless access points, firewalls, and SD-WAN devices.
• Plan and drive hardware upgrades, refresh projects, WAN circuit migrations, and decommissioning across multiple locations.
• Maintain accurate documentation of inventory, lifecycle stages, and platform dependencies.
• Partner with procurement, logistics, and field resources to ensure seamless deployment and transitions.

Operational Excellence & Change Management

• Design and implement operational excellence practices across network systems; proactively monitor and maintain system health.
• Lead incident response efforts and drive post-incident improvements.
• Develop and own engineering-approved change plans; ensure changes follow structured change-management processes.
• Establish documentation standards and ensure consistency across projects; champion documentation as a core function (network diagrams, standards, lifecycle plans, runbooks).

Collaboration, Mentorship & Stakeholder Engagement

• Lead cross-functional initiatives spanning multiple teams, mentor others on collaboration and stakeholder management.
• Assess skill gaps within the team and develop targeted learning plans; conduct knowledge-transfer sessions to grow team capability.
• Communicate technical concepts effectively to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Develop accurate estimates for complex, multi-team projects; identify dependencies and risks that impact timelines.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in enterprise network engineering, with demonstrated depth across enterprise wireless, routing, switching, and firewall technologies.
• Strong hands-on expertise with cloud-managed enterprise wireless, network access control (NAC), next-generation firewalls, and SD-WAN in a production enterprise environment.
• Proven ability to design robust solutions and mentor others on technical approaches.
• Experience supporting large-scale, multi-site network environments.
• Solid understanding of network security principles, segmentation, and best practices.
• Strong troubleshooting and analytical skills, including leading Root Cause Analysis.
• Experience contributing to organizational standards, governance, and change-management practices.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Deep enterprise wireless design and implementation experience with cloud-managed wireless and network access control (NAC) platforms.
• Advanced experience with next-generation firewalls and SD-WAN technologies in multi-vendor environments.
• Automation/Enterprise network solutions (example: HPE Mist)
• Experience with structured lifecycle management and asset tracking.
• Familiarity with ITIL-based service management processes.
• Relevant industry certifications in enterprise networking, wireless, or security (or equivalent experience).

We provide these great perks and benefits:

• Robust health, dental and vision insurance plans
• Generous 401 (K) savings plan
• Education assistance
• On-site wellness, fitness center, food, and coffee service
• And many more, check out our benefits site HERE.

Ideal Candidate Profile

This role is best suited for a senior network professional who operates as a technical authority in their domain - designing solutions, setting standards, and mentoring others - while still being hands-on with complex engineering and lifecycle work. Success is measured by sound architectural contributions, reliable delivery of complex initiatives, strong documentation and operational discipline, effective mentorship, and clear communication across technical and business stakeholders.

Milwaukee Tool is an equal opportunity employer.