Technology - Network Engineer

Alpine School District; Aspen (CO); On-site; USD 59,000 - 71,000; Full time

Job summary

Alpine School District seeks a Network Engineer to own the design, security, and administration of the district's network perimeter, switching/routing, storage, and backup infrastructure. The role partners with DevOps and Systems teams and provides Tier 3 escalation support.

The position includes managing Palo Alto firewalls, ContentKeeper filtering, Aruba wireless and switches, and storage platforms (Veeam, ExaGrid, Pure Storage) with VMware virtualization to ensure compliant, reliable district

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred or equivalent experience in network engineering.
• Hands-on experience with enterprise firewalls, switching/routing, SAN storage, and backups.
• Experience collaborating with software/DevOps teams on infrastructure projects.

Responsibilities

• Administer and tune Palo Alto firewalls, including policy and threat prevention.
• Manage ContentKeeper web content filtering for compliance and access control.
• Design and maintain network segmentation and east/west traffic via ACLs and Pensando-based policy on Aruba CX 10000 switches.
• Configure and maintain Aruba switching/routing infrastructure across district WAN and LANs.
• Oversee Aruba wireless network, upgrades, and centralized monitoring with Aruba Central.
• Manage backup infrastructure with Veeam/ExaGrid and SAN storage with Pure Storage arrays; support VMware virtualization.

Skills

Network engineering

Firewall administration

VMware virtualization

Storage management

DevOps collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in IT/CS/Networking

Equivalent professional experience

Tools

Palo Alto

Aruba Wireless

Veeam/ExaGrid/Pure Storage

Aruba CX switches

Job description

Network Engineer

Lane H - J Contract and Benefits

250 Day Contract

Starting Date: 9/28/2026

Hours a day: 8

Hourly rate: $42.59 - $51.19

Contact Information

• Phone: [phone]

Position Summary

The Network Engineer owns the design, security, and administration of the district's network perimeter, switching/routing, storage, and backup infrastructure. This role administers next-generation firewalls (Palo Alto) and web content filtering (ContentKeeper), designs and maintains enterprise switching, routing, and wireless (Aruba, managed via HPE Aruba Central), and implements network segmentation and east/west traffic control using ACLs and Pensando-based policy enforcement integrated into the district's Aruba CX 10000 switches. The Network Engineer manages backup and storage infrastructure (Veeam, ExaGrid, Pure Storage iSCSI SANs) and shares server/VMware virtualization responsibilities with the Systems Engineering team. This position also partners with Software Engineers on DevOps initiatives and solution architecture, and provides Tier 3 escalation support to onsite technicians. The Network Engineer works closely with the Security Engineer and Systems Engineer to maintain compliance with district IT standards and may assist the Network Architect in planning new network systems and analyzing impact on existing resources.

Reports to: Director of Innovative Engineering

Key Responsibilities

Network Security & Perimeter

• Administer and tune next-generation firewalls (Palo Alto), including security policy, threat prevention, and rule-base optimization.
• Administer web content filtering (ContentKeeper) to enforce district acceptable-use and compliance requirements.
• Design and maintain network segmentation and east/west traffic control using ACLs and Pensando-based policy enforcement built into the district's Aruba CX 10000 switches.

Switching & Routing

• Design, configure, and maintain enterprise switching and routing infrastructure (Aruba) across the district WAN and site-level LANs.
• Monitor and troubleshoot district-wide and site-level network performance, availability, and capacity.

Wireless Infrastructure

• Oversee the district's Aruba wireless network, including design, deployment, and ongoing performance tuning.
• Manage wireless system upgrades and lifecycle refresh planning across district sites.
• Provide break/fix support for wireless access points and related hardware.
• Administer HPE Aruba Central for centralized wireless monitoring, configuration, and management.

Storage & Data Protection

• Manage backup infrastructure and disaster recovery operations using Veeam and ExaGrid, including testing and restoration validation.
• Administer SAN storage on Pure Storage arrays (iSCSI), including provisioning, performance tuning, and capacity planning.
• Share responsibility for district server and VMware virtualization administration (vSphere/vCenter) with the Systems Engineering team.
• Install, configure, and maintain network-based servers and their associated storage to ensure availability of resources for district personnel.
• Partner with Software Engineers on DevOps initiatives, including infrastructure automation, deployment pipelines, and environment provisioning.
• Assist in architecting infrastructure solutions for new systems and services, analyzing impact on existing network and server resources.
• Provide Tier 3 troubleshooting and escalation support for onsite technicians and site-level IT staff on complex network and infrastructure issues.
• Serve as a technical resource to department and district staff on active or planned network and infrastructure projects.

Documentation, Support & Training

• Develop and maintain internal documentation, standard operating procedures, and network diagrams for supported systems.
• Provide training and technical guidance to technical staff on deployment methods, troubleshooting, and best practices.
• Write test plans, integration plans, and deployment guides for new technologies and services.
• Research current and emerging network, security, and infrastructure technologies, and recommend improvements.
• Assist in maintaining support contracts for supported network and infrastructure systems.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Network Engineering, or a related field preferred.
• Equivalent professional experience in network engineering or infrastructure administration will be considered in lieu of a degree.
• Hands-on experience administering enterprise firewalls, switching/routing, SAN storage, and backup platforms in an enterprise or district environment.
• Experience with virtualization platforms and collaborating with software/development teams on infrastructure or DevOps initiatives.

Preferred Certifications (examples — one or more relevant to the role)

• Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) or Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) Enterprise/Security — or equivalent vendor-specific certification (e.g., Palo Alto PCNSE, Aruba ACSP)
• VMware Certified Professional (VCP)
• Pure Storage Certified Professional
• CompTIA Network+ / Security+
• Primarily office-based work: approximately 80% sitting, 10% walking, 10% standing.
• Occasional lifting, carrying, and equipment handling; fine finger dexterity required for hardware and workstation support.
• Clean, climate-controlled office and server/data room environments.

Additional Requirements

• Valid driver's license and evidence of insurability.
• Annual district technology training.
• Criminal justice fingerprint/background clearance.
• Maintenance of required certifications and licenses.