Network Engineer

Pacific Dataport is seeking a Senior Network Engineer to design, implement, commission, operate, and troubleshoot carrier-class infrastructure that connects satellite gateways, teleports, data centers, fiber transport systems, and remote communications sites across Alaska. This is a senior individual-contributor role for an engineer who enjoys moving between architecture, configuration, field commissioning, and complex problem resolution.

The successful candidate will own technical outcomes, serve as a Tier III escalation resource, and work closely with operations teams, vendors, satellite partners, contractors, and customers. The role does not include routine people-management or budget-management responsibilities., * Design and evolve resilient carrier-class IP/MPLS networks supporting satellite gateway, teleport, data center, backbone, and customer-service environments.

• Configure and support routing, switching, optical transport, security, and service-delivery platforms, including equipment from Juniper, Cisco, Nokia, Ciena, and Fortinet.
• Engineer and troubleshoot BGP, OSPF, IS-IS, MPLS, EVPN/VXLAN, VLANs, QoS, Carrier Ethernet, and IPv4/IPv6 services.
• Integrate LEO and GEO satellite gateway systems with terrestrial IP, Ethernet, optical, and data center infrastructure; coordinate interfaces with satellite operators and technology partners.
• Plan and execute equipment installation, turn-up, testing, acceptance, and commissioning at teleports, earth stations, data centers, central offices, and remote Alaska sites.
• Engineer and troubleshoot fiber and optical transport systems, including DWDM/CWDM links; perform loss testing, OTDR analysis, and fault isolation.
• Provide Tier III support for complex incidents; use packet capture, protocol analysis, telemetry, logs, and performance data to identify root cause and restore service.
• Develop methods of procedure, implementation plans, test plans, network diagrams, circuit records, inventories, and as-built documentation.
• Perform capacity planning, resiliency analysis, lifecycle planning, software upgrades, configuration management, and proactive performance optimization.
• Implement and support firewalls, segmentation, secure management access, high-availability architectures, and network security controls in coordination with organizational policy.
• Improve monitoring and operational visibility using network management systems, telemetry, alerting, configuration tools, and practical automation or scripting.
• Lead technical work during planned maintenance windows and emergency restoration; communicate clearly with stakeholders and complete post-event documentation.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to technicians, contractors, and less-experienced engineers without serving as their direct manager.
• Travel approximately 5-10% throughout Alaska, including to remote locations, and safely perform hands-on work in data center, teleport, and field environments.

• Seven or more years of progressively responsible network engineering experience in a carrier, ISP, telecommunications, satellite, data center, or similarly critical environment.
• Deep practical knowledge of Layer 1-3 networking, TCP/IP, subnetting, routing policy, redundancy, failure domains, and systematic troubleshooting.
• Demonstrated experience implementing and supporting BGP and OSPF in production; working knowledge of MPLS, IS-IS, EVPN/VXLAN, QoS, and IPv6.
• Hands-on experience with carrier-class routers, switches, firewalls, optical transport platforms, and Ethernet services; ability to work confidently from both CLI and management platforms.
• Experience with fiber-optic systems, optical power measurement, OTDR testing, patching practices, and troubleshooting of transport impairments.
• Ability to interpret packet captures and network telemetry using Wireshark and comparable diagnostic tools.
• Strong documentation, change-management, and communication skills, including the ability to write clear MOPs and explain technical risk to varied audiences.
• Ability to participate in after-hours maintenance and outage response and to travel by commercial or small aircraft, vehicle, or other practical means to remote Alaska sites.
• Valid driver’s license and ability to meet site-access and job-related safety requirements.
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, information systems, telecommunications, or a related field-or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Experience with satellite operators, LEO/GEO gateways, teleports, earth stations, or satellite ground-segment integration.
• Experience supporting rural Alaska communications, remote field operations, government networks, critical infrastructure, or high-availability service-provider environments.
• Advanced experience with Juniper, Cisco, Nokia, Ciena, and Fortinet platforms; familiarity with Linux, VMware, and out-of-band management systems.
• Experience with DWDM/CWDM, Carrier Ethernet, MEF service concepts, network automation, APIs, Python or similar scripting, and configuration/version-control practices.
• Experience with monitoring, performance, telemetry, and configuration-management platforms.

Preferred Certifications

• Current Fortinet professional-level certification, MEF Carrier Ethernet certification, or FOA Certified Fiber Optic Technician (CFOT).
• Relevant optical transport, Linux, cloud, virtualization, security, or vendor-specific certifications.

Pulled from the full job description

• Parental leave
• 401(k)
• Health insurance
• 401(k) matching
• Paid time off
• Employee discount
• Flexible schedule, Why You’ll Love This Role
• Engineer one of North America’s most distinctive combinations of satellite gateway, teleport, fiber, and carrier IP infrastructure.
• Build and improve systems that support rural Alaska, critical communications, and communities where reliable connectivity has immediate impact.
• Work with emerging LEO technologies alongside established GEO platforms and terrestrial transport networks.
• Enjoy a meaningful mix of design, hands-on implementation, field commissioning, troubleshooting, and innovation.
• Join a small, highly technical team where sound engineering judgment is visible and directly influences network reliability and growth.
• Receive competitive compensation and benefits, with opportunities for professional development and continued technical growth.

Working Conditions & Equal Opportunity

This position may require work in equipment rooms, data centers, teleports, outdoor sites, and remote locations; lifting and handling network or test equipment; occasional exposure to challenging weather; and work outside normal business hours during planned maintenance or service restoration.

Pay: $86,304.15 - $121,893.16 per year, * 401(k)

• 401(k) matching
• Employee discount
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave