Network Deployment Technician

We are seeking a versatile and hands-on Network Deployment Technician to support the staging, deployment, configuration, and sustainment of a large-scale, global enterprise converged network and security infrastructure. This role bridges physical deployment logistics, enterprise multi-vendor routing/switching (Cisco, Ruckus), next-generation firewalls (Palo Alto), modern SD-WAN edge implementations, and on-premises hypervisor / virtualization platforms.

The ideal candidate thrives in a high-tempo operational environment, traveling to remote customer locations and operational sites to execute turnkeys, upgrades, hardware cutovers, and rapid incident resolution.

Responsibilities:

Site Deployment, Turn-up & Field Operations

• Travel to remote sites (~50%-75%) to lead and execute physical and logical network turn-ups, hardware refreshes, and site decommissioning.
• Coordinate all pre-trip deployment logistics: stage and burn-in hardware, fabricate and label copper/fiber cabling, pack transport trunks, and arrange travel itineraries and site access.
• Perform physical rack-and-stack installations, cable management, power distribution (UPS/PDU), and clean, dress, and test single-mode and multimode fiber optic runs.

Network Routing, Switching & SD-WAN Configuration

• Configure, test, and troubleshoot enterprise switching and routing platforms, including Cisco Catalyst/Nexus and Ruckus ICX switches (FastIron).
• Implement and validate SD-WAN (Software-Defined Wide Area Network) edge appliances, optimizing traffic steering and failover across multiple transport circuits (Broadband, MPLS, LTE/5G, and Satellite/Microwave).
• Configure VLANs, trunking (802.1Q), spanning-tree protocols (RSTP/MSTP), link aggregation (LACP), and dynamic routing protocols (OSPF, BGP).

Network Security & Firewall Engineering

• Deploy and configure enterprise next-generation firewalls, with a primary focus on Palo Alto Networks (PAN-OS].
• Maintain compliance with DoD STIGs (Security Technical Implementation Guides) and organizational security baseline configurations.

Edge Virtualization & Hypervisor Operations

• Deploy and support edge server hardware hosting hypervisors (e.g., VMware ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V, or KVM).
• Configure hypervisor virtual networking components, including virtual switches (vSwitches), port groups, VLAN tagging, and physical NIC bonding/redundancy.
• Deploy, spin up, snapshot, and monitor virtual machines (VMs) and Virtual Network Functions (VNFs) utilized for local site operations, services, and management nodes.

Project Coordination, Cutover Management & Documentation

• Survey remote facility infrastructure and draft as-built and proposed site architecture diagrams in Microsoft Visio.
• Coordinate and lead pre-installation conference calls with local site points of contact (POCs), project managers, and cyber security teams.
• Schedule authorized service interruptions (maintenance windows/outages) to perform cutovers with minimal mission disruption.
• Author and update Site specific reports, cutover checklists, and site survey templates to enforce standardization across deployment teams.
• Provide tiered escalation support during post-cutover stabilization, troubleshooting issues from physical cabling faults to hardware system failures.

This position is designed to be flexible, with responsibilities evolving to meet business needs and enable individual growth.

• Clearance: Active DoD Secret Security Clearance (or verifiable eligibility to obtain one prior to employment).
• Travel Documentation: Must hold an active, valid U.S. Passport (with at least 6 months validity remaining prior to expiration) and possess the ability to travel internationally and obtain foreign visas as required.
• DoD 8570 / 8140 Baseline Compliance: Must hold or obtain within 60 days of hire an IAT Level II baseline certification (e.g., CompTIA Security+ CE, SSCP, CCNA Security, or equivalent).

Education & Professional Experience

• 3+ years of hands-on experience in enterprise network administration, deployment, or field engineering (or equivalent combination of formal IT education and military/field experience).
• Proven experience supporting large-scale enterprise rollouts, data migrations, or field hardware cutovers.

Technical Proficiencies

• Firewalls & Security: Demonstrated experience with Palo Alto Networks NGFWs (PAN-OS, security profiles, NAT, IPsec) and/or Cisco security products.
• Switching & Routing: Hands-on configuration experience with Ruckus (ICX series, FastIron CLI) and Cisco (IOS/IOS-XE) platforms.
• SD-WAN & Transport: Working knowledge of SD-WAN architectures, path selection policies, and hybrid transport layers (Fiber, Twisted Pair Copper, Microwave, SATCOM).
• Hypervisors / Virtualization: Hands-on familiarity with bare-metal hypervisors (VMware vSphere/ESXi, Hyper-V), virtual switch configuration, and edge VM administration.
• Transport & Physical Layer: Practical knowledge of fiber optic installation, connector types (LC, SC), optical transceivers (SFP/SFP+/QSFP), and diagnostic test sets.
• Software Tools: Proficiency in Microsoft Visio, terminal emulators (PuTTY, MobaXTerm), Wireshark, and network monitoring tools (SNMP/Syslog).
• Networking Fundamentals: Strong working knowledge of TCP/IP, OSI model, IP addressing, subnetting, VLANs, trunking (802.1Q), and dynamic routing (OSPF, BGP).

Physical & Operational Requirements

• Ability to travel domestically and internationally 50% to 75% of the time.
• Ability to lift, transport, and rack equipment weighing up to 80 lbs.
• Flexibility to work non-standard hours, nights, and weekends during scheduled maintenance windows., * Methodical Problem Solving: Ability to systematically isolate faults and resolve unexpected technical hurdles during high-pressure maintenance windows.
• Effective Communication: Strong verbal and written communication skills to deliver technical updates to engineering teams and articulate status clearly to non-technical site leadership.
• Autonomy & Dependability: Proven ability to manage on-site tasks independently with high attention to detail, cable management standards, and security compliance.

Preferred Qualifications:

Vendor Certifications

• Palo Alto Networks: PCCET, PCNSA, or PCNSE.
• Ruckus: Ruckus Certified Networking Associate (RCNA) or Ruckus Certified Implementer.
• Networking: Cisco CCNA / CCNP (Enterprise).
• Virtualization: VMware Certified Technical Associate (VCTA) or VCP-DCV.

• 401(k) with 100% company match on the first 6% deferred, with immediate vesting
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage-employee portion paid 100% by Core4ce
• Unlimited access to training and certifications, with no pre-set cap on eligible professional development
• Tuition assistance for job-related degrees and courses
• Paid parental leave, PTO that grows with tenure, and generous holiday schedules
• Got a big idea? At Core4ce, The Forge gives every employee the chance to propose bold innovations and help bring them to life with internal backing.

Join us to build a career that matters-supported by a company that invests in you.