NETWORK ENGINEER

Ready to put your expertise to work where it truly makes a difference? At Cary, you’ll join a local government shaping the future of our community and be part of work that matters every day. As a Network Engineer, you’ll play a critical role in supporting the technology that keeps our organization connected, responsive, and ready to serve the Cary community. This is more than an opportunity to advance your technical career; it’s a chance to bring your expertise to an organization where innovation, public service, and meaningful impact come together.

The Network Engineer performs complex technical work in the design, implementation, administration, monitoring, and support of the Town’s enterprise data, voice, and wireless network infrastructure. This position ensures secure, highly available network connectivity across Town facilities, data centers, remote sites, and cloud environments. Work includes network architecture support, routing and switching configuration, firewall and secure access enforcement, VPN and remote access support, wireless systems administration, network performance monitoring, and troubleshooting complex connectivity issues. The Network Engineer works independently under general supervision of the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), receiving direction on major initiatives and collaborating with other IT teams.

The position works closely with the Town’s Information Security function to ensure network standards and configurations align with cybersecurity requirements and collaborates with infrastructure teams to support integrated system operations, enterprise services, and the operational needs of public safety and departmental technology initiatives. Because these systems continually intersect, the ideal candidate pairs deep networking expertise with hands-on experience in adjacent domains, such as server administration, cloud platforms, Microsoft 365, unified communications, and security operations, and is comfortable moving among them as operational needs arise. Network engineering remains the primary responsibility of the position. Candidates who bring a broad, diverse skill set and the ability to contribute across multiple disciplines are particularly well suited to this role.

Anticipated Hiring Range: $92,664.00 - $110,780.80

Typical Tasks

• Designs, configures, implements, administers, and supports the Town’s enterprise network infrastructure, including routers, switches, firewalls, wireless controllers and access points, VPN gateways, and remote connectivity systems.
• Designs, implements, and administers cloud and hybrid network infrastructure in Microsoft Azure and/or Amazon Web Services (AWS), including virtual networks, subnets, routing, network security groups, cloud-native firewalls, VPN gateways, and dedicated circuits (e.g., Azure ExpressRoute, AWS Direct Connect), ensuring secure and reliable connectivity between on-premises and cloud environments.
• Monitors network performance, availability, and capacity; identifies anomalies, bottlenecks, and security issues; recommends and implements corrective actions.
• Provides advanced troubleshooting and technical resolution for network incidents and outages affecting connectivity and service delivery.
• Collaborates with Town infrastructure, applications, and security teams, as well as external entities, to support integrated system operations and cross-domain initiatives.
• Collaborates with Project Management teams to design and plan for new/remodeled Town facilities and initiatives.
• Administers network security controls in coordination with Information Security, including firewall rule sets, VLAN segmentation, secure access policies, multi-site connectivity, and encrypted communications.
• Implements and maintains network monitoring, logging, alerting, and reporting systems to support proactive performance and security oversight.
• Documents network architecture, configurations, standards, and procedures; maintains up-to-date network diagrams and inventories.
• Provides technical support and guidance for third-party network services, vendor products, and contracted network solutions.
• Reviews and evaluates network hardware and software, providing recommendations for procurement, upgrades, and technology lifecycle planning.
• Supports wireless infrastructure, including coverage planning, site surveys, controller administration, and performance optimization.
• Participates in scheduled maintenance, patching, firmware upgrades, and disaster recovery planning for network components.
• Provides after-hours support and participates in on-call rotation as required to maintain critical network services.
• Provides secondary support for enterprise infrastructure services, including Windows server administration, virtualization environments, and data center systems, in coordination with infrastructure staff.
• Assists with the administration and support of Microsoft 365 services and the Town’s unified communications and collaboration platforms, including Cisco Webex calling, meetings, and contact center services, as assigned.
• Assists the Information Security team with broader security operations tasks, such as vulnerability remediation, log review, endpoint and identity hardening, and incident response support, as assigned.
• Performs related duties as assigned., * Enterprise network design principles, protocols, and standards (TCP/IP, BGP, OSPF, EIGRP, VLANs, MPLS, QoS, DHCP, DNS).
• Routing and switching technologies, including core, distribution, and edge network layers.
• Firewall technologies, secure access, VPN, and remote connectivity models.
• Wireless networking standards (802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax),wireless controller platforms, and RF fundamentals.
• Network monitoring and management tools (SNMP, NetFlow, syslog, packet capture).
• Network security practices and integration of network controls with enterprise security requirements.
• Cloud networking concepts and hybrid connectivity (SD-WAN, VPN to cloud services).
• Cloud networking architecture and hybrid connectivity in Microsoft Azure and/or AWS, including virtual networks (VNet/VPC), subnets and routing, network security groups, cloud-native firewalls, VPN and dedicated circuit connectivity (ExpressRoute, Direct Connect), cloud DNS, and SD-WAN integration.
• The interdependencies among core cloud services, including identity and access management, compute, storage, and platform services, and how network design enables and secures those services.
• Adjacent enterprise infrastructure technologies, including Windows Server, virtualization, Microsoft 365, and unified communications platforms such as Cisco Webex.
• How the layers of an enterprise technology stack (network, server, identity, cloud, security, and end-user platforms) interact, and how work in one domain affects the others.
• Vendor products such as Cisco, Aruba, Juniper, Fortinet, or similar enterprise infrastructure.

Skill in:

• Designing and implementing complex network topologies.
• Troubleshooting network performance, latency, and connectivity issues.
• Configuring and managing firewalls, routers, switches, and wireless systems.
• Documenting network configurations, processes, and changes.
• Communicating effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Applying core engineering skills across multiple technology domains and learning unfamiliar platforms quickly.

Ability to:

• Work independently, prioritize tasks, and manage multiple network projects simultaneously.
• Respond quickly and effectively to network outages and security incidents.
• Collaborate with diverse IT teams and external vendors to achieve operational goals.
• Maintain composure and sound judgment in high-pressure situations.
• Serve as a versatile contributor across infrastructure disciplines while maintaining primary responsibility of the Town’s network environment.

Requires any combination of education and experience equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Network Engineering, or a related field, and three (3) or more years of progressively responsible experience in network engineering or administration.

Certification Requirement: CompTIA Network+, Cisco CCNA, or Cisco CCENT certification is required. Candidates who do not currently hold one of these certifications must obtain one within six months of their start date., Preference will be given to candidates with two (2) or more years of experience in at least two (2) of the following four (4) areas:

• Enterprise server, virtualization, and storage administration, including Windows Server, virtualization platforms such as VMware, Nutanix, or Hyper-V, and enterprise storage solutions such as NetApp, Dell EMC, or Pure Storage.
• Administration of enterprise productivity and collaboration platforms, including Microsoft 365 (Office 365) tenant and service administration and unified communications platforms such as Cisco Webex.
• Designing or supporting network infrastructure in Microsoft Azure or Amazon Web Services.
• IT security, such as firewall administration, security operations (vulnerability management, log analysis, incident response), endpoint and identity hardening, or the development of technical security standards and configurations.

The following certifications are also preferred:

• Certifications such as Cisco CCNP, Fortinet NSE, Aruba ACMA, or equivalent.
• Certifications or additional specialized training in firewall administration, wireless networking, SD-WAN, or network security.
• Cloud certifications such as Microsoft Certified: Azure Network Engineer Associate (AZ-700), AWS Certified Advanced Networking, or equivalent foundational cloud certifications (e.g., AZ-900, AWS Cloud Practitioner, etc.).

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: Work in this class is generally sedentary. An employee must be able to talk, hear, and have sufficient visual acuity to view computer screens and documentation. Occasional manual dexterity is required to operate networking equipment. The ability to lift 35lbs. is required.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Requires possession of a valid driver’s license with an acceptable driving record.
• Requires drug testing and background check (which may include criminal history check, SBI finger-printing, motor vehicle records check, education verification and credit history review) and satisfactory reference checks prior to employment.
• Participation in on-call rotations and emergency response activities is required.
• Must be eligible for and able to maintain CJIS access and certification.
• This is a full-time, on-site position.