Sr. SolarWinds Platform Engineer

AEP is seeking an experienced Senior SolarWinds Platform Engineer who is responsible for the design, administration, automation, integration, and support of AEP’s enterprise SolarWinds monitoring platform. This role serves as the technical subject matter expert for SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor (NPM), Network Configuration Manager (NCM), Network Insight, network availability monitoring, device lifecycle management, reporting, alerting, and monitoring automation. The engineer will design and maintain enterprise network monitoring solutions across routers, switches, firewalls, VPN infrastructure, telecommunications environments, and critical network services while driving monitoring modernization, operational efficiencies, platform reliability, automation initiatives, and monitoring data quality improvements. The position requires deep technical expertise in network monitoring, SNMP, SolarWinds administration, PowerShell automation, ServiceNow integrations, network device onboarding, reporting development, and enterprise infrastructure operations., * Maintain platform health, performance, availability, and resiliency.

• Perform platform upgrades, patching, maintenance, and lifecycle management.
• Troubleshoot platform-related issues involving polling engines, web servers, databases, monitoring services, and infrastructure dependencies.
• Provide Level 3 support for enterprise SolarWinds monitoring solutions.

Network Monitoring Engineering

• Design, implement, and maintain monitoring solutions for routers, switches, firewalls, WAN infrastructure, VPN services, and critical network devices.
• Develop monitoring standards, alerting strategies, discovery processes, and onboarding procedures.
• Ensure complete device and interface monitoring coverage across enterprise environments.
• Partner with Network Operations and Engineering teams to improve network visibility and operational readiness.
• Reduce monitoring gaps and improve monitoring effectiveness.

Device Lifecycle Management

• Manage network device onboarding, validation, updates, and decommissioning activities.
• Maintain accurate monitoring inventories, IP addressing, device classifications, and naming conventions.
• Reconcile SolarWinds inventories with CMDB and authoritative asset sources.
• Support enterprise monitoring remediation and inventory management initiatives.
• Develop standards for onboarding and monitoring governance.

Alerting, Dashboards & Reporting:

• Build and maintain operational dashboards and executive reporting solutions.
• Develop network availability, utilization, performance, and compliance reporting.
• Create automated report generation and distribution processes.
• Design actionable alerts to reduce noise and improve incident response effectiveness.
• Support stakeholder reporting requirements and visibility initiatives.

Service Now and Enterprise Integrations

• Design and support integration between SolarWinds and ServiceNow.
• Support device onboarding workflows and monitoring request processes.
• Troubleshoot onboarding failures relating to DNS, firewall rules, CMDB data, SNMP communication, and discovery issues.
• Improve end-to-end monitoring automation and operational workflows.
• Support enterprise monitoring modernization initiatives.

Automation & Continuous Improvement:

• Develop PowerShell automation solutions for platform administration.
• Automate device onboarding, inventory updates, interface maintenance, and reporting processes.
• Eliminate manual administrative tasks through repeatable automated workflows.
• Improve operational efficiency through process standardization and automation.
• Drive SolarWinds platform enhancement initiatives.

Platform Architecture & Modernization:

• Participate in architecture, design, and deployment of new SolarWinds environments.
• Define server, database, storage, network, and firewall requirements.
• Support high availability and disaster recovery designs.
• Partner with vendors and architecture teams to implement future-state monitoring solutions.
• Participate in platform roadmap and modernization initiatives.

Production Operations Support

• Participate in on-call rotation and enterprise incident response activities.
• Support monitoring platforms providing visibility into critical network services.
• Investigate monitoring failures and implement corrective actions.
• Serve as a technical escalation point for SolarWinds-related incidents.
• Coordinate issue resolution with infrastructure teams, vendors, and operations partners.

Governance, Risk & Compliance:

• Support monitoring solutions subject to NERC CIP, audit, and compliance requirements.
• Maintain operational procedures, documentation, standards, and support artifacts.
• Support audit evidence collection and remediation activities.
• Ensure monitoring platforms align with cybersecurity, change management, and operational standards.
• Protect sensitive infrastructure and monitor data., * SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor (NPM)
• SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager (NCM)
• SolarWinds Network Insight
• SolarWinds High Availability
• SolarWinds Web Console Administration
• SolarWinds Alert Manager
• SolarWinds Reporting and Dashboard Development
• SolarWinds Discovery and Polling Engines
• Enterprise Network Monitoring Platforms

Network Monitoring Technologies

• SNMP v2/v3
• ICMP Monitoring
• Network Interface Monitoring
• Device Discovery
• Network Topology Monitoring
• Configuration Backup and Restoration
• Network Availability Monitoring
• VPN Monitoring
• Cisco Infrastructure Monitoring
• Palo Alto Firewall Monitoring
• Routing and Switching Technologies

Operating Systems

• Windows Server Administration
• Windows Services Management
• Server Performance Analysis
• Network Connectivity Troubleshooting
• Infrastructure Diagnostics
• Virtual Server Administration

Programming & Scripting:

• PowerShell, SQL, JSON, XML
• API-Based Integrations
• Data Transformation and Validation
• Automation Scripting

Integration Technologies

• REST APIs, SNMP, ServiceNow Integrations, CMDB Integrations
• SMTP, DNS, Active Directory
• Enterprise Monitoring Integrations
• Automated Onboarding Workflows

Databases

• Microsoft SQL Server
• Database Maintenance Concepts
• Database Connectivity Troubleshooting
• Reporting Database Management

Infrastructure & Networking:

• Enterprise Routing & Switching
• Firewalls
• Load Balancers
• WAN Infrastructure
• VPN Technologies
• VMware
• High Availability Architectures
• Disaster Recovery Concepts
• Network Security Fundamentals

Automation Technologies

• PowerShell Automation
• Bulk Import Automation
• Device Lifecycle Automation
• Interface Cleanup Automation
• CMDB Reconciliation Automation
• Monitoring Workflow Automation
• Scheduled Reporting Automation, The Physical Demand Level for this job is: S - Sedentary Work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally (Occasionally: activity or condition exists up to 1/3 of the time) and/or a negligible amount of force frequently. (Frequently: activity or condition exists from 1/3 to 2/3 of the time) to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time but may involve walking or standing for brief periods of time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally, and all other sedentary criteria are met.

• Strong customer service and stakeholder management skills
• Exceptional troubleshooting and analytical abilities
• Ability to communicate effectively with technical and non-technical audiences
• Strong requirements gathering and documentation skills
• Ability to prioritize multiple projects and operational support demands
• Self-directed and highly accountable
• Strong collaboration across Network Operations, Infrastructure Engineering, Security, and Application Support teams
• Ability to lead technical initiatives and drive platform improvements
• Strategic mindset with the ability to align monitoring solutions with business outcomes

Additional Requirements:

• 5+ years of experience administering SolarWinds or comparable enterprise network monitoring platforms.
• Experience with SolarWinds NPM, NCM, Network Insight, or equivalent monitoring technologies.
• Strong knowledge of SNMP, network monitoring, device discovery, alerting, and reporting.
• Experience supporting enterprise network infrastructure environments.
• Strong PowerShell scripting and automation experience.
• Experience with ServiceNow integrations and CMDB processes.
• Experience troubleshooting enterprise monitoring platforms and infrastructure integrations.
• Experience supporting production operational environments and critical infrastructure monitoring., * Utility Industry Monitoring Experience
• NERC CIP Environment Experience
• ServiceNow ITOM
• CMDB Integrations
• Enterprise Network Operations
• Monitoring Platform Architecture
• Infrastructure Monitoring Design
• Enterprise Reporting Solutions
• Vendor Management Experience
• SolarWinds Certified Professional (SCP), * Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, or related technical field is required., * 10 years of relevant work experience is required. An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

At AEP, we’re more than just an energy company - we’re a team of dedicated professionals committed to delivering safe, reliable, and innovative energy solutions. Guided by our mission to put the customer first, we strive to exceed expectations by listening, responding, and continuously improving the way we serve our communities. If you’re passionate about making a meaningful impact and being part of a forward-thinking organization, this is the company for you!