Senior Network Architect/Network Engineer

We are seeking a Senior Network Engineer / Network Architect with deep experience supporting manufacturing and industrial environments. This role is responsible for designing, implementing, securing, and maintaining a high-availability network infrastructure that supports both traditional corporate IT systems and Operational Technology (OT) systems on the plant floor., Design, optimize, and maintain enterprise and plant-floor network infrastructure across multiple manufacturing sites.

• Implement secure network segmentation strategies between IT and OT environments (e.g., ISA/IEC 62443 reference models).
• Lead routing, switching, wireless, and WAN modernization initiatives to improve resiliency and uptime.
• Support and secure connectivity for ICS/SCADA, PLCs, HMIs, historians, sensors, and IIoT devices.
• Maintain firewalls, VPNs, and secure remote access for internal teams and approved vendors.
• Implement and enforce Zero Trust and least-privilege access for plant systems.
• Develop and maintain network standards, documentation, diagrams, runbooks, and change control procedures.
• Use automation and scripting (PowerShell, Bash, Python, Ansible, Netmiko) to simplify configuration management.
• Monitor and troubleshoot network performance issues using tools such as SolarWinds and packet analysis utilities.
• Participate in incident response and root-cause analysis for network or OT-related outages.
• Collaborate closely with OT Engineers, Controls Engineers, Production Systems, IT Security, and Plant Operations teams.
• Mentor and guide mid-level engineers and plant support technicians.

Technical Competencies

Cisco Catalyst / Nexus / ISR / ASR

• Arista EOS & CloudVision
• BGP, OSPF, STP, VXLAN/EVPN, QoS, multicast routing
• VLANs and network segmentation strategies for plant networks
• Palo Alto, Fortinet, Cisco Firepower or equivalent firewalls
• Wireless network deployments in industrial facilities
• Azure and/or AWS networking knowledge (hybrid environments)
• Linux & Windows Server networking fundamentals

Manufacturing / OT-Specific Experience

Understanding of ICS/SCADA network architectures

• Familiarity with Rockwell, Siemens, Emerson, or similar control systems
• Knowledge of industrial protocols: Ethernet/IP, Modbus/TCP, Profinet, CIP
• Ability to work safely within operational, production, and high-availability environments
• Experience supporting redundant networks for 24/7 operations

Security & Compliance

Implement NAC, MFA, secure tunneling, and encrypted data transport

• Apply Zero Trust and ISA/IEC 62443-aligned controls
• Support audits and compliance initiatives (internal and external)
• Segment and monitor OT networks to limit attack surfaces

Tools & Platforms

SolarWinds, NetFlow/SNMP monitoring, Syslog analysis

• Cisco DNA Center
• Arista CloudVision
• SecureCRT / MobaXterm
• VSCode / Git / Postman / API-based automation workflows

Do you have experience in Manufacturing facility?, The ideal candidate has hands-on expertise with Cisco and Arista switching/routing, network segmentation, secure remote access, and automation tooling, along with practical knowledge of ICS/SCADA communication patterns, VLAN separation, and OT cybersecurity best practices. This role is both strategic and hands-on, requiring the ability to architect enterprise solutions while directly troubleshooting plant-level issues., 8+ years of enterprise network engineering experience, with at least 3+ in manufacturing or industrial settings.

• Demonstrated network automation experience.
• Professional certifications preferred (e.g., CCNP, CCIE, ACE-Level, PCNSE, or equivalent hands-on expertise).
• Strong communication skills and the ability to operate effectively on the plant floor and in executive discussions.

What Success Looks Like

You consistently deliver high-availability, secure, and well-documented network environments that support zero-downtime manufacturing operations-while driving modernization, standardization, and automation across multiple facilities.

$70 - $85 an hour - Contract