Senior ISP Network & Systems Engineer

Talkie Communications is seeking an experienced Senior ISP Network & Systems Engineer to manage, maintain, secure, and expand our production ISP network and supporting IT infrastructure.

This is a senior-level, hands-on position for someone who can independently manage a live service-provider network. The successful candidate must already have substantial ISP experience and be able to troubleshoot complex network, routing, security, and systems issues without extensive supervision.

This is not an entry-level position. No technical training will be provided.

Primary Responsibilities

• Manage and maintain the company's ISP network infrastructure.
• Configure, monitor, and troubleshoot BGP routing.
• Manage MPLS networks and related routing services.
• Administer Juniper routers and switches.
• Administer Arista switches.
• Configure and maintain OPNsense firewalls.
• Manage site-to-site and remote-access VPN systems.
• Administer KEA DHCP servers, scopes, reservations, leases, and high-availability configurations.
• Monitor network health, availability, bandwidth utilization, and device performance using Observium.
• Troubleshoot routing, switching, latency, packet loss, peering, and connectivity problems.
• Maintain network security policies, firewall rules, access controls, and system hardening.
• Administer Linux and Windows servers.
• Perform firmware, operating system, and security updates.
• Maintain network diagrams, IP address records, configurations, and technical documentation.
• Design and support fiber-optic networks, including backbone routes, network expansion, redundancy, and capacity planning.
• Assist with fiber route planning, POP design, transport architecture, and network resiliency.
• Respond to network outages and participate in after-hours emergency support when required.
• Coordinate with carriers, vendors, field technicians, and internal departments.
• Identify network risks and recommend improvements before they affect customers.
• Maintain configuration backups and support disaster-recovery planning.

• Minimum of 5 years of direct experience managing or operating an ISP network.
• Strong hands-on experience with BGP.
• Strong experience with MPLS networks.
• Advanced knowledge of routing, switching, VLANs, subnetting, IPv4, and IPv6.
• Experience configuring and supporting Juniper routers and switches.
• Experience configuring and supporting Arista switches.
• Experience administering OPNsense or comparable enterprise firewalls.
• Experience managing VPN infrastructure.
• Experience with KEA DHCP.
• Strong Linux system-administration skills.
• Strong Windows Server administration skills.
• Experience with network monitoring platforms, preferably Observium.
• Strong understanding of network security, firewall policies, access controls, and system hardening.
• Experience troubleshooting complex production network problems.
• Experience designing or supporting fiber-optic ISP networks.
• Ability to work independently and make sound decisions during outages and emergencies.
• Ability to clearly document network configurations, changes, and troubleshooting procedures.
• Must be dependable and able to take ownership of critical systems from diagnosis through resolution.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with carrier-grade or service-provider networks.
• Experience managing Internet peering, transit providers, and route policies.
• Experience with network automation, scripting, APIs, or configuration-management tools.
• Familiarity with SNMP, syslog, NetFlow, telemetry, and performance monitoring.
• Experience with network redundancy, high availability, disaster recovery, and multi-site network design.
• Relevant Juniper, Arista, Linux, Microsoft, or networking certifications are preferred but not required.

Important Position Expectations

This position requires an experienced engineer who can begin contributing immediately. Candidates must already understand ISP network operations and should not require foundational training in routing, switching, firewalls, Linux, Windows, BGP, MPLS, or fiber-network design.

The person hired for this role will be trusted with business-critical systems that directly affect customer Internet service. Strong judgment, accountability, documentation, and attention to detail are essential.

Pulled from the full job description

• 401(k)
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Employee discount
• Vision insurance
• Dental insurance, * Remote work is not available for this role.
• Relocation assistance is not offered.
• Candidates must already live within a reasonable commuting distance or be willing to relocate at their own expense before starting employment.

Pay: $60,000.00 - $90,000.00 per year, * 401(k)

• Dental insurance
• Employee discount
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance