Network Engineer / Hands-On Network Manager - Houston, TX

Position Overview This is a player-coach position. You will own Zedcor's network end to end: office LAN/WAN and wireless, datacenter networking for our on-premises virtualization and Azure Local buildout, hybrid Azure connectivity, and the edge connectivity that keeps surveillance towers streaming. You help set the standards, do the hands-on engineering, and build the operational discipline our compliance program depends on. This role is based full-time at our Houston office in the Willowbrook area. Key Responsibilities • Design, build, and operate LAN, WAN, and wireless networks across the Houston headquarters, Calgary and remote sites across the US and Canada, including structured cabling, switching, wireless, 802.1x, VPN. • Own datacenter networking, Telcom connection management and monitoring. • Engineer and operate hybrid cloud networking: ExpressRoute, VPN gateways, virtual networks, NAT gateways, DNS, and Azure Front Door. • Administer the F5 BIG-IP with WAF fronting production, including policy tuning, upgrades, and failover testing. • Manage firewalls, network segmentation, and access controls aligned to Zero Trust principles and Entra ID-based identity. • Own IP address management, DNS/DHCP, and network documentation; drive the IPAM platform operation. • Manage ISP and carrier relationship across multiple sites/countries, including circuit provisioning, escalation, and cost control • Build network monitoring and alerting into our monitoring stack and respond to network-related security events • Produce and maintain the change records, diagrams, and configuration evidence required for SOC 2 Type II, and participate in audit walkthroughs • Mentor and direct junior IT staff on network tasks; establish runbooks so the network survives without heroics Qualifications & Requirements Key Responsibilities • Design, build, maintain, and troubleshoot IPsec and SSL VPN networks.• Manage and support a Cradlepoint environment of 20,000+ devices. • Manage Sophos firewalls or become proficient with Sophos within the first 30 days if experienced with another major firewall platform. • Ensure DNS and DHCP are centrally managed, monitored, logged, secured, and not hosted directly on firewalls. • Patch, monitor, log, audit, and secure network infrastructure. • Ensure network links, management access, VPNs, and sensitive data flows are encrypted. • Document network designs, firewall rules, routing policies, VPN configurations, standards, and runbooks. • Support incident response, change management, vulnerability remediation, disaster recovery, SOC 2, FedRAMP, and StateRAMP readiness. • Use Zedcor's internal PKI solution for device identity, certificates, authentication, encryption, and secure management. • Maintain centralized logging, centralized audit logging, centralized authentication, centralized monitoring, and alerting. • Ensure firewalls are used as security enforcement points, not as core infrastructure service providers. • Support F5 BIG-IP, Azure WAF, Azure Application Gateway, and Azure Front Door. • Configure and troubleshoot dynamic routing, including internal BGP. • Support Azure VPN Gateway, Azure Networking, Sophos firewalls, Cradlepoint, switches, Wi-Fi, WAF, and load-balancing platforms. Minimum Qualifications • 7+ years of hands-on network engineering, with at least 2 years leading network operations or projects. • Ability to Manage Vendors and do excellent Asset tracking and Change Management. • Deep routing and switching expertise: BGP, VLANs, spanning tree, QoS, and link aggregation in production environments. • Production experience with Azure networking: ExpressRoute, virtual networks, VPN gateways, NSGs, and load balancing. • Firewall and WAF administration experience in a production, internet-facing environment. • Strong documentation habits: diagrams, IPAM discipline, and change management as a default, not an afterthought. • Comfort in a hands-on role: racking, cabling, console access, and after-hours maintenance windows when the work requires it. • An active, verifiable professional certification such as CCNP Enterprise or equivalent. • Authorization to work in the United States. Preferred Qualifications • F5 BIG-IP administration (LTM/Advanced WAF); F5 certification a plus. • Microsoft Certified: Azure Network Engineer Associate (AZ-700). • Datacenter networking for hyperconverged or Kubernetes environments (Azure Local, AKS, Proxmox VE). • Experience supporting SOC 2, ISO 27001, or similar audit programs. Why Join Zedcor? At Zedcor, you won't just maintain systems, you'll help build and shape the future of security technology. We provide the tools, mentorship, and the environment to help you thrive and grow in your career. If you're looking to take your skills to the next level, Zedcor offers a dynamic and rewarding opportunity.