Princeton University
Senior Network Engineer
115 Alexander St, Princeton, NJ 08540
On-site · Full-time · $115k–$130k (as posted)
First seen by offpeak October 6, 2026
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Overview
The Senior Network Engineer provides technical leadership in the design, operation, security, and continuous improvement of the University’s enterprise network routing and switching infrastructure. As a member of the Network Routing and Switching team, this role helps ensure the availability, reliability, scalability, and security of mission-critical network services that support the University’s research, teaching, and administrative missions. The Senior Network Engineer manages and monitors network infrastructure, leads complex troubleshooting efforts, contributes to secure network architecture, supports major projects, and helps establish standards and practices that improve the resilience and effectiveness of network services.
Responsibilities
Network routing and switching operations support:
- Monitor, analyze and verify scalability, performance, high availability, and data integrity for networking and security using service management best practices.
- Configure and regularly update all monitoring, alerting, and reporting for network routing and switching services.
- Maintain documentation and configuration information for networking and monitoring systems using service management tools including knowledge management, change management, and event management.
- Provide operational support for all advanced network routing and switching services to OIT and the University community.
- Routinely apply critical bug fixes, security updates, and required configuration changes, following established change management procedures.
- Lead and provide advanced troubleshooting assistance and root cause analysis for network incidents.
- Regularly review network routing and security system log files and resolve any issues identified.
- Routinely review, test, and verify backup and restore procedures for networking and monitoring systems.
- Provide on-call support on a routine schedule to perform network upgrades, execute maintenance changes, and effectively resolve major incidents outside normal business hours.
Network security architecture and design:
- Contribute to the design, implementation, and operation of secure network architectures, including segmentation, access control, routing security, campus edge connectivity, and firewalls.
- Participate in security assessments of existing networks, identify potential risk areas, and take proactive measures to protect network resources from unauthorized access.
- Lead and participate in the design and creation of secure network architectures, developing access control policies, implementing encryption protocols, and configuring and managing firewalls.
- Stay up to date with the latest industry best practices, trends, and technologies, including the responsible use of artificial intelligence capabilities, from a network security perspective.
- Analyze security-related network events, trends, and operational findings to recommend architecture, configuration, or control improvements.
Project design and implementation support:
- Collaborate with University departments to deploy and manage highly reliable, advanced network routing and switching solutions; design and implement necessary security services for campus and border networks to ensure the safety of the University's network.
- Participate in architecture reviews and lifecycle planning for campus and data center network infrastructure.
- Design and manage the configuration of network core devices, Internet border routers, building routers, and connectivity to service providers.
- Participate in and manage the analysis, design, installation and management of network infrastructure and network systems, through the full lifecycle of development, quality assurance, user acceptance testing and production.
Administrative and professional development:
- Proactively participate in development opportunities to continuously develop professional and technical skills Ensure compliance with asset, change, incident, and problem management processes and policies.
- When provided access to personal, proprietary and/or otherwise confidential data, maintain such data in the strictest confidence and follow procedures to ensure the privacy, security and proper use of data.
- Mentor colleagues in Network Services to improve their network knowledge and skills.
Qualifications
Essential Qualifications:
Technical Experience:
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- Minimum of 7 years managing and supporting medium to large network routing, switching and security infrastructure.
- Designing, implementing, and supporting data and converged network infrastructure.
- Solving complex problems in the network environment particularly in the areas of routing, switching, and network security.
- Layer 3 protocols (IPv4/v6, TCP, UDP) and routing protocols (OSPF, BGP, Anycast/Multicast).
- Layer 2 protocols and enhancements (LACP, L2 ECMP, RSTP, MSTP, VxLAN).
- Network security controls including IP ACLs, vACLs, RADIUS, TACACS, 802.1x, port authentication.
- Cisco Nexus and Catalyst routing and switching environment.
- Stateful firewalls, non-stateful filtering and packet inspection, including top-down security policies.
- Client and site to site VPNs.
- Network technologies (DHCP, DNS, NTP, ARP, RARP, NAT/PAT).
- Network routing and switching management tools.
- Education: Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
Professional Competencies:
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- Excellent oral and written communications skills.
- Knowledge of service management processes including change management, asset management, request and incident handling, knowledge management, and event management.
- Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously, to respond to shifting priorities, and to work efficiently under the pressure of critical problems and deadlines.
- Ability to work outside of normal working hours and be on call to perform network maintenance and support unexpected critical network failures.
- Ability to work independently, as well as in a team environment.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience with modern data center designs, deployments and support.
- Experience with Aruba CX switches (downloadable user roles, ClearPass integration).
- Experience with Palo Alto firewalls and Panorama management systems.
- Experience with industry standard network load balancers.
- Experience with network automation, configuration management, scripting, APIs, or infrastructure-as-code to improve consistency, reliability, compliance, and service delivery.
- Aruba Certified Professional (ACP) or Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) Certification.
Princeton University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
The University considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's qualifications, work experience, education/training, key skills, market, collective bargaining agreements as applicable, and organizational considerations when extending an offer. The posted salary range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate for a full-time position; salaries for part-time positions are pro-rated accordingly.
If the salary range on the posted position shows an hourly rate, this is the baseline; the actual hourly rate may be higher, depending on the position and factors listed above.
The University also offers a comprehensive benefit program to eligible employees. Please see this link for more information.