Senior Network & Systems Engineer (Data Center Virtualization and Storage)

Red River Technology is actively seeking a dedicated and highly skilled Senior Network & Systems Engineer with deep expertise in Cisco ACI, virtualization platforms, and enterprise storage solutions to join our team in supporting a mission-critical data center operations program for the Navy. This is an exceptional opportunity to contribute to the success of a crucial initiative that directly enhances national operational readiness across the entire US Naval Fleet. 

This position focuses on designing, implementing, and maintaining integrated infrastructure solutions that deliver resilience, scalability, and performance across network, compute, and storage domains.

Key Responsibilities

• Cisco ACI & Data Center Fabric
  • Design, deploy, and maintain Cisco ACI fabrics, including tenant configuration, EPGs, bridge domains, contracts, and L3Out connectivity.
  • Implement route leaking and multi-tenant configurations to support secure inter-tenant communication.
  • Manage spine-leaf architecture, including vPC configuration, SVIs, and VLAN segmentation.
  • Oversee integration between ACI and external networks, including firewalls, load balancers, and out-of-band management systems.

• Out-of-Band Management
  • Design and operate an isolated management network for secure device administration and monitoring.
  • Configure management VRFs, OOB switches, and bastion host access to enforce strict administrative boundaries.
  • Maintain inventory, IP address management, and secure remote access policies for OOB infrastructure.

• Virtualization and Compute Integration
  • Deploy and manage VMware vCenter/vSphere environments, including cluster design, resource pools, networking (VDS/VSS), and storage connectivity.
  • Collaborate with network teams to integrate ACI Virtual Machine Managers (VMM) with vCenter for automated policy-based networking.
  • Support virtual-to-physical network mapping for application workloads across data center tiers.

• Storage and Hyperconverged Infrastructure
  • Implement and administer Nutanix storage clusters, including AHV, Prism Central, and data protection configurations.
  • Manage storage networking, ensuring redundancy, throughput optimization, and VM/data replication across clusters.
  • Collaborate on hybrid cloud integration and disaster recovery strategies using Nutanix and VMware toolsets.

• System Operations and Security
  • Maintain high availability and performance baselines across all data center domains (network, compute, storage).
  • Apply Zero Trust and DoD STIG compliance principles for access, encryption, and segmentation.
  • Support system patching, firmware upgrades, and lifecycle management across multi-vendor platforms.
  • Integrate monitoring and logging tools for proactive system visibility and issue resolution.

• Collaboration & Documentation
  • Partner with software, DevOps, and cybersecurity teams to support end-to-end solution delivery.
  • Create and maintain network and system design documents, runbooks, and deployment templates.
  • Provide technical mentorship to junior engineers and operations staff.

Required Qualifications

• Active DoD Secret Clearance (or ability to obtain one).
• CCNP Data Center or equivalent hands-on ACI experience.
• 5+ years of experience in data center networking and virtualized infrastructure.
• Proven expertise in Cisco ACI, vPC, and Nexus (NX-OS) configurations.
• Solid understanding of vCenter/vSphere administration and ACI–VMware integration.
• Practical experience managing Nutanix storage clusters or equivalent HCI solutions.
• Experience designing and managing out-of-band management networks.
• Strong background in routing, switching, VLANs, L3 protocols, and network automation (Ansible preferred).

Preferred Qualifications

• CCNP Data Center or VMware Certified Professional (VCP) certification.
• Experience with ACI Multi-Tenancy, and Multicast configurations.
• Familiarity with Ansible Playbooks and Python/Terraform scripting for automation.
• Understanding of Zero Trust architecture and segmentation policies.
• Experience integrating ACI, VMware, and Nutanix in hybrid environments.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, capable of translating complex designs into clear documentation.

This role requires a hands-on approach to network architecture, performance optimization, and security enhancements within enterprise-level infrastructure in support of a unique US Navy program. If you have a passion for cutting-edge networking technologies and a commitment to excellenc