Senior Network Engineer

We have an exciting opportunity for a Senior Network Engineer in the Atlanta, GA or Washington, DC office at Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP. We are searching for someone who wants to be a valued contributor and member of a talented and dynamic team of lawyers, paralegals and business professionals.

The Senior Network Engineer designs, implements, maintains, and optimizes the firm's network infrastructure across all locations and remote users. This role encompasses the administration of Palo Alto next-generation firewalls, GlobalProtect VPN, Prisma Access, and SD-WAN solutions, as well as Cisco switching and Wi-Fi infrastructure. The engineer provides hands-on support for projects, new deployments, hardware and software upgrades, and security initiatives-ensuring secure, high-performance connectivity firm wide.

Responsibilities and Duties:

• Designs, deploys, and manages network solutions across LAN, WAN, SD-WAN, and firewall environments, including Palo Alto firewalls, GlobalProtect VPN, Prisma Access, Cisco switches, and related platforms.
• Maintains the Palo Alto SD-WAN fabric to optimize traffic routing, application performance, and branch connectivity across the firm's locations.
• Configures, manages, and troubleshoots Prisma Access to deliver secure, cloud-based network access for remote and mobile users while enforcing consistent security policies across all endpoints.
• Administers the GlobalProtect VPN infrastructure, including gateway configuration, split tunneling policies, client deployment, and integration with the firm's identity and authentication systems.
• Manages Cisco switching infrastructure, including VLANs, switch stacking, and firmware lifecycle management to ensure reliable and secure LAN connectivity.
• Manages and maintains the Extreme Networks wireless infrastructure, including access point deployment, wireless controller configuration, RF optimization, and firmware updates to ensure reliable and secure Wi-Fi connectivity across all firm locations.
• Diagnoses and resolves complex network issues across all platforms-Palo Alto, Prisma Access, GlobalProtect, SD-WAN, and Cisco-collaborating with IT staff to determine root cause and implement effective solutions.
• Develops scripts and automation workflows to streamline routine tasks such as configuration management, monitoring, and reporting for Palo Alto and Cisco devices.
• Creates and maintains comprehensive documentation, including network diagrams, firewall rule sets, SD-WAN policies, Prisma Access configurations, and Cisco switch standards, keeping IT leadership informed of changes and improvements.
• Advises and supports internal IT teams on network troubleshooting, best practices, and technical documentation.
• Evaluates emerging technologies and platform enhancements-including Palo Alto Strata Cloud Manager, AIOps capabilities, and Cisco feature releases-and recommends adoption where they improve the firm's network efficiency and security posture.
• Stays current with industry developments, particularly within the Palo Alto and Cisco ecosystems, and assesses their applicability to the firm's environment.
• Maintains thorough knowledge of the existing network infrastructure from core and edge to desktop, including all Palo Alto security platforms, SD-WAN nodes, Prisma Access tenants, and Cisco switching environments, with a focus on continuous improvement.
• Maintains an accurate inventory of all network-related hardware, software, licenses, and subscriptions across Palo Alto, Prisma Access, SD-WAN, and Cisco platforms.
• Provides emergency support for critical firewall, VPN, SD-WAN, and switching incidents, and assists other offices as required.
• Adheres to the firm's change management process for all network modifications, ensuring proper documentation, approval, risk assessment, and communication prior to implementation.
• Implement network-related updates, patches, and security policy changes across all platforms in accordance with firm policy and change management procedures.
• Performs service-affecting changes during scheduled maintenance windows, which often require evening and weekend availability, including firmware upgrades, SD-WAN policy modifications, and switch maintenance.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Education:   A Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in a computer-related field from an accredited college or university. An equivalent combination of an associate's degree and relevant experience in the computer science field is acceptable. Cisco certification: CCIE or CCNP Enterprise required. Palo Alto certification: NGFW Engineer (Specialist) required. Additional certifications such as Palo Alto SD-WAN Engineer (Specialist), Network Security Professional, N