Network Operations Engineer II

Overview

The Level 2 Network Operations Engineer is responsible for monitoring, troubleshooting, and maintaining the stability and performance of a service provider network. This role serves as an escalation point from Level 1 support and works closely with engineering teams to resolve complex network issues across backbone, access, and data center environments.

Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

• Provide Level 2 support for network incidents, outages, and performance degradation

• Troubleshoot and resolve issues across IP/MPLS backbone, access, and peering networks

• Analyze routing behavior and diagnose issues related to BGP, OSPF, and IS-IS

• Work within data center environments, including racking/stacking, cabling, and remote hands coordination

• Monitor network health, utilization, and capacity; proactively identify risks

• Use NetBox for IPAM/DCIM documentation and maintain accurate network records

• Perform configuration changes, upgrades, and patching under change management processes

• Escalate complex issues to Level 3/Engineering with detailed analysis and documentation

• Participate in on-call rotation and support after-hours maintenance windows

• Assist in incident response, RCA (Root Cause Analysis), and service restoration efforts

Qualifications

Technical Requirements

Routing & Switching

• Strong understanding of routing protocols:

• BGP (peering, route filtering, communities, traffic engineering basics)

• OSPF (areas, LSAs, convergence)

• IS-IS (Level 1/2, metrics, SPF behavior)

• Solid Layer 2 knowledge:

• VLANs, trunking, LACP, STP

• Familiarity with MPLS fundamentals is a plus

Network Services

• Experience with DNS operations

• Understanding of IP addressing, subnetting, and IPAM practices

• Familiarity with NAT, ACLs, and firewall fundamentals

Data Center Experience

• Hands-on experience in data center operations, including:

• Rack/stack and cabling standards

• Cross-connects and patch panel management

• Remote hands coordination and vendor interaction

• Familiarity with structured cabling and physical layer troubleshooting

Platforms & Vendors

Experience working with:

• Cisco (IOS, NX-OS) routers and switches

• Juniper routers and SRX firewalls (Junos OS)

• MikroTik (RouterOS)

• Peplink SD-WAN / edge devices

• Opengear console servers and out-of-band management

Tools & Systems

• Experience with NetBox for network documentation (IPAM/DCIM)

• Network monitoring tools (SNMP, Syslog, NetFlow/sFlow)

• Ticketing systems and incident management platforms

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in a network operations or ISP environment

• Associate or Bachelor’s degree in IT, Networking, or related field (or equivalent experience)

• Relevant certifications are a plus:

• CCNA / CCNP

• JNCIA / JNCIS

Core Competencies

• Strong troubleshooting and analytical skills

• Ability to work in a fast-paced, high-availability environment

• Clear communication and documentation skills

• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple incidents simultaneously

• Team-oriented with a proactive mindset