Senior Network Test Engineer

Job Description

Senior Network Test Engineer -- ConsultantLocation

**New York, NY** --- On-site **3--4 days per week**  

Experience

**8+ years** of strong Network Engineering, Network Testing, Design, and Code/Feature Certification experience.

Role Overview

We are looking for a **Senior Network Test Engineer** with strong expertise in **LAN/WAN, Data Center and Campus/Branch networking** , combined with hands-on experience in **network hardware testing, automation, and code/patch certification** .

The ideal candidate should be able to independently lead complex network testing and certification activities, work with multiple vendors, troubleshoot network issues at the protocol level, and develop automation to improve testing coverage and efficiency.

Key Responsibilities

* Test and certify network hardware, software releases, patches, SMUs, and code upgrades.
* Perform functional, performance, interoperability, and reliability testing in network lab environments.
* Rapidly evaluate and certify patches/CVEs and assess associated network and business risks.
* Design and execute testing strategies for routers, switches, firewalls, and load balancers.
* Identify, troubleshoot, and document hardware, software, performance, and compatibility issues.
* Develop test automation using **Python, Ansible, APIs, Infrastructure-as-Code, and Robot Framework**.
* Create and maintain engineering standards, configuration templates, testing guidelines, and technical documentation.
* Work closely with network vendors and internal engineering teams on PoCs, product evaluations, certifications, and new technologies.
* Present testing results, recommendations, risks, and certification findings to technical and senior management.
* Support production teams with expert-level troubleshooting and vulnerability/bug analysis.
* Evaluate emerging networking technologies and recommend improvements to network testing and certification processes.

Must-Have Skills

* **8+ years** of Network Engineering experience.
* Strong experience with **LAN/WAN, Data Center, Campus/Branch and WAN/MAN networks**.
* Strong knowledge of **BGP, OSPF, IGMP, PIM, Layer 2 protocols, and Spanning Tree**.
* Hands-on experience with **Cisco Catalyst/Nexus** platforms.
* Experience with **Cisco IOS/XE/NX-OS** code certification, bug scrubs, and feature validation.
* Experience with **Arista** platforms is highly preferred.
* Strong **Python** and **Ansible** skills.
* Good **Linux administration and networking** knowledge.
* Experience with **Wireshark, tcpdump, Git/GitHub**.
* Strong understanding of network hardware testing and lab certification.
* Experience with **IXIA and/or Spirent**.
* Strong troubleshooting and protocol-level networking knowledge.
* **CCIE or strong CCNP-level expertise**.
* Excellent communication, documentation, presentation, and stakeholder-management skills.

Strong Plus / Preferred Skills

* Kubernetes and cloud-native networking.
* Container Networking/CNI and **kubectl**.
* **eBPF / Cilium** experience, including observability, security policies, load balancing, and BGP integration.
* Robot Framework and Ansible integration.
* Experience with **F5, A10, Fortinet, and Juniper SRX**.
* NAC, MAB, 802.1X, Port Security, QoS, IPSec.
* AWS or Azure networking.
* DDoS mitigation and network security/hardening.
* Data Center networking and high-speed connectivity: **10/25/40/50/100G**.
* Multi-vendor network design and certification experience.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is a **senior-level Network Engineer/Test Engineer** who has worked in a network lab environment and has experience **designing, testing, troubleshooting, and certifying network products and technologies** .

They should be comfortable working independently, leading complex projects, managing multiple vendors, and communicating technical findings to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Candidate Screening Focus

Please prioritize candidates who have:

* **8+ years of strong Network Engineering experience**
* **Cisco + Arista** experience
* Strong **BGP/OSPF/IGMP/PIM** knowledge
* Hands-on **network hardware/code certification or lab testing**
* **Python + Ansible automation**
* **IXIA/Spirent** experience
* Strong **Wireshark/tcpdump** troubleshooting
* Linux/networking knowledge
* Experience with **network patches, CVEs, SMUs, and code validation**
* Ability to work **on-site in New York 3--4 days per week**

**Priority:** Candidates with a combination of **Network Engineering + Network Lab Testing/Certification + Automation** should be given the highest preference.