Senior Wide Area Network Engineer

University System of Maryland

. Maintain and operate MDREN’s statewide WAN infrastructure, including core, edge, and optical transport layers .

Posted 11/11/2026full-timeAdelphi • Maryland • United StatesSenior💰 $160,500 - $182,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in managing and operating WAN infrastructure, including design, implementation, and troubleshooting of complex network systems. Proficient in network security, performance optimization, and technical documentation, with strong leadership and communication skills.

Highest-signal resume keywords

WAN Infrastructure ManagementNetwork Design And ImplementationTechnical TroubleshootingLeadership And TeambuildingOptical Networking Knowledge

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

EthernetTCP/IPSNMPBGPMPLSUnix/Linux AdministrationPacket Capture And AnalysisProgramming In Perl, C/C++Network Management ToolsOptical Transport Engineering

Soft Skills

Interpersonal CommunicationProblem-SolvingCollaborationProject PrioritizationTechnical Support

Tools & Technologies

Cisco Switches And RoutersJuniper Switches And RoutersWiresharkVMwareMicrosoft Windows ServerCactiEXFO OTDRsWordPress

Industry Keywords

Network ArchitectureTraffic EngineeringOptical NetworkingISP ExperienceWAN Operations

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

ApacheDNSLinuxMySQLPerlShell ScriptingSMTPTCP/IPUnixVMwareWordPressC++

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Maintain and operate MDREN’s statewide WAN infrastructure, including core, edge, and optical transport layers
Ensure high availability, performance, and resilience across backbone and interconnection services
Respond to and correct network problems
Monitor network activity for security issues, events, and intrusions
Monitor enterprise communication systems and take corrective action
Coordinate networking maintenance and upgrades with affected parties
Work with network equipment vendors on network issues and upgrades
Maintain related computer systems, software packages, and network appliances
Develop implementation plans and schedules
Develop and maintain network documentation, policies, procedures, and operating methods
Design, engineer, and maintain the statewide WAN, backbone, regional aggregation, and partner interconnects
Lead DWDM optical transport architecture and deployment, including wavelength services, ROADM configurations, and optical path engineering
Integrate and operate optical/IP convergence architectures
Engineer and support 100G/400G+ backbone upgrades
Collaborate with member institutions and research and education networks on interconnection design and capacity planning
Maintain technical web content related to network services, infrastructure status, and member resources
Provide technical oversight for website content, service documentation, outage notifications, and performance information
Assist with MDREN website administration and continuous improvement
Provide technical support and guidance to member institutions
Troubleshoot member-reported network issues
Communicate network changes, outages, and upgrades
Support onboarding of new member connections and services
Evaluate emerging technologies and best practices
Recommend improvements to network architecture, performance, and security
Support long-term strategic network planning

Requirements

What you’ll need

High School Diploma or GED
7 years' experience in the networking field with increasing responsibility
Demonstrated experience managing large networking design and implementation projects
Experience in changing and evolving environments
Experience supervising staff
Ability to establish goals, priorities, structures, and processes for complex network infrastructure
Leadership and teambuilding skills
Ability to build partnerships with internal and external institutions
Ability to prioritize projects, conduct research, and gather information
Technical troubleshooting and logical problem-solving skills
Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills
Ability to schedule and coordinate a 24-hour operation with limited staff
Knowledge of Ethernet, TCP/IP, SNMP, SMTP, DHCP/BootP, DNS, OSPF, ARP/RARP, VPNs, VLANs, BGP, MPLS, subnets, and routing
Knowledge of network management, command-language, and graphical analysis tools
Hands-on experience with Cisco, Juniper, Brocade, and Arista switches and routers
Demonstrated programming skill in more than one language
Ability to work collaboratively
Self-starter able to proactively identify problems and propose solutions
Bachelor's or advanced degree in computer science, network engineering, or related discipline (preferred)
ISP or similar business experience (preferred)
Outside fiber plant experience (preferred)
Knowledge of WAN design, architecture, and operations
Experience with NetFlow, JFlow, and sFlow
Packet capture and analysis using Wireshark
Knowledge of optical networking, transponders, muxponders, ROADMs, EDFA, Raman amplification, channel planning, and wavelength management
Knowledge of traffic engineering, routing policy design, multi-domain network architectures, REN, and ISP peering
Unix/Linux system administration, including BIND, Apache, MySQL, backups, and software package management
Experience with Cacti, EXFO OTDRs, DWDM, MPLS VLL, VPLS, Microsoft Windows Server, and VMware
Programming or scripting with Perl, C/C++, and Unix shell scripting, including CGI scripting
Ability to create and maintain web content using WordPress or similar CMS

Benefits

Comp & perks

22 days of annual leave
15 days of sick & safe leave
16-17 holidays
3 personal leave days
12 weeks paid family medical leave
Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with flexible spending accounts
Mandatory and supplemental retirement plans with Fidelity and TIAA
Optional term life and AD&D benefits through MetLife
Tuition remission for employees and their families
Free professional development conferences
Unlimited LinkedIn Learning access
SECU credit union membership eligibility
Employee Assistance Program with free counseling, legal, financial, and work-life support services