Senior IT Network Engineer

Requisition ID: 97059 NextEra Analytics offers energy consulting services using industry-leading scientific analysis for planning, siting, forecasting and optimizing all forms of energy projects. Our optimization and analytics platforms integrate open-source technologies to leverage massive, diverse sets of utility operating data. This enables rapid development of operational solutions. Applying expertise in advanced mathematics, data and physical sciences, we solve some of the hardest problems facing the energy industry. Position Specific Description We are seeking a high-caliber Senior IT Network Engineer to design, implement, and support secure, reliable network solutions across on-premise, cloud, and hybrid environments. This role requires deep expertise in enterprise networking, cloud connectivity, and the Palo Alto networking and security stack. You will partner closely with software engineering, cloud, cybersecurity, and infrastructure teams to enable application delivery, improve platform reliability, and resolve complex technical challenges. The ideal candidate combines strong network engineering fundamentals with sound architectural judgment, operational ownership, automation experience, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced software development environment. Key Responsibilities & Expectations 1. Network Architecture & Engineering Hybrid Network Design: Design, implement, and support scalable network solutions across on-premise data centers, cloud platforms, and hybrid environments. Secure Connectivity: Architect and manage secure connectivity between data centers, cloud platforms, SaaS solutions, applications, and internal systems. Cloud Networking: Implement and support cloud networking patterns, including VPCs, VNets, routing, VPNs, private connectivity, network segmentation, and secure ingress and egress controls. Architecture Standards: Contribute to network architecture standards, technical diagrams, documentation, and operational procedures. 2. Network Security & Palo Alto Administration Palo Alto Expertise: Administer, optimize, and troubleshoot the Palo Alto networking and security stack, including firewalls, Panorama, GlobalProtect, and related services. Security-First Design: Incorporate security, segmentation, access controls, and resiliency into network designs from the outset. Policy Management: Develop and maintain firewall policies, VPN configurations, network security controls, and supporting governance processes. Cross-Functional Security Partnership: Collaborate with cybersecurity, risk, cloud, and infrastructure teams to identify and address network security requirements. 3. Reliability & Operational Excellence Complex Troubleshooting: Diagnose and resolve advanced network, firewall, routing, VPN, latency, and connectivity issues across production and non-production environments. Incident Response: Participate in incident response, root cause analysis, and the development of corrective and preventive actions. Performance & Resiliency: Continuously improve network availability, performance, reliability, scalability, and security. Operational Readiness: Develop monitoring, alerting, runbooks, recovery procedures, and documentation that make network services measurable, supportable, and recoverable. 4. Automation & Engineering Productivity with AI Network Automation: Use scripting, automation, and infrastructure-as-code practices where appropriate to improve delivery speed, consistency, repeatability, and operational efficiency. AI-Augmented Engineering: Use AI assistant tools to accelerate troubleshooting, documentation, analysis, automation, and overall engineering effectiveness while maintaining accountability for accuracy, security, and technical quality. Critical Adoption: Evaluate automation and AI-enabled workflows critically, adopting approaches that improve outcomes without introducing unnecessary risk or complexity. Continuous Improvement: Identify opportunities to simplify network operations, reduce manual effort, and improve the reliability of recurring engineering processes. Required Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or equivalent practical experience. 7+ years of experience designing, implementing, administering, and supporting enterprise network environments. Extensive hands-on experience with the Palo Alto networking and security stack, including firewalls, Panorama, and GlobalProtect. Strong knowledge of routing, switching, firewalls, VPNs, DNS, network segmentation, and secure connectivity patterns. Experience designing and supporting network solutions across on-premise, cloud, and hybrid environments. Experience with cloud networking concepts and services in platforms such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Platform. Experience troubleshooting complex network and connectivity issues across distributed production environments. Familiarity with scripting, network automation, infrastructure as code, and configuration management practices. Demonstrated ability to collaborate across software engineering, cybersecurity, cloud, and infrastructure teams. Experience using AI assistant tools to augment technical analysis, troubleshooting, documentation, automation, and engineering workflows. Proven ability to operate autonomously, manage competing priorities, and deliver reliable solutions in a fast-paced environment. Job Overview This role is responsible for assisting with the design, leading the implementation, and supporting the maintenance of our enterprise network infrastructure. Employees in this role work directly with management, project managers, and business leaders to ensure that projects are successfully delivered on-time and within budget. This position acts as an escalation point for issues that are encountered in our 24x7 environment to ensure that the availability and performance of our systems is maintained. Employees also ensure that all documentation is accurate and up-to-date and that our infrastructure remains secure at all times. Job Duties & Responsibilities • Works directly with equipment manufactures to assess new technologies and how they can be applied to provide solutions to increase availability, reliability, and business agility or to reduce operating costs • Analyzes new projects and designs network solutions that will support their implementation • Participates in the implementation of network infrastructure • Creates as-built design documentation for all new projects and network engineering efforts, and ensures they remain up-to-date as the network evolves • Maintains the availability and integrity of our enterprise network infrastructure, including wired and wireless networks, network security infrastructure, and voice transport infrastructure • Maintains the security of network infrastructure and compliance with all applicable industry and security standards • Demonstrates experience with network management operational tools such as Cisco Prime, Netscout, and IBM Tivoli • Performs other job-related duties as assigned Required Qualifications • High School Grad / GED • Bachelor’s or Equivalent Experience • Experience: 4+ years Preferred Qualifications • Bachelor’s Degree The estimated base pay for this position is $107,200.00 to $160,800.00 per year. Starting pay will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, experience, qualifications, job-related and industry knowledge and skills and education/training. NextEra Energy offers a wide range of benefits to support our employees and their eligible family members. Click here to learn more. Employee Group: Exempt Employee Type: Full Time Job Category: Information Technology Organization: NextEra Analytics, Inc Relocation Provided: Yes, if applicable NextEra Energy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, color, age, national origin, religion, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetics, disability, protected veteran status or any other basis prohibited by law. NextEra Energy provides reasonable accommodation in its application and selection process for qualified individuals, including accommodations related to compliance with conditional job offer requirements, consistent with federal, state, and local laws. Supporting medical or religious documentation will be required where applicable and permitted by applicable law. To request a reasonable accommodation, please send an e-mail to [email protected] , providing your name, telephone number and the best time for us to reach you. NextEra Energy will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. NextEra Energy does not accept any unsolicited resumes or referrals from any third-party recruiting firms or agencies . Please see our policy for more information. Nearest Major Market: Minneapolis