Senior Network Engineer - Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory

Seize the opportunity to transform how PPPL works! Help us harness the latest technologies to power our enterprise and to unleash your potential!

The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory is seeking a motivated Senior Network Engineer to design, implement, and maintain our growing hardware and software network infrastructure. You will be an integral part of PPPL’s IT team that is responsible for designing and developing scalable, maintainable, highly available network architectures that meet business objectives and service level agreements. PPPL is moving to a next generation network architecture with increased capacity and resiliency. This is a rare opportunity to build a new network from the ground up. Join a close knit group with an emphasis on teamwork, continuous learning, and building strong partnerships within IT and with our internal customers.

In this role, you will be responsible for designing, installing, and maintaining communication networks within PPPL. Duties will include design and support of existing and next-gen wired and wireless networks, virtual private networks (VPNs), collaborating on new technology offerings and bolstering cyber-security. Additionally, you will help ensure the availability and performance for networking and telecommunications systems.

A proud U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratory managed by Princeton University, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) is a longstanding leader in the science and innovation behind the development of fusion energy — a clean, safe, and virtually limitless energy source. With an eye on the future and in response to national priorities, PPPL also has begun a strategic shift from a singular focus on fusion energy to a multi-focus approach that includes microelectronics, quantum information science, and sustainability science. Whether it be through science, engineering, technology or professional services, every team member has an opportunity to make their mark on our world. PPPL aims to attract and support people with a rich variety of backgrounds, interests, experiences, and cultural viewpoints. We are committed to equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility and believe that each member of our team contributes to our scientific mission in their own unique way. Come join us!

Core Duties: 

The PPPL Network Engineer is responsible for all IT networks that allows PPPL to communicate both internally and externally. Your primary duties will include designs and upgrades of existing network architecture, maintenance of computer networks, hardware, software, and other related systems, facilitating remote user access to system resources, ensuring timely delivery of critical data, and replacing faulty network hardware components when necessary. The Senior Network Engineer will be expected to install new systems to improve the company’s communication infrastructure while maintaining the upkeep of existing networks.

60% Providing network engineering support for infrastructure and customer facing applications:

• Provide network design support in areas that include dynamic routing and the addition of resiliency to the core network, including the use of BGP and other dynamic routing protocols, spanning tree, MLAG, QoS, and other supporting technologies.
• Support PPPL projects and initiatives with network engineering requirements. These may include, but are not limited to PPPL experiments, construction projects, hardware/software upgrades, and new cloud and on premise software/applications.
• Support outages and failures as needed.
• Support for remote user access to computer resources.
• Ensuring delivery of critical data using quality of service.
• Troubleshoot wired and wireless network issues with available tools (NAC, Wireshark traces, etc). Areas of support include:
  • Router/switch command line
  • Wireless controllers
  • Remote access VPN
• Review and respond to incoming trouble tickets.

10% Assume overall responsibility for remote access VPN systems.

• Support required patching, system upgrades, and architecture changes as needed.
• Provide second level support for user issues.
• Add new features and functionality based on user requests and security requirements.
• Periodically test high availability and performance; address issues as needed.
  
  

10% Provide primary network support for voice over IP (VOIP) telecommunications systems.

• Testing call quality.
• Configure quality of service.
• On and off-site client support.
• Troubleshooting of server related communication issues.
• New initiative collaboration.

15% Evaluate new technologies and offerings

• Complete proof of concept testing and analysis and make recommendations to management particularly in the areas of:
  • Dynamic routing protocols.
  • Migration from layer 2 to layer 3 routing and segmentation on internal network.
  • Software upgrades.
  • SIP trunking.
  • Redundancy testing.
  • High-speed data movement
• Real-time remote control of experiments and high-speed movement of large data sets through the use of streaming and parallelized data steam protocols (Globus, Adaptive IO system (Adios)).
• Work with team members on planning and integration of new designs.

5% Update internal and external documentation

• Network diagrams procedures.
• Spreadsheets.
• Databases.
• FAQs.

Other related duties may be assigned.

Education and Experience: 

• A bachelor's degree in a computer related field, such as programming, computer science, engineering, or other related degree. Equivalent training and work experience may also be taken into consideration.
• Must have demonstrable, hands-on prior network engineering experience in the field, either working with IT systems or in network administration.
  
  

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: 

• Aiming for candidates with five to ten years of experience working within a Network Engineer role or related IT support role.

• Experience in wireless standards, protocols, and equipment as well as specialized wireless technologies, including 802.1x authentication, rogue detection, wireless bridging and others.

• Demonstrable experience with basic routing/switching technologies, wireless, VoIP, VPN, SNMP management, and data mirroring required.

• Hands-on experience with configuration of border gateway routing protocol (BGP) as an interior and exterior gateway protocol preferred.

• Experience with Palo Alto Global Protect VPNs is a plus; will consider other types of VPN experience in lieu of those listed.

• Background with Linux scripting, IT automation tools, DNS/DHCP management (Infoblox), and experience with migration to IPv6 is a plus.

• Must be a team player with good interpersonal skills.

• Strong communication and writing skills are also a must.

• Must be able to simultaneously work on, and manage multiple projects.
  
  

Certificates and Licenses: 

• CCNP or equivalent knowledge required with current CCNA.

Physical Requirements: 

• General office setting.
• Occasional lifting of IT equipment (~ 20lbs ex: desktop computer/server or computer monitor).

Working Conditions: 

• Remote work capabilities may be available some of the time up to 1-2 days per week.

Princeton University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

Please be aware that the Department of Energy (DOE) prohibits DOE employees and contractors from participation in certain foreign government talent recruitment programs. All PPPL employees are required to disclose any participation in a foreign government talent recruitment program and may be required to withdraw from such programs to remain employed under the DOE Contract.