Network Engineer

Position Overview

The IT Network Engineer is a hybrid position, located in Creve Coeur, MO and is responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining secure, scalable, and highly available network infrastructure across WAN, Data Center, and Cloud environments of the bank. This role supports the bank's mission-critical systems and services, ensuring optimal performance, security, and compliance with industry regulations. The engineer will lead network initiatives, troubleshoot complex issues, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to support hybrid infrastructure. This also includes management of firewalls, routers, switches, Wi-Fi, VPNs, and remote access systems to ensure seamless banking operations, regulatory compliance, and cyber threat mitigation.

Key Responsibilities

1. Network Infrastructure Design & Management

• Implement and manage secure connections across bank branches, data centers, and cloud environments.
• Ensure high availability, redundancy, and resilience for mission-critical banking applications.
• Collaborate with IT teams to optimize network performance and scalability.
• Design and manage enterprise LAN/WAN network infrastructure including switches, routers, firewalls, and load balancers.
• Configure and maintain network segmentation, VLANs, and routing protocols such as BGP.
• Implement and manage Site-to-Site VPNs, SD-WAN branch connectivity, and remote user access.
• Ensure redundancy and failover capabilities for high availability.
• Maintain documentation of network topology, configurations, and standards.

2. Security & Compliance

• Implement network security measures, including network segmentation, firewalls, advanced threat prevention and intrusion prevention systems (IPS)
• Ensure compliance with banking security regulations (PCI-DSS, FFIEC, SOX, GDPR).
• Implement and maintain Network Access Control (NAC) including Radius & 802.1X Port Security
• Regularly perform network security audits and vulnerability assessments.
• Respond to security incidents, analyze network logs, and mitigate cyber threats.
• Implement secure remote user access solutions including device posture checking and least privileged access.

3. Network Monitoring & Troubleshooting

• Monitor network health using tools like SolarWinds.
• Proactively respond to service degradation and detected outages
• Troubleshoot connectivity issues and optimize network performance.
• Troubleshoot reported issues using tools like pcaps and tcpdump
• Implement proactive maintenance schedules to reduce system downtime.
• Work with vendors and ISPs to resolve external network issues efficiently.

4. Cloud Networking

• Design and manage cloud networking components such as Azure VNets, VNET Peerings, NSGs, and Route Tables
• Implement secure connectivity between on-premises and cloud environments (site-to-site VPNs, hybrid networking).
• Optimize cloud traffic flow and performance using load balancing and traffic routing services.
• Collaborate with cloud architects to ensure secure and compliant network designs.
• Monitor cloud network health and security using native tools (Azure Network Watcher, AWS VPC Flow Logs).

5. Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity

• Develop and test disaster recovery (DR) strategies for banking network infrastructure.
• Ensure backup connectivity solutions for uninterrupted banking services.
• Participate in business continuity planning (BCP) to minimize network downtime.

Core Functions Areas:

• Core Networking: Routers, switches, APs, firewalls, and load balancers across data centers and branches.
• Cloud Networking: Azure VNets, AWS VPCs, hybrid connectivity, and cloud-native security controls.
• Security Infrastructure: Firewalls, IDS/IPS, VPNs, NAC, and segmentation.
• Connectivity: SD-WAN, Site-to-Site VPN, and Remote Access solutions
• Monitoring & Management: Tools for performance, availability, and security monitoring.
• Compliance & Governance: Network controls aligned with banking regulations and audit requirements.
• Disaster Recovery & Continuity: Redundant paths, failover configurations, and recovery planning.

Qualifications & Experience

Education & Certifications

• Bachelor's degree in Networking, Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field.
• Preferred certifications: JNCIA/JNCIP, CCNA/CCNP, CCSA, or Azure Networking certifications

Technical & Business Skills

• Experience in networking protocols (BGP, OSPF, MPLS, VLANs, QoS).
• Strong knowledge of firewall policies, VPNs, and network segmentation.
• Hands-on experience with Cisco, Juniper, HPE/Aruba Networking products
• Knowledge of SD-WAN, cloud networking (AWS, Azure), and micro-segmentation.
• Ability to manage network automation and scripting (Python, Ansible, PowerShell).
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, especially in a banking IT environment.

Experience

• 5+ years of experience in network engineering, preferably in banking or financial services.
• Experience implementing and managing high-security network environments.
• Proven ability to manage large-scale enterprise networks and cloud integrations.
• Experience with cloud networking in Azure and/or AWS.
• Proficiency in network monitoring and troubleshooting tools.

Compensation Disclosure

The range for this role takes into account many factors that First Bank considers when making hiring decisions, including but not limited to prior experience, skill set, training, and other internal business and organizational factors. First Bank generally does not hire at or near the top of the stated range. The range is driven by the geographic location of the anticipated hiring location; however, the specific range may vary depending on the geographic location for remote positions. Compensation decisions depend on the specific facts and circumstances of each hiring instance. A reasonable estimate of the current pay range is $100,000 - $122,000.00 per year.