Senior Network Design Engineer

Job Title: Senior Network Design Engineer

Department: Service Management Office > Network Operation Center

Reports to: Director of Engineering

Location: Remote, but located in the Spokane Valley, WA area

About NoaNet

NoaNet is a non-profit mutual corporation providing telecom solutions and services and is headquartered in Spokane Valley, Washington. For over 20 years, NoaNet has operated a reliable public open-access broadband network that today totals over 3,800 fiber miles and touches every county in Washington State. Our organization provides rural areas access to broadband services, supporting more than 100 last-mile providers that serve more than 260,000 customers. NoaNet’s owner/members are nine public utility districts and a joint operating agency. Learn more about NoaNet at https://noanet.net.

Why Work Here?

• Overtime opportunities
• Lease vehicle eligibility (where applicable)
• Cell phone stipend (where applicable)
• Travel reimbursement
• Tuition reimbursement for approved job-related degree programs

Career Overview

NoaNet is seeking a qualified Senior Network Design Engineer responsible for the design, implementation, expansion, and lifecycle support of carrier-grade IP/MPLS, Ethernet, PON, LTE/wireless, and optical networks. This position serves as a senior technical authority for network architecture, customer solutions, complex implementations, and escalated operational issues. The successful candidate will work closely with Engineering, Operations, Project Management, Sales, customers, and vendor partners from initial requirements through implementation and operational turnover.

Responsibilities

• Design and engineer carrier-grade core, distribution, and access network solutions using IP/MPLS, Ethernet, optical transport, PON, LTE, wireless, and associated backhaul technologies.
• Develop high-level and low-level network designs, equipment selections, bills of material, implementation plans, migration plans, and Methods of Procedure (MOPs).
• Lead network capacity planning and system-requirement definition, and provide technical leadership for equipment and vendor evaluation and selection.
• Lead or support complex network implementations, upgrades, migrations, and service turn-ups from concept through operational acceptance.
• Design, deploy, configure, administer, and support PON systems and services, including provisioning through Nokia Altiplano, as well as LTE, wireless, and associated backhaul systems.
• Establish network design standards and provide senior-level review and approval of network designs, configurations, standards, and implementation plans developed by others.
• Serve as a senior engineering escalation point for complex multi-vendor network and service issues, including the highest-severity business-impacting outages that reach Engineering.
• Develop and maintain network standards, design documentation, diagrams, technical support documentation, and operational handoff materials.
• Partner with Project Management to identify technical dependencies, risks, resource needs, and implementation sequencing for assigned projects.
• Lead customer professional-services engagements, including requirements gathering, network assessments, architecture and detailed design, equipment and vendor evaluation, implementation and migration planning, deployment and turn-up support, testing, troubleshooting, and technical documentation.
• Partner with Sales and Account Management to provide technical sales support, define solution scope and equipment requirements, and present technical solutions to customers and prospective customers.
• Architect new services and potential fiber routes, and participate in the research, evaluation, and development of network technologies and equipment platforms.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to other engineering and operations personnel as appropriate.

Education, Training, Knowledge, Skills and Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in engineering, computer science, telecommunications, or a related discipline from an accredited college or university, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience. Typically 8 or more years of progressively responsible experience designing, implementing, and supporting service-provider or large-scale enterprise networks.

• Advanced knowledge of IP/MPLS network architecture, design, and troubleshooting.
• Advanced understanding of IP routing, including BGP and interior gateway protocols such as OSPF.
• Strong understanding of MPLS services and concepts, including L2/L3 VPNs, VRFs, resiliency, and high-availability design.
• Advanced understanding of Ethernet switching and Carrier Ethernet concepts, including VLANs, QinQ, link aggregation, and Layer 2 service design.
• Experience designing and troubleshooting high-capacity WAN and backbone networks, including 10G, 100G, and higher-speed interfaces.
• Working knowledge of DWDM and optical transport concepts and components, including wavelengths, optical budgets, amplification, ROADMs, and coherent optics.
• Experience designing, configuring, and troubleshooting QoS for WAN and service-provider networks.
• Strong network troubleshooting skills, including the safe use of debug/trace tools, packet captures, logs, protocol analysis, and vendor diagnostic capabilities in production environments.
• Knowledge of network security design and operations, including authentication/AAA, firewalls, remote access, access control lists, role and password management, and configuration management.
• Ability to independently organize and prioritize work, manage changing priorities, and handle multiple complex technical assignments concurrently.
• Strong written, verbal, organizational, and customer-facing communication skills.
• Ability to explain complex technical concepts clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or another applicable engineering discipline is strongly preferred.
• Engineer-in-Training (EIT) certification, Professional Engineer (PE) licensure, or demonstrated eligibility and active progress toward professional engineering licensure is preferred.
• Experience working in a multi-vendor service-provider or telecommunications network environment.
• Hands-on experience with Nokia SR OS routing platforms, Juniper routing platforms, Cisco switching platforms, and ADVA/Adtran or comparable optical transport systems.
• Experience with PON management and provisioning platforms such as Nokia Altiplano, and with LTE, microwave, or other wireless access and backhaul systems.
• Experience with network automation, scripting, APIs, or data-driven network management. Familiarity with technologies such as Python, Git, Linux, NETCONF/RESTCONF, model-driven management, telemetry, and SNMP is desirable.
• Experience leading technical projects or workstreams from concept development through implementation and operational handoff.
• Experience developing technical presentations, solution documentation, and customer-facing network designs.

Availability and Travel Requirements:

• Primary job location: Washington State.  Residency in WA, OR, or ID is required.
• Frequent travel is required; the position should be based in a location with convenient access to air travel.
• Participation in engineering escalation and on-call support for network outages is required.

Physical Requirements:

• Must be able to lift and carry up to 25+ pounds

Working Conditions:

• Work is normally performed in an office environment with long periods of computer work.
• Ability to work effectively in a remote and collaborative

Driving Requirements

• Must maintain and possess a valid driver’s license, proof of insurance, and a satisfactory driving record.

Location

• Remote home office located in the State of Washington.

Wage

• Salary range $110,000
  - $150,000/year DOE.
• Exempt position.

Benefits

• Defined Benefit Retirement Plan through the WA State Department of Retirement Systems
• 457b Optional Supplement Plan
• Medical, Dental and Vision insurance
• Accidental Death and Long Term Disability Plan
• Combined Paid Leave
• 11 Paid Holidays

EEO: We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or another characteristic protected by law.

Disclaimer: The above information on this description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification.

It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, and responsibilities required of employees assigned to this job.