Network Engineer

Role Title: Network Engineer – Cisco Projects Lead

Engagement: Contract, 2 years

Location: Hervey Bay

Workplace Flexibility: On-site preferred (flexibility considered; on-site presence required during build phase)

Role Purpose The Network Engineer – Cisco Projects Lead will be responsible for leading the end-to-end design, deployment, and delivery of the network infrastructure for a new multi-storey building. The role requires ownership of technical solutioning, implementation planning, vendor coordination, site staging, commissioning, testing, and a complete transition into business-as-usual operations.

This role will suit an experienced network engineer with extensive Cisco and fibre WAN expertise who can deliver large-scale, technically complex infrastructure projects.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct discovery activities, site surveys, and capacity planning for multi-floor environments, including MDF/IDF placement, riser provisioning, and cabling strategies.
• Architect Cisco Catalyst/Nexus Layer 2/3 solutions: VLAN design, VRFs, inter-floor routing, aggregation, and HA topologies.
• Deliver resilient campus switching and routing with PoE for APs/telephony and QoS for critical services.
• Deploy Cisco ISE for secure, role-based access across staff, contractors, guests, and IoT/OT devices.
• Implement Catalyst Center / DNA Center automation for device onboarding, assurance, and operational consistency.
• Specify and validate fibre and copper infrastructure: backbone design, patching, labelling, rack elevations, and comms-room requirements.
• Develop migration, staged cutover, and rollback plans ensuring minimal service disruption.
• Undertake acceptance testing, validation, and performance tuning across wired and wireless domains.
• Produce comprehensive documentation, including design packs, diagrams, test logs, commissioning certificates, and runbooks.
• Engage with internal stakeholders, vendors, and delivery partners to align timelines, budgets, and project outcomes.
• Lead technical workshops and deliver structured handover and knowledge transfer to operational teams.
• Execute the fibre-optic WAN strategy, including vendor delivery management, resilience auditing, and integration with LAN.

Deliverables

• Target architecture and design pack (network, cabling, rack drawings).
• Procurement-ready specifications and vendor evaluation criteria for LAN/WAN fibre works.
• Fibre WAN audit report including asset map, test results, risk register, and remediation plan.
• Migration roadmap and cutover/rollback schedules.
• Commissioning and test reports (wired/wireless), including heatmaps and tuning logs.
• Handover package: as-built configurations, training materials, runbooks, and post-cutover support arrangements.

Required Skills and Experience

• CCNA minimum, CCNP or equivalent preferred.
• 5+ years delivering Cisco network projects (Catalyst, Nexus, ISE, DNA/Catalyst Center) in multi-floor or multi-site environments.
• Strong Layer-3 architecture expertise: OSPF, EIGRP, BGP, and HA topologies.
• Proven experience with structured cabling and fibre backbones, PoE, and comms-room design.
• Hands-on Cisco ISE deployment (802.1X, MAB, guest access).
• Demonstrated WAN fibre delivery and audit experience (OTDR/LLD testing, resilience planning).
• Strong cutover, acceptance testing, and post-deployment tuning experience.
• Proficiency with packet analysis and wireless validation tools (Wireshark, tcpdump, heatmapping).
• Strong documentation, stakeholder engagement, and vendor management skills.

Desirable Expertise

• CCNP/CCIE or equivalent advanced certification.
• SDA/SD-Access, VXLAN/EVPN, or Nexus/data-centre integration.
• High-density Wi-Fi and IoT/OT/BMS segmentation.
• Experience delivering under public-sector procurement and compliance frameworks.