Cisco Catalyst Specialist

Responsibilities: of the Cisco Catalyst Specialist include: Design, deploy, configure, and optimize enterprise Network Management Systems (NMS) supporting large-scale Cisco network environments Implement and maintain Cisco Catalyst Center (formerly DNA Center) and associated network management and orchestration platforms Design highly available NMS environments, including HA, disaster recovery, backup, and platform resiliency Configure and optimize SNMP, Syslog, NetFlow, IPFIX, RMON, and streaming gRPC telemetry for enterprise network monitoring and visibility Integrate NMS platforms with Cisco ISE for role-based access control (RBAC) and secure network administration Support the full lifecycle of Cisco Catalyst switches and routers, including provisioning, configuration, stacking, upgrades, patching, and migrations Develop and maintain configuration templates, blueprints, and automated workflows within Cisco Catalyst Center for enterprise LAN/WLAN environments Utilize Software Image Management (SWIM) capabilities to support operating system upgrades and patch compliance across large device populations Develop migration plans and runbooks for transitioning legacy network infrastructure to modern Cisco Catalyst environments Monitor network health and performance through NMS dashboards, alerts, telemetry, and assurance capabilities Analyze network anomalies, client health, device performance, and connectivity issues to support root cause analysis and resolution Monitor key network metrics including link utilization, memory, temperature, PoE, device health, and availability Integrate network monitoring and telemetry with platforms such as ServiceNow and Splunk/SIEM Troubleshoot complex network issues using NMS packet capture, telemetry data, sensor information, and Wireshark Develop network automation workflows using Python, Ansible, and REST APIs Leverage Cisco Catalyst Center APIs to automate bulk network configuration, provisioning, monitoring, and operational workflows Implement Cisco Plug and Play (PnP) and Zero Touch Provisioning (ZTP) capabilities Support enterprise network configuration validation, change management, troubleshooting, and lifecycle activities Collaborate with network engineering, systems, cybersecurity, and operations teams to improve network reliability and automation Develop and maintain technical documentation, configuration standards, migration procedures, and operational runbooks Qualifications: of the Cisco Catalyst Specialist include: 7+ years of experience in enterprise network engineering, network management, or related infrastructure engineering 3-5+ years of dedicated experience supporting enterprise Network Management Systems (NMS) Strong hands-on experience with Cisco Catalyst Center / DNA Center Experience with Cisco Catalyst switches, routers, and IOS-XE Experience with Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Strong understanding of enterprise networking concepts including OSPF, EIGRP, BGP, VLANs, STP, Layer 2/Layer 3 networking, and routing/switching Experience with modern Cisco architectures including SD-Access, VXLAN, and TrustSec Strong knowledge of network monitoring and telemetry technologies including SNMP v2c/v3, RMON, Syslog, NetFlow/IPFIX, and REST APIs Experience developing or implementing network automation using Python and/or Ansible Experience working with network APIs and automated configuration workflows Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Network Engineering, or a related field; equivalent experience may be considered Active Secret clearance Preferred Qualifications of the Cisco Catalyst Specialist include: CCNP Enterprise certification CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure certification Cisco automation, Catalyst, or network management certifications Experience with Cisco ISE, RBAC, TrustSec, and SD-Access Experience integrating NMS platforms with ServiceNow, Splunk, or SIEM platforms Experience with Cisco PnP/ZTP and large-scale automated provisioning Experience with Catalyst Center SWIM and enterprise-wide IOS-XE upgrades Experience with network assurance, telemetry, and performance monitoring at enterprise scale Experience with Wireshark and advanced network troubleshooting Experience with REST API development and integration Experience developing automated network migration and deployment runbooks Compensation: for the Cisco Catalyst Specialist includes: Salary: $95,000-$100,000 depending on experience Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, 401k Plan, Holidays, PTO, sick leave as required by law