Senior Network Engineer - WAN

Role purpose 

Our client, a financial institution, is executing a time-bound program to ensure branch connectivity continuity and improve network stability by establishing an internally owned Palo Alto SD-WAN tenant and migrating all branch sites before a fixed May 2026 end-of-term deadline. This role provides dedicated architecture and execution ownership for the SD-WAN program and establishes the ongoing service ownership and reliability patterns required to keep branch connectivity stable after cutover. 

What this role is 

• Accountable technical owner for SD-WAN tenant migration, branch migration sequencing, configuration standards, validation, and operational readiness through the transition. 

• Accountable owner for branch connectivity reliability patterns (standards, runbooks, measurable baselines) beyond the initial migration. 

• Focused on stability outcomes: predictable failover behavior, reduced branch disruption during circuit degradation, and improved visibility into branch experience. 

What this role is not 

• A general NOC / ticket-queue role or day-to-day network operations coverage. 

• A long-term caretaker of an intermediary-managed model; the objective is durable internal ownership, direct support paths, and a supportable environment post-cutover. 

Core outcomes / deliverables 

• Controlled tenant migration and branch cutover plan completed before May 2026. 

• Standardized, supportable SD-WAN configuration baseline that reduces variation-driven incidents. 

• Improved resiliency during circuit degradation through smarter traffic steering and failover behavior. 

• Improved visibility into branch experience to detect degradation earlier and shorten time-to-diagnose/time-to-restore. 

• Operational readiness and durable documentation: as-built documentation, runbooks, acceptance/validation approach, escalation procedures, and clean handoff to steady-state operations. 

Key responsibilities 

• Own the technical execution plan for tenant replacement and multi-site migration sequencing, including cutover validation and rollback readiness. 

• Drive configuration and design decisions that improve failover reliability and provider switching outcomes. 

• Evaluate whether existing branch hardware can be optimized versus requiring refresh to current-generation ION hardware, with focus on stability and lifecycle supportability. 

• Operationalize branch experience visibility and define measurable baselines and thresholds that trigger action. 

• Produce and maintain operational documentation and support readiness artifacts; ensure clean handoff to steady-state operating teams. 

• Establish direct OEM support paths and escalation procedures so response does not depend on intermediary coordination. 

• Align teams and vendors to a single plan and prevent parallel efforts that introduce risk or configuration drift. 

Required qualifications 

• Typically 5-8+ years (or equivalent progressive experience) in enterprise WAN/branch connectivity roles with accountability for reliability outcomes. 

• Demonstrated experience leading multi-site network migrations or major refresh programs with phased deployment sequencing and validation discipline. 

• Strong SD-WAN architecture and operationalization experience, including failover behavior, traffic steering, and performance under circuit degradation. 

• Demonstrated ability to build durable operational readiness: as-built documentation, runbooks, acceptance testing, and handoff. 

• Strong cross-functional communication skills; proven ability to drive adoption and standardization across internal teams and vendors without relying on positional authority. 

• Strong learning agility and bias for action: can rapidly diagnose instability patterns, standardize configurations, and improve operational response without requiring a perfect tool/certification checklist. 

Certifications are helpful but not a primary screen; demonstrated delivery and operationalization matter more than checking every vendor-specific box. 

Preferred qualifications 

• Hands-on experience with Palo Alto Prisma SD-WAN / ION platforms and support model design. 

• Experience operationalizing branch experience monitoring (ADEM or equivalent), baselining performance, and defining actionable thresholds. 

• Experience working in regulated environments where operational readiness, documentation, and evidence discipline are required. 

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