IT Network Principal

Job#: 3055139
Job Description:
IT Network Principal
Location: Onsite in Oklahoma City (Monday-Friday, 8 AM - 5 PM)
Type: 6 Month Contract (Strong possibility of conversion)
Target Start: Mid-November
Compensation: 85+/hr. (W2) Flexible depending on experience.
*If interested and qualified, please reach out to the Professional Recruiter, Nicole, at with a copy of your resume.
Position Summary
We are seeking an experienced IT Network Principal to join a growing enterprise infrastructure team supporting large-scale data center operations, modernization initiatives, and strategic network architecture projects. This individual will serve as a senior technical leader responsible for the design, implementation, support, and optimization of the organization's network infrastructure.
The team is currently supporting multiple major initiatives, including the buildout of two new data centers and several infrastructure migration efforts. The ideal candidate will bring deep enterprise networking expertise, strong architectural vision, and the ability to partner with stakeholders across Infrastructure, Security, Server, Cloud, and Operational Technology teams.
This role offers a unique opportunity to work alongside existing senior technical leadership and become a key contributor to long-term network strategy and succession planning efforts.
Key Responsibilities

• Design, build, and support enterprise and data center network infrastructure.
• Serve as a technical leader for network architecture, engineering, and modernization efforts.
• Support large-scale routing, switching, security, and network optimization initiatives.
• Design and maintain Cisco ACI data center fabrics and associated technologies.
• Configure, support, and troubleshoot complex firewall environments.
• Develop and implement network security policies and standards.
• Support integration between network, server, security, cloud, and OT/SCADA teams.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and provide architectural recommendations.
• Lead troubleshooting efforts for complex network and infrastructure issues.
• Mentor junior and mid-level engineers while serving as a technical escalation point for the team.

Required Qualifications
Enterprise Networking

• 10+ years of progressive network engineering experience.
• CCNP-level routing and switching expertise (certification not required).
• Strong understanding of:
  • BGP
  • OSPF
  • EIGRP
  • VRFs
  • VLANs
  • High Availability technologies
• Experience supporting large enterprise network environments.

Data Center Networking

• Extensive data center networking experience.
• Hands-on experience with:
  • Cisco Nexus Platforms
  • Cisco ACI Fabric (Required)
  • Spine/Leaf Architectures
• Experience designing and supporting modern data center network infrastructures.
• VXLAN experience preferred but not required if candidate possesses strong ACI expertise.

Network Security

• Advanced firewall administration experience.
• Strong preference for Palo Alto Networks firewalls.
• Experience:
  • Writing and managing firewall policies
  • Firewall-based routing
  • Security segmentation
  • Access control architecture
  • Security rule optimization
• Ability to operate at a Principal-level within network security environments.

Infrastructure & Architecture

• Experience leading network design and architecture initiatives.
• Ability to balance hands-on engineering work with strategic planning responsibilities.
• Strong understanding of enterprise infrastructure dependencies across security, server, storage, and cloud platforms.

Preferred Qualifications

• F5 BIG-IP or Citrix ADC (NetScaler) load balancing experience.
• AWS networking and cloud connectivity experience.
• Experience supporting industrial, manufacturing, energy, utility, or operational technology environments.
• SCADA networking experience or exposure.
• Experience supporting data center migrations and infrastructure transformation projects.
• Prior experience serving as a Lead, Principal, or Architect-level network engineer.

Soft Skills & Team Fit
The hiring manager emphasized that success in this role requires more than technical expertise.
Candidates should be able to:

• Communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Partner closely with Security, Infrastructure, Server, and Cloud teams.
• Influence decisions through strong business and technical acumen.
• Interact comfortably with audiences ranging from IT Directors and executive leadership to SCADA field technicians.
• Operate as a trusted advisor and technical leader within the organization.

What Success Looks Like

• Quickly becoming a key contributor to ongoing data center expansion projects.
• Providing architectural guidance across enterprise networking initiatives.
• Supporting the team's transition from primarily operational network engineering toward a more strategic architecture-focused model.
• Building strong partnerships across Infrastructure, Security, and Operational Technology teams.
• Bringing Principal-level technical expertise while helping drive long-term network strategy.

Everforth Apex is a world-class IT services company that serves thousands of clients across the globe. When you join Everforth Apex, you become part of a team that values innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning. We offer quality career resources, training, certifications, development opportunities, and a comprehensive benefits package. Our commitment to excellence is reflected in many awards, including ClearlyRateds Best of Staffing in Talent Satisfaction in the United States and Great Place to Work in the United Kingdom and Mexico.
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