IP Engineer III

Location: Hybrid - Dallas or Houston, TX (in office 2 days a week, Weds & Thurs)

Job Summary:
IP Engineer III is responsible for the design, implementation, support, and optimization of carrier-grade IP/MPLS networks.
This role requires deep hands-on expertise in large-scale service provider environments, strong troubleshooting skills, and the ability to work across multiple routing, switching, and optical transport platforms.
The IP Engineer III acts as a technical leader for complex network initiatives, leads operational escalations, and drives capacity planning and network architecture improvements.
Role overview
A senior-level, IP Engineer III is responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining carrier-grade IP/MPLS networks across service provider infrastructure, spanning core, edge, aggregation, and transport layers. The role acts as a technical lead for complex initiatives rather than a people manager (no direct reports).

Key context
Client's network is mid-transition, moving from a Nokia-centric environment toward Juniper, while still running Brocade, ADTRAN, and Cisco gear. The engineer would also be working across four partially merged networks resulting from acquisitions, so multi-vendor fluency and integration experience matter a lot.

Core responsibilities

• Architect and troubleshoot IP/MPLS networks (BGP, IS-IS, OSPF, MPLS, L2/L3 VPNs, traffic engineering, HA design).
• Lead network migrations/upgrades with minimal service disruption.
• Perform capacity planning and proactive health reviews.
• Mentor junior engineers and lead incident escalations.
• Maintain design docs, standards, and operational procedures.
• Participate in on call/change management.

Required qualifications

• 10-15 years in carrier/service-provider networking.
• Expert-level MPLS (LDP, RSVP-TE or segment routing, L2/L3 VPNs, carrier Ethernet).
• Deep BGP experience (policy, communities, route reflectors, peering).
• Strong IS-IS/OSPF in large, routed networks.
• Hands-on with Juniper, Cisco, Nokia, and Ciena in production.
• Strong communication skills across technical and non-technical audiences.

Nice-to-haves

• Optical transport knowledge (ROADM, DWDM, coherent optics).
• Automation/scripting (Python, Ansible, NETCONF/YANG, gNMI).
• Certifications: JNCIP/JNCIE, CCNP/CCIE-SP, Nokia NRS, Ciena.
• Experience with segment routing, EVPN, DCI, or backbone expansion.

Key Experience Areas

• MPLS Deployments
• MPLS Network Integration:
• MPLS Protocol Preference/Experience
• IPv6 & QoS Knowledge
• BGP and Peering
• RSVP-TE Design
• Optical Networking
• Project Management Approach
• Network Security
• Automation Experience

You will receive the following benefits:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Paid vacations and Paid holidays, 401K etc

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the US on a full-time basis now and in the future.