Network Engineer SME

Cognizant is seeking a Network Engineer (SME) for a full-time opportunity in Chesapeake, VA. This is an onsite role . Applicants must have valid US work authorization. We are unable to offer visa sponsorships.

Responsibilities:

Operations & Troubleshooting

• Serve as the highest escalation point for complex network incidents.
• Perform root‑cause analysis and implement long‑term corrective actions.
• Optimize network performance, capacity, and reliability through proactive monitoring and tuning.

Security & Compliance

• Collaborate with cybersecurity teams to implement secure network architectures.
• Ensure compliance with industry standards (e.g., NIST, ISO 27001, PCI‑DSS).
• Support segmentation, firewall policies, VPN solutions, and zero‑trust initiatives.

Cloud & Modern Networking

• Design and support hybrid and cloud‑native networking (Azure, AWS, GCP).
• Implement SD‑WAN, SASE, and network automation solutions.
• Integrate network services with virtualization platforms (VMware NSX, Hyper‑V, etc.).

Documentation & Governance

• Maintain detailed network diagrams, inventories, and configuration repositories.
• Establish and enforce network standards, policies, and best practices.
• Provide technical leadership during audits, assessments, and major projects.

Collaboration & Leadership

• Mentor engineers and provide technical guidance across teams.
• Lead network‑related projects, migrations, and modernization efforts.
• Communicate complex technical concepts to non‑technical stakeholders.

Required Skills & Qualification

Qualified candidates must have 10 years of experience with the skill sets below:

• Routing & switching (OSPF, BGP, EIGRP, STP, VXLAN)
• Firewalls (Cisco, Palo Alto, Fortinet, Check Point)
• Wireless technologies (Cisco, Aruba)
• SD‑WAN and SASE platforms
• Strong understanding of Network Security Principles.
• Experience with cloud networking (Azure/AWS/GCP).
• Ability to lead complex troubleshooting and architecture discussions.
• Network monitoring tools (SolarWinds, DNAC, NetBrain, etc