Senior network engineers are important to the communications of practically all businesses, as just about everything is run through computers today. Senior network engineers lead of a team of technical professionals who can read programming language and fix any issue with a computer network. The job requires skills that only those specifically trained in the area possess.
Senior network engineers work in a wide variety of industries. Wherever there is a computer network, there is likely a senior network engineer. However, this position is for larger companies that have a team of network engineers. Smaller companies may only have one network engineer. Senior network engineers' primary duties are to fix any bugs in computer networks as well as implement new software for use by company employees. They head a team of people who perform the same activities, so they usually have the final say in the happenings of their department.
The work environment for senior network engineers is usually in an office. The work hours are normal business hours, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Senior network engineers often work after hours when everyone is off of the network, as well as on weekends at times. However, senior network engineers don't usually work at those times unless there is a major issue that nobody else on the team can figure out. The tools that senior network engineers use include computers, software, telephone, pens and paper, and other typical office supplies.
Requirements for the job include a master's degree in computer science or information technology. However, some work their way up to the position with a bachelor's degree in those fields. Several years of experience in network engineering or information technology are also required.
Senior network engineers work to ensure that the computer networks for the business they work for are functioning properly. They must hold expertise in the field beyond that of their team of network engineers. They must be able to understand computer programming languages, which is a specialty that only those trained in their field would know.
Sr. Network Engineer Tasks
- Providing tier 4 support and network disaster recovery expertise.
- Test and document system behavior, performance, and security.
- Plan, design, and troubleshoot local and wide area network infrastructure, including routers, firewalls, switches, gateways, DNS servers, DHCP servers, clustering solutions, and related hardware, software, and services.