Lead Network Engineer in Schaumburg, Illinois at Composites ONE

Begin your Composites One career today!

Position Overview:

The Network Engineer is responsible for the design, implementation, and management of the global network and telecommunications landscape for Composites One. This role supports both local and wide area networks across more than 50 global locations in six countries, encompassing over 500 network assets and serving more than 1,000 end users. The position also involves managing direct reports and third-party Network Service Providers to meet uptime and performance SLAs. Additionally, this role drives the development of enterprise technology standards, governance processes, and performance metrics to ensure IT delivers measurable business value.

Key Responsibilities:

Network Architecture & Operations

• Design and architect data and telecommunications networks to meet business needs.
• Oversee daily network operations, including performance monitoring, incident resolution, and adherence to uptime SLAs.
• Maintain network configurations, enabling services, and systems to ensure compliance with security policies and industry best practices.
• Manage network hardware, operating systems, and applications, including capacity planning and logistics.
• Define and track KPIs to measure network and telecom performance, including SLA targets.
• Partner with the Cyber Security team to ensure network security and compliance standards are met.

Operational Excellence and Team Support

• Collaborate with internal teams and external service providers to ensure seamless delivery of network services.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior engineers and support staff.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders and cross-functional teams to support effective service delivery.
• Contribute to team development by documenting processes, creating knowledge base content, and sharing expertise.
• Respond to user issues, escalations, and support requests, ensuring timely and high-quality resolution.
• Align technical solutions with business objectives in coordination with IT leadership and service providers.

Vendor & Financial Oversight

• Manage and evaluate third-party service providers to ensure performance meets or exceeds expectations.
• Oversee telecom vendor contracts, budgets, forecasts, and invoicing.
• Support the development of technical requirements, business cases, and project plans, including vendor selection and cost-benefit analyses.

Innovation and Continuous Improvement

• Identify and implement innovative technology solutions that enhance business value and customer experience.
• Stay current on industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices.
• Drive continuous improvement by identifying and addressing performance gaps across processes and vendors.
• Analyze market trends in infrastructure service delivery to identify opportunities for optimization.
• Ensure infrastructure solutions align with business goals, risk tolerance, and IT standards.
• Develop and maintain a 3-year network and telecom strategy and roadmap.
• Foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

Expected Skills and Qualifications:

• Minimum of 7 years of experience in network management, including enterprise-level data network planning and operations.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• Experience leading enterprise network and infrastructure strategy, including SD-WAN, switching, wireless, UCaaS/telecom, internet services, and next-generation firewalls.
• Strong expertise in network security architecture, including IDS/IPS and Zero Trust principles.
• Advanced knowledge of routing and connectivity protocols such as BGP, OSPF, EIGRP, and ExpressRoute.
• Proven ability to drive network reliability and performance using monitoring tools (e.g., SolarWinds, PRTG, Nagios).
• Experience with network automation and scripting (Python, Ansible, PowerShell).
• Demonstrated success leading complex troubleshooting, incident response, and root cause analysis.
• Strong leadership and influencing skills, with the ability to guide cross-functional teams.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to engage both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Self-starter with strong ownership, sound judgment, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment.
• Solid understanding of network devices, scalability, and infrastructure design.
• Experience with industry-standard networking technologies, including routers, switches, and firewalls.
• Hands-on experience with SD-WAN configuration, next-generation firewalls, UCaaS, security management, and wireless networking.

Location:

• This role offers flexibility in work location. Candidates may be based on-site, in a hybrid arrangement, or fully remote, depending on individual circumstances and business needs.

Discover a Fulfilling Career:

At Composites One, our Team Members are the cornerstone of our success. Each role is essential in helping us provide exceptional service to our Customers. We cultivate a culture of empowerment and opportunity, fostering both personal and professional growth.

We believe in driving success and appreciating achievement. Our Team Members are eligible for annual bonuses and profit sharing because when the company thrives, we all benefit. Join us and be part of a Team where your hard work and dedication are valued, and together, we achieve great things.

Respect, Teamwork, and Communication are Woven into our Core Values:

Our guiding principle of Respect, Teamwork, and Communication embodies the spirit of our Core Values. We uphold these principles every day as we strive to make a positive impact for our Customers, our Team, and the world around us.

Benefits:

Explore our comprehensive health, retirement, wellness, and professional growth programs in detail here.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

At Composites One, all qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability, or other protected classification as defined by applicable law and regulation.

ADA Accommodations

Accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities in all phases of the application and employment process. To request accommodation please contact the ADA Coordinator by email at ADACoordinator@compositesone.com.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.