Senior Network Engineer

About the Opportunity

San Diego International Airport is seeking a Senior Network Engineer to help design, strengthen, and modernize the enterprise network that supports airport operations across the campus. This position combines hands-on technical work with technical leadership in a high-availability environment where secure, reliable connectivity is essential.

The airport’s mission is to create an outstanding experience for the community and travelers from around the world. Its strategic focus includes advancing airport development, improving the customer experience, optimizing ongoing business, and strengthening its culture. The workplace emphasizes collaboration, empathy, listening, thoughtful decisions, and a shared commitment to meaningful impact.

Why This Role Stands Out

• You will work from the new Airport Authority Administration building on the San Diego International Airport campus, close to the waterfront, with views of the runway, San Diego Bay, the Pacific Ocean, and the city skyline.
• This position follows a hybrid arrangement with both onsite and remote work. Onsite days are required based on department needs, while remote flexibility is available on other days as determined by the department.
• The hiring range for this role is $139,081 to $159,943, and the full pay range is $106,985 to $171,177.
• Benefits include 14 paid holidays, 18 to 33 days of vacation, parental and child care support, salary continuance for family and parental leave, tuition reimbursement, retirement plan options including a pension plan and a 457 defined contribution plan, and an employer-funded Lifestyle Spending Account.
• Wellness offerings include on-site gyms, fitness classes, outdoor work areas, fitness discounts, monthly fruit deliveries, volunteer rewards, financial wellness advisors, and access to nearby walking trails.
• The application deadline is March 25, 2026.

Role Summary

The Information & Technology Services team is looking for an experienced network professional to serve as a subject matter expert for enterprise networking across routing, switching, wireless, security, data center systems, and software-defined network platforms. The role supports airport-wide infrastructure that must remain secure, resilient, and highly available.

You will partner with technical teams, vendors, and project stakeholders on modernization efforts such as wireless upgrades in Terminal 2 and infrastructure work tied to Terminal 1 Phase 1B construction. The position calls for strong independent judgment, methodical troubleshooting, clear documentation, and the ability to guide technical decisions in complex environments.

This role is also central to the “invisible” infrastructure that supports airport operations, passenger services, and critical systems across the campus.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, configure, deploy, and support enterprise routing, switching, wireless, firewall, VOIP, and VPN solutions in a Cisco environment.
• Lead network design and buildout work for wireless upgrades and infrastructure projects tied to airport construction initiatives.
• Administer wired and wireless environments through Cisco Catalyst Center, including policy, access control, and operational monitoring in a Software Defined Access setup.
• Support Cisco ACI, ISE, Secure Firewall technologies, and connected monitoring and analytics tools.
• Track network health, uptime, and performance, then recommend and implement improvements such as patches, firmware updates, and configuration changes.
• Investigate and resolve network incidents ranging from routine issues to highly complex problems, including root cause analysis and service restoration.
• Study current and legacy environments to understand dependencies, integrations, and data flows for troubleshooting, transition planning, and long-term design.
• Create and maintain detailed diagrams, as-built documentation, architecture records, standards, and operating procedures.
• Act as a hands-on technical lead for complex projects, coordinating with vendors, senior engineers, internal teams, and stakeholders.
• Support disaster recovery planning, vulnerability assessments, penetration testing, and security audits.
• Participate in a rotating on-call schedule for critical network operations.
• Drive an Airport Authority vehicle on the airfield to access sterile areas and other secure locations when required.

Required Experience and Qualifications

• Five years of progressively responsible experience in information technology, networking, or security systems, including at least one year in a project lead or supervisory capacity, or an equivalent mix of education, training, and experience.
• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university in computer science, management information systems, or a closely related field.
• Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) certification may replace two years of the educational requirement.

Licenses, Certificates, and Special Conditions

• A valid driver’s license must be maintained, along with eligibility for coverage under the Authority’s vehicle insurance policy.
• Successful completion of a fingerprint-based background investigation, required training, and testing for use of Authority and San Diego County physical security, surveillance, radio, and telecommunications equipment.
• Driving is an essential job function, including the operation of Airport Authority vehicles.
• A valid California driver’s license is required.
• An acceptable driving record must be maintained, and all traffic laws, safety rules, reporting requirements, and vehicle use policies must be followed.

Preferred Certifications

• CCNP Enterprise or Security
• CCIE
• CCNA
• CompTIA Network+ or Security+
• AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
• AWS Solutions Architect – Associate
• Microsoft Azure AZ-700
• Microsoft Azure Network Engineer Associate

Team Environment

The Information & Technology Services group supports airport operations through secure, reliable, and forward-looking technology. The team manages business applications, passenger-facing systems, cybersecurity, access, storage, and operational continuity across the campus. The network team designs, operates, and secures the wired and wireless backbone that connects passengers, tenants, airlines, staff, and operational systems.

Equal Opportunity

The organization provides equal employment opportunity regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, public assistance status, veteran status, or other protected characteristics. Reasonable accommodation is available for qualified individuals with disabilities.

Physical and Mental Demands

Applicants with disabilities may be able to perform the essential duties with reasonable accommodation. Accommodation requests are reviewed individually based on job requirements.

Additional Information

Employees are expected to contribute to the airport’s broader goals of development, customer experience, operational excellence, and culture. The role requires strong collaboration, thoughtful problem-solving, documentation discipline, and the ability to work independently in a high-stakes environment.

Construction projects may change what passengers see, but this position helps build and sustain the core infrastructure that keeps airport systems connected and functioning.

Applicants who do not meet every qualification are still encouraged to apply, as the organization values growth, learning, and diverse experience.