Position: Lead Network Engineer -Full Time/Exempt
Department: Information Technology
Reports to: VP, Information Technology
Location: State Farm Stadium (Glendale, AZ) *rotational support in Tempe, AZ Format: In-person
Cardinals Organizational Summary: The Arizona Cardinals Football Club is a professional football team within the National Football League (NFL). We compete in the National Football Conference (NFC) West division and call State Farm Stadium, in Glendale, Arizona, our home. As one of the oldest pro football franchises in the U.S., the Club has established itself as a sport and cultural hallmark within Arizona, as well as a trailblazer for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) initiatives and firsts around the League. Our vision is to build a leading sports organization that competes for championships, drives business results, creates loyal fans, develops proud employees, and inspires hope in our community. We are relentless in our pursuit of greatness on and off the field, while positively impacting our people, our fans, and our community. If you want to join an organization that values putting the team first, doing what is right, growing with positivity, valuing every voice, while driving performance, we would love for you to join our team. Learn more about the Arizona Cardinals and see what’s happening here.
Summary: The Arizona Cardinals are seeking a motivated, enthusiastic, passionate, and experienced network engineer with a background in cloud and traditional networking. This position will be part of a dynamic and multifunctional technical team that supports, secures, and maintains the Arizona Cardinals multi-site network. This corporate network spans venues and facilities in Tempe, Glendale and collaborates with innovative technology vendors and venue partners. This position is part of the technology department and will be based in Glendale and will support all equipment and employees working at the Tempe Office, State Farm Stadium and other locations as required. The main responsibilities for this position include managing and maintaining the networks used by the company in both the local and wide-area networks, as well as setting up connected equipment and making sure staff have access to the resources needed. Cybersecurity and network monitoring are high priorities of the Arizona Cardinals and the National Football League; thus, the network systems and related data and downstream applications must be safeguarded 24/7/365. This position is also responsible for support and troubleshooting for the Cardinals, related businesses, and vendors/partners with technology related issues. This position will support day to day IT enterprise networks and systems in addition to live events (Cardinal’s football games, concerts, activities, and events) at all sites. This role will be involved with many aspects of support for systems used by all staff and others if needed, potentially requiring 7 days a week and night schedules. Other responsibilities include event support, game day duties at games, training camp and extended trips. Note: Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa.
Primary Job Duties: The Lead Network Engineer will have daily responsibilities including, without limitation, to the following:
• Manage networking team/staff to support business critical systems
• Responsible for configuring, installing, and securing critical network solutions
• Analyze, design, install, and support complex network solutions for on premise, multi-cloud, and hybrid environments
• Network configuration and integration of existing and new networking hardware, IoT devices, and applications
• Responsible for continuous network monitoring, intervention and response
• Be part of a team that manages, monitors, improves, and supports hardware for a multi-site l network environment to include routers, switches, firewalls, voice services, high density Wi-Fi and wireless controllers
• Engage in conversations and provide technical and functional expertise with internal and external teams
• Continually improve the network by innovating, securing via patch management & updates, and upgrading of networking hardware
• Drive network automation and focus on continued service improvement
• Support and work closely with our broadcast engineers to deliver live games and digital content
• Performs problem isolation and resolution of network problems
• Support live events throughout the year which will include domestic and global travel
• On-Call rotation to support our games as well as the 24/7 operations
• Other duties as assigned
Qualifications/Requirements
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Management Information Services, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent experience
• Experience: 4+ years as a Network Engineer with prior experience in a multi-site environment
• Experience and deep understanding with network protocols and methods, including Traffic Engineering, NAT, TCP/IP, Multicast, Layer 2/3 protocols, Wi-Fi, MPLS, VPN, 802.1x and IPv6
• Functional experience in configuring and supporting a cloud infrastructure (Azure, AWS, Google)
• Proficient level and hands on experience with network operating systems and Cisco routing and switching products (NX-OS & IOS/XE/XR), Linux, pr similar
• Operational and hands on experience with network security hardware (Cisco FMC, Palo Alto, Cisco ASA, Cisco Firepower, Cisco ISE, Cisco Secure X, Cisco Secure Endpoints, Palo Alto, Fortinet)
• Understanding of authentication protocols and MFA integrations, Duo, Octa, etc
• Experience with enterprise networking technologies, tools, and processes including routing and switching, L4-7 traffic management (e.g., load balancing), firewalls, data center fabric, campus networks, VoIP, wireless networks, network access control (NAC), virtualization, and hybrid cloud
• Firm understanding of TACACS/RADIUS, and experience with network traffic analysis for troubleshooting (tcpdump, Wireshark, Netflow/sFlow, iperf, etc.)
• Exposure to or experience with programming/scripting languages used to automate networks (e.g., Python, Ansible) is a plus
• Experience with firewall configuration and administration
• Ability to engage with third-party vendors, including evaluating multiple vendor data products, documenting test plans, assisting in vendor selection, and developing deployment workbooks
• Ability to create documentation, change management protocols, generate reports, and present them to leadership
• Strong troubleshooting techniques to quickly diagnose and resolve complex issues
• Must be comfortable in a multi-vendor environment
• Ability to work well in a team while still being self-sufficient
• Ability to effectively work in a fast-paced environment with multiple competing priorities that require strong project management, decision-making capabilities, and flexibility
• Can communicate and collaborate effectively with all individuals across the organization
• Must be able to stand and exert well-paced mobility for periods of up to eight (8) hours in length
• Proactive problem solver, possessing a strong work ethic
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds
• Ability to work in temperature fluctuations and around excessive noise
• Able to work flexible hours including evenings, weekends, and holidays
• Must complete all pre-employment forms and successfully pass a background check
Cardinals Benefits/Perks Summary: The Arizona Cardinals Football Club has developed a comprehensive benefits package that provides economic and inclusive benefits to full-time employees. The Cardinals benefits offer care, protection, and support for employees and their loved ones. The Cardinals organization encourages an environment that is conducive to living a healthy, productive, and flexible lifestyle.
Benefits and Perks include, but are not limited to:
• Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance options; effective the first day of hire
• 401 (k) retirement option with employer match contribution
• Paid Time Off Accruals (including sick time accruals)
• Paid Time Off for most Federal holidays
• Time off for Maternity, Paternity, Military, and Bereavement
• MDLIVE: 24/7 medical support • Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) & Health Care Saving Account options
• Discounts on Cardinals gear & paraphernalia
• Tuition reimbursement & Professional Growth opportunities
• Daily free lunch
• Complimentary season tickets
• Subsidized gym memberships
The Arizona Cardinals Football Club is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, marital or veteran status, or any other protected class.
