New

Sr Prin Network Engineer

Consumers Energy
parental leave, paid time off, paid holidays, 401(k)
United States, Michigan, Jackson
1 Energy Plaza Dr (Show on map)
Jul 08, 2025
Consumers Energy is Michigan's largest energy provider, providing natural gas and/or electricity to 6.8 million of the state's 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties. Consumers Energy knows job number one is to keep the lights on for customers. We are committed to delivering reliable, clean, and affordable energy to our customers 24/7. Location: This is a hybrid (virtual/onsite) position with required onsite days on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday assigned to the Parnall Service Center located in Jackson, MI. The selected candidate must be within a commutable distance or willing to relocate (relocation package is available for those that qualify). General Summary of Job Responsibilities The Senior Principal Network Engineer is responsible for designing, implementing, and optimizing advanced network infrastructures, both on-premises and in the cloud. This role serves as a key technical leader, ensuring network security, reliability, and scalability to support business objectives. The ideal candidate will have deep expertise in traditional networking, cloud networking, network security, and automation. Additionally, this role will involve mentoring engineers, driving strategic network initiatives, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to enhance overall network performance. Essential Duties and Responsibilities Design, implement, operate and maintain functional networks (LAN, WLAN, WAN), ensuring scalability and resilience to meet organizational needs spanning on-premises and cloud environments (AWS, Azure, GCP). Develop and document network architectures, operational procedures, and troubleshooting guides. Develop and enforce network automation strategies using Terraform, Ansible, Python, or PowerShell to improve efficiency, security, and scalability. Monitor, troubleshoot, and resolve critical network issues, providing Tier-3 escalation support and leading root cause analysis ensuring optimal performance and reliability. Maintain comprehensive technical documentation, including network configurations, operational procedures, and project plans. Work closely with other departments to understand and meet network requirements, providing technical guidance and support as needed. Mentor and guide junior engineers, fostering a culture of learning and professional development. Stay informed about emerging networking technologies, trends, and security threats, providing strategic recommendations to optimize and future-proof network infrastructure. Other duties as assigned. Knowledge/Skills/Abilities Expert-level knowledge of networking architectures and protocols, including BGP, OSPF, MPLS, TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, VXLAN, and EVPN. Deep expertise in cloud networking, including AWS VPC, Azure Virtual WAN, GCP VPC, Transit Gateway, Direct Connect, ExpressRoute, and Cloud Load Balancers. Proficiency in network automation and scripting, leveraging Terraform, Ansible, Python, PowerShell to streamline operations. Experience with SD-WAN, network virtualization, and software-defined networking (SDN) (Cisco ACI, VMware NSX, AWS Transit Gateway). Strong troubleshooting skills, with the ability to diagnose and resolve complex, multi-layered network issues across on-prem and cloud environments. Strategic thinking and leadership capabilities, with experience driving large-scale networking initiatives and influencing stakeholders. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, capable of explaining complex networking concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences. Proven ability to mentor and guide junior engineers, fostering a culture of continuous improvement. Demonstrates strong teamwork and problem-solving abilities, balancing business needs with security and operational excellence. Demonstrates excellent teamwork and embodies the virtues of being humble, hungry, and smart people. Education/Experience Bachelor's degree in related field and 10+ years of hands-on experience in network engineering, including design, implementation, and maintenance of enterprise-scale networks. This experience should include 7+ years of experience in designing and supporting large-scale enterprise networks, including hybrid cloud environments and 4+ years of experience in cloud networking (AWS, Azure, or GCP), SD-WAN, network segmentation, and automation tools to enhance network efficiency and experience in leading technical projects and mentoring junior engineers. [OR] Associate's degree in related field and 12+ years of hands-on experience in network engineering, including design, implementation, and maintenance of enterprise-scale networks. This experience should include 9+ years of experience in designing and supporting large-scale enterprise networks, including hybrid cloud environments and 6+ years of experience in cloud networking (AWS, Azure, or GCP), SD-WAN, network segmentation, and automation tools to enhance network efficiency and experience in leading technical projects and mentoring junior engineers. [OR] high school diploma and 14+ years of hands-on experience in network engineering, including design, implementation, and maintenance of enterprise-scale networks. This experience should include 11+ years of experience in designing and supporting large-scale enterprise networks, including hybrid cloud environments and 8+ years of experience in cloud networking (AWS, Azure, or GCP), SD-WAN, network segmentation, and automation tools to enhance network efficiency and experience in leading technical projects and mentoring junior engineers. #LI-RT1 Why should you join our team? At Consumers Energy, we offer more than just a place to work. We foster a culture that supports career development, growth, and stability, and we take pride in offering our co-workers excellent benefits and compensation packages. We are deliberately creating an inclusive culture that makes our diverse team of co-workers feel valued, supported, and empowered every day. We're a company made up of thousands of people, all with different stories to share and work to do, but we stand united in our company purpose: world class performance delivering hometown service. What we offer: Competitive compensation packages Medical, Dental and Vision 401k with company match Paid parental leave Up to 13 paid Holidays Paid time off Educational Assistance Program Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: We, at CMS Energy, value Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion. It is part of our DNA. We treat our employees with respect, we treat each other fairly and we value the opinions of others. We are passionate about building and nurturing an environment where everyone feels included. We don't discriminate. We seek to learn about each other and better understand our unique differences. Our uniqueness makes us authentic. We create safe spaces where everyone can be who they truly are. We invite difficult conversations and uncomfortable topics. We value diverse perspectives; this is what makes us great together. We harbor an inclusive environment where employees feel empowered to share their backgrounds, experiences, and ideas. Our Employee Resource Groups, Women in Energy (WE), Minority Advisory Panel (MAP), Pride Alliance of Consumers Energy (PACE), GENERGY, capABLE, Interfaith and Veterans Advisory Panel (VAP) are key enablers to living the values of our company culture: Caring, Empowered, Deliberate, Agility, and Ownership. All qualified applicants will not be discriminated against and will receive consideration for employment without regard to protected veteran status, disability, race, color, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin.