Network Engineer

About the role

The Network Engineer role is responsible for supporting, maintaining, and improving network services across Brinker's restaurants, corporate office, data centers, and cloud-connected environments. This role works closely with Brinker's Managed Service Provider team responsible for Level 1.5 and Level 2 tactical network administration.

Responsibilities

• Support day-to-day network operations across restaurants, corporate office, data centers, and cloud-connected environments.
• Work closely with the MSP team responsible for Level 1.5 and Level 2 operational support and tactical administration.
• Coordinate and help prioritize incidents, service requests, maintenance activities, vulnerability remediation, and patching efforts performed by MSP resources.
• Troubleshoot and resolve escalated network incidents involving wireless, switching, routing, firewalls, load balancing, data center infrastructure, and restaurant connectivity.
• Aid in incident restoration, root cause investigation, corrective actions, and recurring issue management.
• Support operating system, firmware, and software updates across network platforms, ensuring appropriate planning, testing, implementation, and documentation.
• Administer and support network technologies including F5 load balancers, Palo Alto firewalls, Cisco switching and wireless platforms, HP/Juniper core switching, and top-of-rack infrastructure.
• Support corporate office IDF/MDF infrastructure, including network hardware lifecycle activities and physical connectivity coordination.
• Support data center network services, including core switching, firewall connectivity, load balancing, and related infrastructure components.
• Aid in network connectivity requirements for cloud-hosted services and hybrid infrastructure.
• Document incidents, requests, changes, and operational procedures within ServiceNow and related IT service management tools.
• Participate in change management activities including maintenance, upgrades, configuration changes, and production deployments.
• Work with cross-functional IT teams to support infrastructure, security, restaurant technology, corporate technology, and application requirements.
• Provide input into network standards, operational processes, support documentation, hardware lifecycle planning, and technology roadmap initiatives.
• Help maintain network monitoring, alerting, and operational visibility to improve service availability and incident response effectiveness.
• Partner with security teams to support compliance requirements, network segmentation, firewall governance, and secure network operations.
• Provide technical guidance to MSP resources and internal support teams to improve operational effectiveness and shift work left where appropriate.
• Support special projects, new restaurant openings, corporate initiatives, and infrastructure modernization efforts.
• Maintain accurate network documentation, diagrams, support procedures, and operational runbooks.

Requirements

• 3+ years supporting enterprise network environments.
• Working knowledge of restaurant, retail, branch, corporate office, data center, and cloud-connected network architectures.
• 3+ years supporting Cisco switching and wireless technologies, including VLANs, trunks, port configuration, and troubleshooting.
• 3+ years supporting firewall platforms, preferably Palo Alto, including connectivity troubleshooting, NAT, VPN, and security policy administration.
• 3+ years supporting load balancing technologies, preferably F5, including virtual servers, pools, certificates, and application connectivity.
• 3+ years with core and data center switching platforms, preferably HP/Juniper and top-of-rack switching environments.
• 3+ years understanding of networking fundamentals including TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, routing, switching, wireless, VPNs, NAT, load balancing, and security concepts.
• 3+ years troubleshooting connectivity issues across LAN, WAN, wireless, firewall, and hybrid infrastructure environments.
• Exposure to cloud networking concepts and hybrid connectivity models.
• 3+ years working with MSPs, vendors, or third-party support organizations.
• Understanding of incident, problem, change, and request management processes.
• Solid experience with IP telephony (VOIP) support.
• Experience with Fortinet and cradlepoint technologies.
• Experience supporting vulnerability remediation, network patching, firmware upgrades, and maintenance activities.
• Familiarity with network monitoring and observability platforms used to identify service-impacting conditions.
• Solid written communication skills with the ability to create and maintain technical documentation and diagrams.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced operational environment.

Qualifications

• Foremost is understanding what great service looks like and the heart for delivering high service levels to our restaurants, corporate Team Members, and business partners.
• Self-starter with a commitment to continuous learning and professional development.
• Solid analytical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to operate with a constant sense of urgency, especially when incidents impact restaurant operations, corporate productivity, or critical business services.
• Solid interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Ownership mindset with accountability for outcomes, follow-through, and continuous improvement.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, MSP partners, and external vendors.
• Praactical understanding of how network stability directly impacts restaurant operations, Team Member experience, Guest experience, sales, and profitability.
• Curiosity and willingness to learn emerging technologies, security practices, automation opportunities, and cloud-connected infrastructure.