Systems Administrator Network Engineering

James Behr

Network Engineering

********@*****.*** • 816-***-****

linkedin.com/in/jim-behr-98297645/ • Kansas City, MO

Seasoned, business-savvy Network Engineering expert with extensive experience in designing and introducing state-of-the-art network solutions across a multitude of platforms, including Cisco, Palo Alto, Juniper, and Fortinet. Excel in leading interdepartmental teams to enhance managed services processes, boosting overall network performance, and fostering company wide innovation. Possess a strong track record of collaborating with clients to optimize datacenter operations and network services, aimed at successful multi-city deployments. Committed to implementing cutting-edge network security measures and cost-effective VOIP solutions, consistently improving operational efficiency and safeguarding customer data.

●History of success in installation, migration and management of on-premise and cloud networks and systems in an enterprise or datacenter environment covering multiple server virtualization platforms, network infrastructure, security devices and wireless access.

●Driven by a continuous improvement mindset, adept in project planning, and management, with a keen eye for detail and a dedication to achieving business objectives through collaborative and customer-centric approaches.

Technical Proficiencies

Security Solutions:

Cisco ASA Firewalls, Palo Alto Firewalls, Sonicwall Firewalls, Tipping Point IDS/IPS, Corero DDoS, Fortinet Firewalls

Networking Technologies:

Cisco, Juniper, Brocade, Dell Switches, F5 and Citrix Load Balancers, Multi-Vendor SDWAN & Wi-Fi, Storage Area Networks, IPSEC, BGP, OSPF, STP, VRRP

Servers & Applications:

VMWare, Virtuozzo and Proxmox cloud clusters, LibreNMS, Zabbix and Science Logic monitoring, Linux Servers, Windows Server, Acronis and Zerto backup or DR, Kentik Network Observability and Wireshark analyzers

Professional Experience

Patmos, Kansas City, MO

Network Engineer

5/2023 — 7/ 2024

Monitored diverse network switches and firewalls including Cisco, Brocade, Juniper, Fortinet, Dell, and Ubiquiti. Orchestrated deployment, troubleshooting, and management of cloud server environments on Virtuozzo and Proxmox virtual platforms. Hosted Windows and Linux servers running Web, DNS, database, and Windows Active Directory systems. Engineered company wide process improvements to public, cloud, and private network infrastructure with Juniper, Brocade, and Fortinet equipment to enable 10GB customer connections, managed firewall services, and redundant connection capabilities. Drove smooth integration of VXLAN / EVPN technology to facilitate futureproofing and expand service offerings. Formulated detailed network documentation, covering detailed topology drawings and a Jira/Confluence-based documentation portal.

●Allowed proactive network monitoring, troubleshooting, and documentation via usage of LibreNMS, Zabbix, Netbox, and Graylog.

●Introduced Acronis Cloud infrastructure for backup, restore, and disaster recovery services that enhanced both customer and internal system reliability.

●Amplified effectiveness of troubleshooting, planning, and rollout of cloud networking and physical network infrastructure for Tier 2 and 3 network support.

●Transformed public Edge of Kansas City, Dallas, and Phoenix datacenters to support 100GB high-speed connections, full BGP route coverage, and optimized routes via global Internet Exchange providers.

Databank, Lenexa, KS

Network Engineer

1/2018 — 5/2023

Steered the creation of a product portfolio for one of the largest colocations and managed services providers in the USA to secure co-location, internet, private cloud (IaaS, PaaS, and bare metal). Advanced managed network services (firewalls, load-balancing, route/switch), DDoS and Intrusion Detection/Protection (IDS/IPS), including inter-market transport via MPLS and high-speed DCI services over DWDM. Implemented and resolved critical issues within building maintenance / management systems. Conducted daily configuration and troubleshooting activities across a range of networking technologies, covering Cisco, Juniper, Brocade, Palo Alto, and VMware IaaS / PaaS deployments. Oversaw weekly deployments / troubleshooting for F5 load balancers, Corero DDoS mitigation systems, and Tipping Point IDS / IPS systems.

●Delivered high-quality advice to customers and collaborated with internal architects to design custom network infrastructures.

●Orchestrated several internal projects, ranging from equipment upgrades / replacements to datacenter network deployments.

●Rendered expert-level Tier 2 and 3 network support for 62 data centers across 23 cities, aimed at optimizing internal and customer-facing operations.

JMA Information Technology, Overland Park, KS

Senior Network Engineer

7/2016 — 5/2018

Extended Tier 2 Helpdesk support, Managed Professional Services, and network implementation services to midwest companies. Administered rollout and operations on VMware virtualization platforms. Executed implementation and support services for Fortinet products, Aruba Wifi, and Juniper switching, covering ESX host and SAN products. Generated cybersecurity assessment reports using flow-through and one-armed sniffer configurations on Fortinet devices. Facilitated onsite visits, design sessions, and consulting for account managers as part of pre-sales support.

●Enabled seamless deployment and upkeep of infrastructure by leading consulting, deployment, and troubleshooting on Juniper SRX firewalls, MX routers, and EX / QFX ethernet switches.

Sprint, Overland Park, KS

Solutions Engineer

3/2004 — 2/2016

Designed and deployed complex data, security, voice, and wireless network solutions during pre-sales and implementation stages. Assisted Sprint teams and customers in the discovery, qualification, and design phases, ensuring robust LAN/WAN/Cloud configurations. Recommended and configured customer premise equipment, including Cisco, Adtran, and Fortinet devices. Integrated cellular LTE service for primary or backup WAN connectivity, and supported wireless BYOD solutions for Mobile Workforce Management, Device Management, and Fleet/Asset tracking.

●Advised on adoption of SaaS / IaaS cloud-based services, contributing to the scalability of customer IT infrastructures.

●Maximized operational efficiency by steering an interdepartmental team to streamline ordering and execution process for managed services.

●Promoted business continuity and service reach by partnering with a client to design and deploy datacenter operations and networking services across multiple cities.

●Scaled company's service portfolio and customer satisfaction through formulation of domestic and international solutions using MPLS, IP VPN, DMVPN, SIP Trunks, and VoIP.

●Minimized downtime and strengthened network reliability for clients by playing an integral role in troubleshooting LAN, WAN, router, and firewall configurations.

Education & Certifications

Associates in Electronics Engineering, Technology DeVry University, Kansas City, MO

Juniper JNCIA – Junos

Fortinet NSE – Network Security Expert

Nvidia InfiniBand Essentials

Nvidia RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCE)

AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner – Candidate

Juniper JNCIS-SP – Candidate

Palo Alto PCNSA – Candidate

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