Senior Technical Consulting Engineer

VENKATA SRINIVAS RAO ARALA

Senior Technical Consulting Engineer

Celina, TX 75009 +1-919-***-**** **********@*****.***

Professional Summary

Results-driven Senior Technical Consulting Engineer with over 7 years of expertise in designing, optimizing, and automating scalable networks for Tier-1 service providers and hyperscale cloud platforms. Specialized in IP/MPLS architecture, advanced routing protocols (BGP, OSPF, IS-IS), and L2/L3 VPNs. Proficient in Cisco platforms (IOS XE, ASR9K, NCS series) with robust experience in automation using Ansible, Shell scripting, and REST APIs. Demonstrated success in global network rollouts, emergency recovery, and SDN/cloud integration. Proven leadership in cross-functional environments with a strong focus on innovation, reliability, and customer satisfaction.

Core Competencies

· Routing & Switching: BGP, OSPF, IS-IS, MPLS, VRF, VxLAN

· Incident Management: RCA, TAC Escalations, SLA Adherence

· Tools & Debugging: Wireshark, GDB, Smart Decoder, Pisces, SWIMS, SolarWinds

· Network Optimization: QoS, Traffic Engineering, Multicast, Load Balancing

· Network Automation: Ansible, Shell Scripting

· Cisco Platforms: IOS XE (ISR/ASR1000), ASR9000, CRS, NCS5K/6K/4K

· VPN Technologies: L2VPN, L3VPN, MPLS VPNs

· Routing & Switching: BGP, OSPF, IS-IS, MPLS, VRF, VxLAN

Professional Experience

Sr. Technical Consulting Engineer, 03/2019 - Current

Cisco Systems Inc – Richardson, Texas

Provide expert-level technical support for AT&T's large-scale service provider networks, specializing in high-end Cisco platforms like ASR9K, CRS-16, NCS5K, and NCS6K.

Design, configure, and troubleshoot complex network topologies involving IS-IS, BGP, MPLS, OSPF, L2VPN, L3VPN, and Multicast to ensure performance and availability.

Led a critical recovery operation post the Nashville Christmas Day 2020 bomb blast, restoring key customer services within 72 hours through round-the-clock coordination with engineering and operations teams.

Automated configuration and provisioning tasks using Ansible and Shell scripting, significantly reducing manual errors and increasing operational efficiency.

Conduct in-depth testing in AT&T's dedicated lab environments to replicate and resolve elusive network faults prior to production deployment.

Collaborate with Global TAC and BU teams worldwide to identify and resolve complex platform and software issues, escalating and tracking bugs to closure.

Supported SMU installations, software upgrades, and hardware replacements through guided WebEx/MS Teams sessions, ensuring smooth transitions with minimal service impact.

Delivered impactful content through Cisco Live presentations, white papers, Tech Zone articles, and internal documentation.

Played a vital role in migrating legacy infrastructure to cloud environments, achieving up to 40% cost reduction and improved system uptime.

Authored reusable troubleshooting scripts and workflows that improved issue diagnosis and MTTR.

Mentored junior engineers in configuration, troubleshooting, and automation best practices; served as an interview panelist for 3+ years.

Provided critical support to Microsoft, Google, and other AT&T-aligned teams during major staff shortages, working double shifts and night shifts for over a year, demonstrating exceptional commitment.

Built and maintained strong relationships with premium enterprise customers and cross-functional teams, ensuring a high standard of service and satisfaction.

Served as a subject matter expert in core routing, SP technologies, and network automation during cross-functional projects and escalations.

Prioritized and managed multiple high-impact projects, ensuring delivery within time and scope while maintaining technical excellence.

Engineer - Support, 05/2018 - 03/2019

KForce Inc – Morrisville, NC

Delivered advanced technical support for Cisco router and switch platforms including ASR1K, ISR4K, CSR1Kv, ASR900, CBR-8, C2900, and switches such as C9500, Nexus 9K/7K/3K, 7600, and 6500, with a focus on high CPU/memory utilization and architectural faults.

Diagnosed and resolved critical platform issues, collaborating with customers, partners, and TAC engineers via phone, email, and Jabber to ensure prompt issue resolution.

Analyzed system crashes and software defects using tools like Smart Decoder, GDB, Pisces, SWIMS, UCD, and decoder-dev, identifying root causes and driving bug fixes with engineering teams.

Supported router and switch hardware upgrades, bandwidth management, and licensing challenges, ensuring continuous network reliability and performance.

Collaborated with specialized internal teams (DCSW, ENT-RS, MS, AAA, RP) to resolve escalations involving software bugs and architecture design flaws.

Authored and maintained detailed technical documentation, defect reports, and knowledge base articles to enhance troubleshooting efficiency and knowledge sharing.

Mentored junior engineers, guiding them through complex troubleshooting scenarios and fostering their technical growth.

Contributed to cross-functional initiatives aimed at improving product stability and user experience, influencing design and support best practices.

Engineer - Support, 12/2017 - 05/2018

Collabera Inc – Morrisville, NC

Provided technical support for Cisco routers and switches across various platforms, troubleshooting hardware/software issues including performance bottlenecks and system crashes.

Delivered end-to-end problem resolution via multiple communication channels to customers, partners, and internal teams.

Analyzed crash reports and software defects, submitting comprehensive and accurate defect reports to engineering teams for timely fixes.

Assisted customers in router upgrades, licensing, bandwidth issues, and hardware troubleshooting to maintain stable network operations.

Collaborated with cross-functional teams to address complex issues requiring specialized knowledge, ensuring efficient case resolution.

Leveraged diagnostic tools such as Smart Decoder, GDB, Pisces, SWIMS, UCD, and decoder-dev to analyze logs, core files, and crash reports.

Contributed to knowledge base articles and technical documentation to improve team efficiency and customer support quality.

Certifications

CCNP Service Provider (CCNP-SP)

Cisco Specialist – SP Core & Advanced Routing

Cisco Certified DevNet Associate (DevNet)

Cisco DevNet 2020

CCNA (Routing & Switching) – CSCO13029150

Accomplishments

oEmergency Network Recovery – Nashville Bomb Blast (Dec 2020): Led network restoration after bomb blast severely damaged AT&T's infrastructure. Re-established critical services in 72 hours through coordinated efforts.

oCircuit Emulation (CEM) Project: Supported migration from legacy T1/T3 WAN services to Metro Ethernet at AT&T, reducing costs while maintaining legacy service support. Managed circuit tracking and delivered training to new team members.

oCross-Functional Support & Shift Flexibility: Assisted Microsoft and Google teams during staffing shortages, working two shifts for over a year and night shifts for several months supporting AT&T. Demonstrated resilience, dedication, and a strong work ethic.

oAutomation & Cloud Migration: Automated network provisioning with Ansible and scripting. Led cloud migration projects resulting in 40% cost savings and improved system uptime.

oMentorship & Knowledge Sharing: Active mentor for junior engineers and regular participant on interview panels. Created training documentation and facilitated knowledge transfer sessions.

Education

Master of Science: Computer Information Systems, 08/2015 - 05/2017

The College of Saint Rose - Albany, NY

Bachelor of Science: Electronics & Communications Engineering, 08/2011 - 05/2015

Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University - Hyderabad, IN

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