Network Engineer (Chicago)

Department: Information Technology

Location/Schedule: Chicago, IL/Hybrid

Who We Are: Old Republic is a leading specialty insurer that operates diverse property & casualty and title insurance companies. Founded in 1923 and a member of the Fortune 500, we are a leader in underwriting and risk management services for business partners across the United States and Canada. Our specialized operating companies are experts in their fields, enabling us to provide tailored solutions that set us apart.

Position Overview: We are seeking a Network Engineer to design, deploy, and support the enterprise routing and switching infrastructure that connects our data centers, corporate offices, and subsidiary branch locations. This is a hands-on Layer 2 and Layer 3 role. You will own day-to-day operations and project delivery across Cisco routing and switching, SD-WAN (Silver Peak/Aruba EdgeConnect), and Meraki, working alongside subsidiary engineering teams, infrastructure teams, and the Network and Security Architecture CoE to keep connectivity consistent, resilient, and well-documented across a federated, multi-company environment.

Essential Job Functions: Design, configure, and support enterprise Layer 3 routing including BGP, OSPF, static routing, route redistribution, summarization, route maps, prefix lists, and VRF segmentation. Deploy and maintain Cisco Catalyst switching (9200/9300/9500 class), including stacking, trunking, VLANs, SVIs, port channels, spanning tree, HSRP/VRRP, and QoS.Operate and expand the SD-WAN fabric on Silver Peak / Aruba EdgeConnect, including overlay policy, tunnel health, peer priority, path selection, and branch appliance deployment. Administer Cisco Meraki (MX, MS, MR, Z-series) for branch, teleworker, and wireless connectivity, including AutoVPN, SSID configuration, and dashboard templates. Build and maintain site-to-site IPsec VPNs and cloud connectivity, including Azure ExpressRoute and VPN gateway peering. Support routed integration with edge and security platforms such as Palo Alto firewalls and Zscaler tunnels, working with the security team on policy-based routing and traffic steering. Lead network changes end to end: design, peer review, change record, implementation window, validation, and rollback plan. Troubleshoot complex Layer 1 through Layer 3 issues using packet captures, interface counters, routing tables, traceroute, and log analysis, and drive root cause to closure. Execute site builds, hardware refreshes, circuit turn-ups, and branch cutovers with minimal business disruption. Maintain DNS, DHCP, and IPAM (DDI) records and IP address space in support of routed environments. Monitor network health and capacity, tune alerting, and recommend improvements to availability and performance. Produce and maintain as-built diagrams, standard configuration templates, runbooks, and build guides so subsidiaries can adopt consistent designs. Partner with subsidiary engineers, service desk teams, and carriers or vendors to resolve escalations and manage circuit and hardware lifecycle.

Qualifications: 3 to 5 years of hands-on enterprise network engineering experience with routing and switching as the primary focus. Strong working knowledge of BGP and OSPF in production, including path selection, filtering, communities, and multi-path or failover design. Hands-on experience with Cisco IOS-XE switching and routing platforms (Catalyst 9000 series, ISR/C8300 or similar).Hands-on experience with SD-WAN, preferably Silver Peak / Aruba EdgeConnect, including branch deployment and overlay troubleshooting. Hands-on experience administering Cisco Meraki, including AutoVPN and wireless. Working knowledge of VRFs, VLANs, spanning tree, first hop redundancy, QoS, and link aggregation. Experience with IPsec VPNs and hybrid cloud connectivity (Azure ExpressRoute, AWS, or equivalent).Experience with DNS, DHCP, and IPAM in an enterprise environment. Familiarity with firewall and SSE platforms in the data path, such as Palo Alto and Zscaler. Strong troubleshooting discipline, including packet capture analysis with Wireshark or equivalent. Comfortable with structured change management and off-hours maintenance windows. Strong written and verbal communication and documentation skills.

Preferred Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Network Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience. CCNA required or in progress; CCNP Enterprise strongly preferred. Aruba EdgeConnect (Silver Peak) or Meraki certification. Experience working within federated or multi-entity organizations (holding companies, subsidiaries, or M&A environments).Scripting or automation experience (Python, Ansible, or network config templating).Exposure to NIST CSF, PCI-DSS, or NYDFS-500 environments. ORI is an Equal Opportunity Employer. ORI provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.