Freelance Remote Network Administrator Jobs in Delaware

Cisco Meraki Network Administrator / Support Engineer

Location: Dover or Newark, DE – Hybrid, 1–2 Days Onsite per Week
Employment Type: Contract
Schedule: Full-Time | 40 Hours per Week
Compensation: $70–$80/hr.
Industry: Open to All Industry Backgrounds

Position Overview

Our client is seeking a Cisco Meraki Network Administrator / Support Engineer to support a large, geographically distributed network environment consisting of approximately 60+ remote locations and more than 70 ISP-connected sites.

This individual will primarily support the organization's Cisco Meraki environment, with responsibility for day-to-day network administration, troubleshooting, hardware refreshes, equipment configuration, ISP coordination, and remote-site deployments.

The organization is currently undertaking a significant network hardware refresh initiative, replacing approximately 25% of its remote-site infrastructure each year as equipment reaches end of life on a four-year lifecycle. The selected consultant will play a key role in coordinating these refreshes from equipment staging and configuration through installation and final validation.

This is an excellent opportunity for a strong Level 1 Network Engineer/Administrator who is ready to grow into a Level 2 capacity. The role does not require advanced core-network architecture experience but does require hands-on Meraki knowledge, strong troubleshooting skills, and excellent communication and coordination abilities.

Key ResponsibilitiesCisco Meraki Network Administration & Support

• Support and administer Cisco Meraki network infrastructure across approximately 60+ remote business locations.
• Configure, monitor, maintain, and troubleshoot Meraki switches, security appliances, wireless infrastructure, VPN connectivity, and WAN services.
• Utilize the Meraki Dashboard for network administration, monitoring, troubleshooting, and configuration.
• Provide day-to-day remote network support for geographically distributed locations.
• Troubleshoot connectivity, hardware, ISP, VPN, switching, and general network issues.
• Escalate more complex networking issues to senior Network Engineers when appropriate.
• Assist senior engineers with traditional Cisco infrastructure and other network initiatives as needed.

Network Hardware Refresh & Site Deployments

• Support an ongoing multi-year network hardware refresh program, replacing equipment as it reaches end of life.
• Help coordinate the annual refresh of approximately 25% of remote locations as part of the organization's four-year hardware lifecycle.
• Receive, configure, and stage Meraki network equipment from the client's Delaware office prior to shipment to remote locations.
• Prepare equipment and configurations so installations can follow a standardized, repeatable deployment process.
• Coordinate hardware replacements and installations with individual business locations, internal resources, third-party vendors, and remote technicians.
• Work closely with the organization's third-party field services provider to schedule technicians and ensure equipment is successfully installed at each location.
• Provide technical direction and remote support during equipment swaps and site upgrades.
• Test and validate network connectivity following installations and upgrades.
• Track multiple site deployments, schedules, dependencies, outstanding issues, and completion status.

ISP & Vendor Coordination

• Coordinate ISP services and connectivity across 70+ locations.
• Work directly with carriers on new circuit installations, circuit turn-ups, bandwidth upgrades, migrations, outages, escalations, and service disconnects.
• Coordinate activities between ISP providers, site personnel, third-party technicians, vendors, and internal IT resources.
• Serve as a primary point of communication during remote-site network implementations and troubleshooting activities.
• Ensure equipment, vendors, technicians, site contacts, and technical resources are aligned before scheduled installations.
• Follow through on open issues until connectivity or deployment activities are successfully completed.

Documentation & Operational Support

• Maintain accurate documentation related to network hardware, configurations, circuits, site deployments, and upgrades.
• Document deployment status, technical issues, troubleshooting steps, and resolutions.
• Support standardized processes and procedures for repeatable remote-site network deployments.
• Collaborate with the broader Network Engineering team on ongoing infrastructure initiatives.

Required Qualifications

• Hands-on experience supporting and administering Cisco Meraki network environments.
• Experience with Meraki switches, security appliances, wireless infrastructure, and/or the Meraki Dashboard.
• Working knowledge of TCP/IP, switching, routing, VLANs, firewalls, VPNs, WAN connectivity, and network troubleshooting.
• Experience configuring, staging, deploying, replacing, and troubleshooting network equipment.
• Experience supporting remote or branch-office network environments.
• Experience coordinating with ISPs, telecommunications carriers, third-party vendors, field technicians, and remote business locations.
• Ability to troubleshoot network connectivity and determine when issues should be escalated to senior engineering resources.
• Ability to coordinate multiple network installations, refreshes, and support activities simultaneously.
• Strong verbal communication skills and the ability to spend significant time communicating with remote sites, ISPs, vendors, and technicians.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and follow-through.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating with a broader Network Engineering team.
• Ability to work onsite in Dover or Newark, Delaware approximately 1–2 days per week.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting networks across a large number of geographically distributed branch or remote locations.
• Experience participating in large-scale network hardware refresh or modernization initiatives.
• Experience coordinating ISP circuit installations, upgrades, outages, and carrier troubleshooting.
• Familiarity with traditional Cisco switching and routing technologies outside of Meraki.
• Exposure to Microsoft Azure networking or Meraki virtual appliances.
• Cisco CCNA, Cisco Certified Support Technician, Meraki training, or similar networking certifications.
• Previous experience in a Network Administrator, Network Support Engineer, NOC Analyst, Network Engineer I, or Junior Network Engineer position.
• Experience coordinating technical deployments involving multiple internal and external resources.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a hands-on Cisco Meraki professional with a strong Network Administrator or junior Network Engineer background who is equally comfortable troubleshooting technology and coordinating with people.

This person does not need to be a senior network architect or advanced Cisco engineer. A strong Level 1 networking professional with solid Meraki experience and the ability to grow into Level 2 responsibilities could be an excellent fit.

Because much of the environment follows standardized Meraki configurations, success in this role will depend heavily on organization, communication, troubleshooting ability, and follow-through. The individual should be comfortable spending significant time on the phone coordinating with remote locations, ISP providers, third-party technicians, and internal teams while ensuring network refreshes and connectivity issues are driven through completion.