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Lead Network Engineer Jobs in Minnesota (NOW HIRING)

Network Migration Architect

Bloomington, MN · On-site

$65 - $87.25/hr

You lead a remote team of 7 to 8 cutover migration engineers replacing legacy Cisco and Juniper ... Direct onsite hands who are frequently not network engineers. Talk a technician through miscabled ...

As the Lead Security Engineer, you will be the technical lead for security across our application ... You will design new security controls and ways of working across patching, hardening, network ...

Sr. Platform Engineer

Shakopee, MN · On-site

$116K - $157K/yr

... automation, networking, and platform services * Demonstrated ability to lead technical ... Whether you're a budding developer or a seasoned expert, we're invested in your professional ...

Showing results 41-60

Lead Network Engineer information

See Minnesota salary details

$44.6K

$117.2K

$163.1K

How much do lead network engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 5, 2026, the average yearly pay for lead network engineer in Minnesota is $117,198.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $99,400.00 and $137,100.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a lead network engineer?

A Lead Network Engineer is a senior-level IT professional responsible for designing, implementing, and managing complex computer networks within an organization. They oversee network infrastructure, troubleshoot high-level issues, and often lead a team of network engineers or administrators. Their duties also include ensuring network security, optimizing performance, and planning for future network growth. Lead Network Engineers play a key role in maintaining reliable and secure connectivity for businesses. They typically collaborate with other IT staff and management to align network solutions with organizational goals.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a lead network engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Lead Network Engineer, you need deep expertise in network design, troubleshooting, and security, typically supported by a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field and relevant certifications like CCNP or CCIE. Familiarity with tools such as Cisco IOS, network monitoring systems (e.g., SolarWinds), and virtualization platforms is crucial. Strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills help you manage teams and coordinate complex projects effectively. These skills and qualities ensure reliable, secure, and scalable network infrastructure, which is vital for organizational operations.

How does a lead network engineer typically collaborate with other IT teams during large-scale network projects?

A Lead Network Engineer often acts as a bridge between network engineering and other IT teams, such as security, systems administration, and application development. During large-scale network projects, you will regularly coordinate with these groups to align technical requirements, resolve dependencies, and ensure seamless integration. Effective communication and project management skills are essential, as you may lead meetings, delegate tasks, and provide guidance to both network engineers and cross-functional team members. This collaborative environment fosters innovation, reduces downtime, and ensures the network infrastructure supports overall business objectives.

What is the difference between Lead Network Engineer vs Network Administrator?

AspectLead Network EngineerNetwork Administrator
CertificationsCCNP, CCIE, Cisco certificationsCompTIA Network+, Cisco CCNA
Work EnvironmentDesign, implement, and oversee network infrastructureMaintain and support existing networks
ResponsibilitiesLead network projects, troubleshoot complex issues, plan network upgradesConfigure devices, monitor network performance, perform routine maintenance

The Lead Network Engineer typically has advanced certifications and focuses on designing and leading network projects, while the Network Administrator manages daily network operations and maintenance. Both roles require networking knowledge but differ in scope and seniority.

What are popular job titles related to Lead Network Engineer jobs in Minnesota?

For Lead Network Engineer jobs in Minnesota, the most frequently searched job titles are:

Infographic showing various Lead Network Engineer job openings in Minnesota as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 86% Full Time, 12% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 91% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $117,198 per year, or $56.3 per hour.

Lead Engineer - Network Operating System, Software Developer

Target Brands, Inc.

Brooklyn Park, MN • On-site

$132K - $238K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 23 days ago


Target rating

6.6

Company rating: 6.6 out of 10

Based on 7,043 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

14th of 39 rated national retailers


Job description

The pay range is $132,000.00 - $238,000.00
Pay is based on several factors which vary based on position. These include labor markets and in some instances may include education, work experience and certifications. In addition to your pay, Target cares about and invests in you as a team member, so that you can take care of yourself and your family. Target offers eligible team members and their dependents comprehensive health benefits and programs, which may include medical, vision, dental, life insurance and more, to help you and your family take care of your whole selves. Other benefits for eligible team members include 401(k), employee discount, short term disability, long term disability, paid sick leave, paid national holidays, and paid vacation. Find competitive benefits from financial and education to well-being and beyond at https://corporate.target.com/careers/benefits.
About us:
Working at Target means helping all families discover the joy of everyday life. We bring that vision to life through our values and culture. Learn more about Target here.
As a Lead Engineer, you serve as the technical anchor for the team supporting the Network Operating System (NOS) product. You own and drive the application architecture, ensuring it meets both functional and non-functional requirements. You will build, integrate, and debug software across the Linux stack, including kernel and user space, and contribute to SONiC builds that produce complete Linux-based network operating system images. You will work across hardware and software boundaries, including I2C, networking ASICs, SAI, and platform interfaces, while developing and supporting Docker-based container workflows. You are expected to troubleshoot complex issues spanning software, systems, networking, hardware, and infrastructure, driving problems from identification through resolution. You bring deep and broad engineering expertise, can design and implement solutions independently, and use that expertise to influence architecture, establish engineering best practices, mentor others, and raise the technical capabilities of the entire team.
Use your skills, experience, and talents to be a part of groundbreaking thinking and visionary goals. As a Lead Engineer, you'll take the lead as you...
Use your technology acumen to apply and maintain knowledge of current and emerging technologies within specialized area(s) of the technology domain. Evaluate new technologies and participate in decision-making, accounting for several factors such as viability within Target's technical environment, maintainability, and cost of ownership. Initiate and execute research and proof-of-concept activities for new technologies. Lead or set strategy for testing and debugging at the platform or enterprise level. In complex and unstructured situations, serve as an expert resource to create and improve standards and best practices to ensure high-performance, scalable, repeatable, and secure deliverables. Lead the design, lifecycle management, and total cost of ownership of services. Provide the team with thought leadership to promote re-use and develop consistent, scalable patterns. Participate in planning services that have enterprise impact. Provide suggestions for handling routine and moderately complex technical problems, escalating issues when appropriate. Gather information, data, and input from a wide variety of sources; identify additional resources when appropriate, engage with appropriate stakeholders, and conduct in-depth analysis of information. Provide suggestions for handling routine and moderately complex technical problems, escalating issues when appropriate. Develop plans and schedules, estimate resource requirements, and define milestones and deliverables. Monitor workflow and risks; play a leadership role in mitigating risks and removing obstacles. Lead and participate in complex construction, automation, and implementation activities, ensuring successful implementation with architectural and operational requirements met. Establish new standards and best practices to monitor, test, automate, and maintain IT components or systems. Serve as an expert resource in disaster recovery and disaster recovery planning. Stay current with Target's technical capabilities, infrastructure, and technical environment. Develop fully attributed data models, including logical, physical, and canonical. Influence data standards, policies, and procedures. Install, configure, and/or tune data management solutions with minimal guidance. Monitor data management solution(s) and identify optimization opportunities.
Core responsibilities of this job are described within this job description. Job duties may change at any time due to business needs.
About you:
  • 4-year degree or equivalent experience
  • 7+ years of software development experience
  • Strong experience in C /C++ in a Linux environment
  • Working knowledge of Python and scripting (bash or similar)
  • Familiarity with common tools like git, make, and basic build systems
  • Linux operating system services (e.g. systemd).
  • Experience using Docker and understanding how containers work
  • Familiarity with build tools and package management (apt, pip, etc.)
  • Basic understanding of handling certificates, credentials, and secure access
  • General understanding of networking concepts: Ethernet basics (Interfaces copper and optical, MAC addressing etc.) and Layer 2 / Layer 3 concepts (switching vs routing)
  • Experience with protocols including ARP, ICMP, BGP, LACP, STP, LLDP, VLANs, etc.
  • Awareness of infrastructure components like DNS, firewalls, and TLS
  • Experience or familiarity with I2C devices and communication, network switch architecture, switching ASIC concepts, low-level concepts like memory-mapped I/O or interrupts

This position will operate as a Hybrid/Flex for Your Day work arrangement based on Target's needs. A Hybrid/Flex for Your Day work arrangement means the team member's core role will need to be performed both onsite at the Target HQ MN location the role is assigned to and virtually, depending upon what your role, team and tasks require for that day. Work duties cannot be performed outside of the country of the primary work location, unless otherwise prescribed by Target. Click here if you are curious to learn more about Minnesota.
Benefits Eligibility
Please paste this url into your preferred browser to learn about benefits eligibility for this role: https://tgt.biz/BenefitsForYou_E
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
In compliance with state and federal laws, Target will make reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please reach out to candidate.accommodations@HRHelp.Target.com. Non-accommodation-related requests, such as application follow-ups or technical issues, will not be addressed through this channel.

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About Target

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

We're here to help all families discover the joy of everyday life. Target is a general merchandise retailer with stores in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. 75% of the U.S. population lives within 10 miles of a Target store. We employ 400,000+ Our tagline is "Expect More. Pay Less." We've been using it since 1994! The Target Corporation also owns Shipt and Roundel. More to love! Target is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, its hometown since the first Target store opened in 1962 under The Dayton Company.

Industry

Retail and scientific research and development services

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Minneapolis, MN, US