Lead Network Engineer

Job Title: Lead Network Engineer
Location: Hybrid – Alexandria, VA (3 days per week on-site)
Job Type: Full-Time
Travel: Occasional travel required to Austin, TX; Sterling, VA; Tempe, AZ; and other locations as needed

Job Summary:
U.S. Citizenship is required. Only U.S. Citizens will be considered for this role. We are seeking a hands-on and experienced Lead Network Engineer to take ownership of the full lifecycle of enterprise network infrastructure—from architecture and design through implementation, operation, and ongoing optimization. This hybrid role requires 3 days per week in the Alexandria, VA office and includes occasional travel to additional agency locations. The ideal candidate combines deep technical acumen with execution discipline and thrives in collaborative environments.

This is not an oversight or planning-only position—it is a working engineering role responsible for building and supporting mission-critical infrastructure. You will work closely with senior leadership, project teams, and technical staff to ensure the agency's network meets high standards of security, performance, and reliability.

This position reports to the Program Manager and Contracting Officer's Representative (COR). A Public Trust 6C clearance is required.

Key Responsibilities:
Hands-On Design, Implementation & Operations

• Lead the design, configuration, and implementation of enterprise network infrastructure, including Cisco ACI, ISE, SD-WAN, and cloud-integrated networks.
• Perform hands-on installation, testing, and troubleshooting of network hardware and configurations.
• Own end-to-end execution of network projects from concept through deployment and transition to operations.
• Develop high-availability architectures and disaster recovery strategies.
• Ensure seamless integration across multiple vendor platforms (e.g., Cisco, Palo Alto, AWS, Azure).

Operational Support & Optimization

• Monitor network performance, manage incidents, and execute timely remediation.
• Coordinate upgrades, patching, and lifecycle replacement for all network devices.
• Create and maintain detailed documentation including network diagrams, configuration baselines, and change history.
• Collaborate with cybersecurity teams to ensure adherence to security policies, standards, and frameworks (NIST, ISO 27001, etc.).

Leadership & Collaboration

• Serve as the senior-most hands-on network engineer on a small, high-performing infrastructure team.
• Mentor junior engineers and lead by example in technical excellence and ownership.
• Interface with executive stakeholders, systems engineers, and cross-functional teams to ensure alignment with agency objectives.

Qualifications:
Required:

• U.S. Citizenship is required. Only U.S. Citizens will be considered.
• Eligibility for Public Trust 6C clearance.
• Master's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• Cisco CCIE (Enterprise/Datacenter) certification.
• 12–15+ years of overall IT experience, with 7–10+ years in senior or lead network engineering roles.
• Extensive hands-on experience with Cisco ACI, ISE, SD-WAN, and Catalyst/ISR/ASR platforms.
• Deep understanding of networking protocols (BGP, OSPF, MPLS), VLANs, VPNs, and firewalls.
• Strong scripting or automation experience (Python, Ansible, etc.).

Preferred:

• Certifications in Palo Alto, AWS/Azure networking, or SDN technologies.
• Experience supporting federal environments and compliance initiatives.
• Familiarity with cloud-native networking in hybrid architectures.

Additional Requirements:

• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to independently execute and deliver complex projects.
• Commitment to continuous improvement, documentation, and knowledge sharing.
• Demonstrated leadership and mentoring capabilities.

Team & Scope:
You will work as the lead hands-on network engineer reporting to the Program Manager and COR, leading a team of 3–5 engineers supporting fewer than 10 geographically distributed locations.

Why Join Us?
This is a mission-critical role where you will shape, secure, and support a modern enterprise network with agency-wide visibility. You'll have the opportunity to lead strategic initiatives while remaining deeply engaged in hands-on engineering and problem-solving. Join a collaborative team making a lasting impact across the organization.