Network Engineer SME - Top Secret Clearance REQUIRED

Network Engineer - SME

"Bachelors required Minimum 10 years experience

The Network Engineer (SME) serves as the principal authority for network architecture, zero-trust network design, and cross-enclave interoperability. This role leads the design, implementation, and optimization of resilient, secure network infrastructures supporting mission-critical operations. The SME provides strategic and technical leadership in network modernization, security architecture, and performance optimization while ensuring secure and reliable communications across complex, multi-enclave environments.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement enterprise network architectures that support secure, mission-critical operations.

• Lead zero-trust network design initiatives and cross-enclave interoperability solutions.

• Optimize network performance, reliability, and security across complex, multi-enclave environments.

• Establish and enforce network security architecture standards and governance processes.

• Drive network modernization efforts aligned with enterprise strategy and zero-trust principles.

• Ensure secure communications and connectivity across classified and highly regulated environments.

• Provide technical leadership for network infrastructure planning and implementation.

• Partner with security, architecture, and operations teams to maintain resilient network systems.

Required skills:

Extensive experience designing and supporting enterprise network environments. Strong expertise in routing, switching, firewalls, VPNs, network security, and access control technologies. Experience implementing zero-trust architectures and secure communications solutions. Advanced troubleshooting and network performance analysis skills. Experience supporting mission-critical, highly secure, or regulated environments. Strong leadership, communication, and technical documentation skills.

Unique Skills / Technical Requirements

• Air-gapped hybrid cloud and on‑premises operational environments, including complex multi‑enclave ecosystems

• AWS GovCloud/SC2S/C2S and GCP cloud platforms Nutanix host and cluster configuration, management with Prism Central, and NDFS configuration/management

• Cisco switching, routing, firewalling, and site-to-site functionality (such as IPSEC, DMVPN, and SD-WAN)

• Locally hosted GPU servers

• Multi-tenant Cross-Domain Solutions (CDS)

• Infrastructure‑as‑Code (Terraform, Ansible)

• Containerization and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes, OpenShift)

• Cloud‑native security implementation and security accreditation processes

• Advanced GitLab CI/CD pipelines and DevSecOps practices

• Enterprise database services (RDS, RDS Aurora, DynamoDB)

• Serverless architectures (Lambda)

• Cloud networking and VPC configuration

• Monitoring, logging, and data platforms (Elasticsearch, OpenSearch, Splunk)

• Microservices architecture and API Gateway implementation

• Development experience with Python, .NET/C#, and related languages • Identity and access services (Microsoft Active Directory, LDAP / OpenLDAP, Entra ID, Keycloak)

• High‑assurance cross‑domain and encryption solutions (TACLANE, NCAP)

• Cloud cost‑optimization techniques

• Operating Systems: Linux (e.g., Rocky, RedHat, Amazon, Ubuntu), Windows, and Mac OS

Preferred skills:

Master's degree in Information Technology, Network Engineering, Cybersecurity, or related field. Experience supporting federal, defense, intelligence, or classified network environments. Expertise with multi-enclave or cross-domain network architectures. Experience with cloud networking, software-defined networking (SDN), and hybrid cloud environments. Knowledge of security accreditation processes and compliance frameworks. Relevant certifications such as CCNP, CCIE, CISSP, JNCIP, JNCIE, AWS Advanced Networking, or equivalent."