Systems Engineer Mid Level

Key Responsibilities

• Lead efforts to identify, troubleshoot, analyze, and resolve complex network issues in a dynamic enterprise environment.
• Configure, maintain, and troubleshoot network infrastructure, including switches, routers, VLANs, wireless access points (APs), firewalls, and network sensors.
• Provide engineering expertise and operational support for one of the world's largest intranet environments.
• Serve as a Tier III escalation resource for complex incidents, including coordinating with vendors as necessary for incident resolution.
• Serve as an SME and technical backstop for troubleshooting efforts involving multiple network disciplines and teams of CCNP/CCIE-level engineers.
• Apply extensive knowledge of defense-in-depth principles to secure enterprise network infrastructure.
• Troubleshoot technologies and protocols including routing, switching, SD-WAN, WLAN, MPLS, VPNs, OSPF, BGP, EIGRP, switching protocols, and multicast.
• Collaborate with cross-functional engineering and operations teams to enhance network availability, performance, reliability, and security.
• Develop and maintain Engineering Implementation Plans (EIPs) supporting network changes and deployments.
• Create and manage change management tickets for deployments, maintenance activities, upgrades, and other network changes.
• Conduct Root Cause Analysis (RCA) in support of problem management activities and recurring incident resolution.
• Participate in engineering, architecture, and project meetings to design and develop future enterprise network solutions.
• Track engineering and operational work within an Agile/SAFe framework using JIRA.
• Participate in Daily Stand-Ups (DSUs), retrospectives, Program Increment (PI) activities, and other Agile ceremonies.
• Develop and deliver detailed demonstrations and technical updates supporting Program Increment objectives.

Configuration Baseline Management

• Maintain version-controlled configuration baselines for network infrastructure devices, including routers, switches, firewalls, and sensors.
• Maintain accurate records of startup and running configurations, firmware versions, security policies, and associated network configuration data.
• Ensure configuration changes are properly documented, peer-reviewed, approved, and backed up to a centralized repository.
• Maintain change-tracking and rollback capabilities to support operational resilience and configuration recovery.
• Ensure network configurations remain compliant with applicable DISA Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs) and organizational cybersecurity policies.

Lab Testing & Pre-Production Validation

• Conduct pre-production validation testing for firmware upgrades, configuration changes, and security patches before deployment to production networks.
• Perform testing within an isolated lab environment designed to mirror applicable production network topology and configurations.
• Validate network functionality, security policies and controls, device interoperability, performance against established baselines, and deployment/rollback procedures.
• Document testing results, identified risks, remediation requirements, and deployment recommendations prior to production implementation.

Job Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree with 8–12 years of relevant professional experience; or
• Master's degree with 6–10 years of relevant professional experience.
• Equivalent education and experience substitutions may be considered at the Hiring Manager's discretion.
• Subject Matter Expertise in BAN/LAN/WAN/WLAN and Network Boundary engineering.
• Extensive experience performing highly technical network maintenance, configuration, troubleshooting, and engineering activities.
• Experience providing Tier III escalation support in large-scale enterprise environments.
• Experience supporting networks of comparable scale to 16,000+ devices across 450+ geographically dispersed locations.
• Demonstrated ability to serve as an SME and escalation backstop for troubleshooting across multiple network disciplines.
• Extensive hands-on troubleshooting experience with routing, switching, SD-WAN, WLAN, MPLS, VPNs, OSPF, BGP, EIGRP, switching protocols, and multicast.
• Experience with SAFe Agile methodologies and JIRA.
• Strong understanding of network security and defense-in-depth principles.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts effectively to engineering teams, program leadership, customers, and other stakeholders.

Clearance and Certification Requirements:

• Active Secret security clearance required.
• Must be Top Secret eligible.
• DoD 8570.01 IAT Level III certification, such as CASP+, CISSP, CCNP Security, or another qualifying certification.
• A recognized network vendor certification, such as Cisco CCNA, CCNP, or CCIE.

Additional Requirements:

• Willingness and ability to participate in an on-call rotation.
• Ability to perform scheduled and unscheduled work during off-hours, including maintenance windows, when required.
• Ability to travel up to 10%.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous experience supporting the Navy Marine Corps Intranet (NMCI) network.
• Previous experience supporting Department of Defense (DoD) programs and environments.
• Experience with network automation and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) technologies and practices.
• Hands-on experience with automation technologies such as Ansible and Python.
• Experience with Arista networking technologies.
• Advanced Cisco networking certifications, including CCNP or CCIE, are highly desirable.