Senior Network Administrator

Title: Senior Network Administrator
Location: Ft. Meade, MD
Compensation Range: $130 - $150k
Clearance: * Active DoD TS (TS/SCI eligibility required)

Company Overview:
Cornerstone Defense is the Employer of Choice within the Intelligence, Defense, and Space communities of the U.S. Government. Realizing early on that our most prized assets are our employees, we continually focus our attention on improving the overall work/life experience they have supporting the mission. Our Team is pushed every day to use their industry leading knowledge to provide end-to-end solutions to combat our nation's toughest and most secure problems. If you are looking for a place to not only be professionally challenged, but encouraged and supported by a company that cares, don't look any further than Cornerstone Defense.

Benefits Overview:
Cornerstone Defense offers a very comprehensive benefits package including, but not limited to: Medical, Dental and Vision Plans * Generous PTO Policy * 401(k) * HSA and FSA options * Life and Disability Insurance * Tuition Reimbursement and Training * Perks at Work Discount Program * Referral Program * Leads Generation Program * CollegeAmerica 529 * Fitness Reimbursement Program * Travel Assistance * Norton Lifelock Benefit Solutions * Life Planning Financial & Legal Services *

Position Description:
The Senior Network Administrator works independently to configure, maintain, secure, and troubleshoot network assets including switches, routers, firewalls, load balancers, and related infrastructure. This role supports network modernization projects, collaborates with external partners, provides architecture recommendations, and leverages Linux/Windows system administration familiarity to manage and integrate network systems.

Core Tasks:

• Configure and manage network assets such as switches, routers, firewalls, load balancers, and related devices.
• Perform routine maintenance, troubleshooting, updates, and security hardening on Cisco, Juniper, and Dell network equipment.
• Create and maintain accurate system documentation, configuration management records, and change management artifacts.
• Conduct checklist-driven reviews to ensure compliance with cybersecurity controls and mitigation requirements.
• Provide technical insight, timelines, and resource assessments for global network architecture upgrade projects.
• Implement recurring security requirements and system hardening procedures across network devices.
• Coordinate troubleshooting efforts with external partners and mission stakeholders.
• Utilize Linux and Windows system administration skills to navigate and manage network-connected environments.
• Provide architecture and topology recommendations to improve efficiency, resilience, and system performance.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in a technical discipline with 8+ years of relevant experience (additional experience may substitute for degree).
• At least 3 years of Linux and/or Windows experience.
• DoD 8140 certification supporting Network Operations Specialist (e.g., Security+, CEH).
• CCNA/CCNP or equivalent certification, or ability to obtain within 90 days of start.

Preferred:

• Experience integrating Network Management (NM) and Element Management (EM) systems with performance, ticketing, and security subsystems.
• Experience with BM, ServiceNow, ITSM, or Remedy ticketing systems.
• ITIL v3 Foundation certification.
• Experience working with virtualized environments.