Job Requirements
Fort Meade, MD
Secret Polygraph not specified
Mid Level Career (5+ yrs experience)
$110,000 - $155,000
Job Description
Senior Network Engineer
Location: Ft. Meade, MD
Work Type: Full Time
Clearance: Secret
Position Summary: GridIron is seeking a Senior Network Engineer specializing in routing and switching to engineer, implement, and sustain enterprise network infrastructure across a large, distributed environment. The role carries hands-on responsibility for the routed and switched core, including designing changes, implementing them cleanly, and resolving complex problems that reach the senior engineering tier.
This position supports overall network engineering across a broad range of efforts, including planning, designing, and evaluating network components. Duties include developing specifications for routing and switching designs, evaluating and recommending technologies, performing needs assessments, and installing, modifying, testing, and servicing network equipment.
The successful candidate operates independently on complex engineering work, translates requirements into implementable designs, and serves as an escalation point for routing, switching, and transport issues that others cannot resolve.
Primary Responsibilities
Routing and Switching Engineering
Engineer, configure, and implement enterprise routing and switching infrastructure, including core, distribution, access, and WAN edge layers.
Design and implement routing policy using BGP, OSPF, EIGRP, and static routing, including route redistribution, filtering, summarization, path selection, and convergence tuning.
Engineer Layer 2 infrastructure, including VLAN architecture, spanning-tree design, link aggregation, trunking, and loop prevention.
Implement and maintain VRFs, MPLS/VPN services, tunneling, multicast, QoS policy, and high-availability designs such as HSRP/VRRP and redundant uplink topologies.
Develop specifications for network architecture, evaluate and recommend new technologies, and perform needs assessments.
Perform installation, modification, configuration, testing, and servicing of network equipment, including hardware refresh and software or firmware lifecycle upgrades.
Baseline and optimize network performance, including latency, throughput, utilization, convergence, and error rates, and remediate identified deficiencies.
Implementation and Operations Support
Develop implementation plans, test and validation steps, rollback procedures, and change documentation for network changes, and execute changes during approved windows.
Provide senior-level troubleshooting and escalation support for complex routing, switching, transport, and connectivity issues spanning multiple layers and vendors.
Perform packet-level and protocol-level analysis to isolate faults across the network, systems, and application boundary.
Support capacity planning, configuration standardization, and compliance of device configurations against approved baselines and hardening requirements.
Partner with architecture, cybersecurity, operations, and project teams to resolve blockers, manage dependencies, and deliver network changes end-to-end.
Documentation
Logical and physical network diagrams
Routing designs, policy standards, and addressing plans
Device configuration standards and baselines
Implementation, test, and rollback plans
Port, protocol, and services requirements
Troubleshooting guides and standard operating procedures
As-built and operational handoff documentation
Key Success Factors
This role is for an engineer who is genuinely hands-on. The expectation is direct ownership of the design, the change, the validation, and the outcome, rather than oversight of someone else’s configuration work.
The successful engineer is the person others escalate to, comfortable reading a routing table and packet capture under time pressure and equally comfortable writing the implementation plan that keeps a change from becoming an incident.
Required Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree and 8+ years of prior relevant experience, or Master’s degree with 6+ years of experience. Specific experience, education, and training may be considered in lieu of a degree.
Significant hands-on experience engineering, implementing, and troubleshooting enterprise routing and switching infrastructure at scale.
Strong working knowledge of TCP/IP, subnetting, BGP, OSPF, EIGRP, VLANs, spanning tree, link aggregation, VRFs, multicast, QoS, NAT, and high-availability design.
Experience with network hardware installation, configuration, software upgrades, and lifecycle replacement.
Experience developing implementation plans, test procedures, and rollback plans, and executing changes in production environments during maintenance windows.
Demonstrated troubleshooting ability, including packet capture and protocol analysis, across multi-vendor environments.
Hands-on experience with one or more of the following: Cisco, Aruba, Palo Alto, Dell, Infoblox, and Brocade.
Experience documenting network designs and procedures using Visio, PowerPoint, or similar tools.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Current IAT Level II or higher certification, such as Security+ CE.
Active DoD Secret clearance.
Desired Qualifications
Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) Enterprise or equivalent certification.
Experience with enterprise network modernization, migration, or large-scale transformation and integration efforts.
Experience with software-defined networking, SD-WAN, or SD-Access environments such as Cisco Catalyst Center or DNA Center.
Experience with network segmentation, access control, and identity-based networking.
Experience integrating enterprise networking with cloud infrastructure, including hybrid connectivity and secure cloud routing.
Experience with network automation and scripting using Python, Ansible, or infrastructure-as-code approaches.
Experience applying DISA STIGs, vulnerability remediation, and configuration hardening to network devices.
Experience with Jira, Confluence, or similar project and knowledge-management tools.
Clearance: Applicants selected will be subject to a security investigation and may need to meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.
Compensation and Benefits
Salary Range: $110,000-$155,000 (Compensation is determined by various factors, including but not limited to location, work experience, skills, education, certifications, seniority, and business needs. This range may be modified in the future.)
Benefits: Gridiron offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision insurance, HSA, FSA, 401(k), disability & ADD insurance, life and pet insurance to eligible employees. Full-time and part-time employees working at least 30 hours per week on a regular basis are eligible to participate in Gridiron’s benefits programs.
Gridiron IT Solutions is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran status or disability status.
Gridiron IT is a Women Owned Small Business (WOSB) headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area that supports our clients' missions throughout the United States. Gridiron IT specializes in providing comprehensive IT services tailored to meet the needs of federal agencies. Our capabilities include IT Infrastructure & Cloud Services, Cyber Security, Software Integration & Development, Data Solution & AI, and Enterprise Applications. These capabilities are backed by Gridiron IT's experienced workforce and our commitment to ensuring we meet and exceed our clients' expectations.
Location: Ft. Meade, MD
Work Type: Full Time
Clearance: Secret
Position Summary: GridIron is seeking a Senior Network Engineer specializing in routing and switching to engineer, implement, and sustain enterprise network infrastructure across a large, distributed environment. The role carries hands-on responsibility for the routed and switched core, including designing changes, implementing them cleanly, and resolving complex problems that reach the senior engineering tier.
This position supports overall network engineering across a broad range of efforts, including planning, designing, and evaluating network components. Duties include developing specifications for routing and switching designs, evaluating and recommending technologies, performing needs assessments, and installing, modifying, testing, and servicing network equipment.
The successful candidate operates independently on complex engineering work, translates requirements into implementable designs, and serves as an escalation point for routing, switching, and transport issues that others cannot resolve.
Primary Responsibilities
Routing and Switching Engineering
Engineer, configure, and implement enterprise routing and switching infrastructure, including core, distribution, access, and WAN edge layers.
Design and implement routing policy using BGP, OSPF, EIGRP, and static routing, including route redistribution, filtering, summarization, path selection, and convergence tuning.
Engineer Layer 2 infrastructure, including VLAN architecture, spanning-tree design, link aggregation, trunking, and loop prevention.
Implement and maintain VRFs, MPLS/VPN services, tunneling, multicast, QoS policy, and high-availability designs such as HSRP/VRRP and redundant uplink topologies.
Develop specifications for network architecture, evaluate and recommend new technologies, and perform needs assessments.
Perform installation, modification, configuration, testing, and servicing of network equipment, including hardware refresh and software or firmware lifecycle upgrades.
Baseline and optimize network performance, including latency, throughput, utilization, convergence, and error rates, and remediate identified deficiencies.
Implementation and Operations Support
Develop implementation plans, test and validation steps, rollback procedures, and change documentation for network changes, and execute changes during approved windows.
Provide senior-level troubleshooting and escalation support for complex routing, switching, transport, and connectivity issues spanning multiple layers and vendors.
Perform packet-level and protocol-level analysis to isolate faults across the network, systems, and application boundary.
Support capacity planning, configuration standardization, and compliance of device configurations against approved baselines and hardening requirements.
Partner with architecture, cybersecurity, operations, and project teams to resolve blockers, manage dependencies, and deliver network changes end-to-end.
Documentation
Logical and physical network diagrams
Routing designs, policy standards, and addressing plans
Device configuration standards and baselines
Implementation, test, and rollback plans
Port, protocol, and services requirements
Troubleshooting guides and standard operating procedures
As-built and operational handoff documentation
Key Success Factors
This role is for an engineer who is genuinely hands-on. The expectation is direct ownership of the design, the change, the validation, and the outcome, rather than oversight of someone else’s configuration work.
The successful engineer is the person others escalate to, comfortable reading a routing table and packet capture under time pressure and equally comfortable writing the implementation plan that keeps a change from becoming an incident.
Required Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree and 8+ years of prior relevant experience, or Master’s degree with 6+ years of experience. Specific experience, education, and training may be considered in lieu of a degree.
Significant hands-on experience engineering, implementing, and troubleshooting enterprise routing and switching infrastructure at scale.
Strong working knowledge of TCP/IP, subnetting, BGP, OSPF, EIGRP, VLANs, spanning tree, link aggregation, VRFs, multicast, QoS, NAT, and high-availability design.
Experience with network hardware installation, configuration, software upgrades, and lifecycle replacement.
Experience developing implementation plans, test procedures, and rollback plans, and executing changes in production environments during maintenance windows.
Demonstrated troubleshooting ability, including packet capture and protocol analysis, across multi-vendor environments.
Hands-on experience with one or more of the following: Cisco, Aruba, Palo Alto, Dell, Infoblox, and Brocade.
Experience documenting network designs and procedures using Visio, PowerPoint, or similar tools.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Current IAT Level II or higher certification, such as Security+ CE.
Active DoD Secret clearance.
Desired Qualifications
Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) Enterprise or equivalent certification.
Experience with enterprise network modernization, migration, or large-scale transformation and integration efforts.
Experience with software-defined networking, SD-WAN, or SD-Access environments such as Cisco Catalyst Center or DNA Center.
Experience with network segmentation, access control, and identity-based networking.
Experience integrating enterprise networking with cloud infrastructure, including hybrid connectivity and secure cloud routing.
Experience with network automation and scripting using Python, Ansible, or infrastructure-as-code approaches.
Experience applying DISA STIGs, vulnerability remediation, and configuration hardening to network devices.
Experience with Jira, Confluence, or similar project and knowledge-management tools.
Clearance: Applicants selected will be subject to a security investigation and may need to meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.
Compensation and Benefits
Salary Range: $110,000-$155,000 (Compensation is determined by various factors, including but not limited to location, work experience, skills, education, certifications, seniority, and business needs. This range may be modified in the future.)
Benefits: Gridiron offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision insurance, HSA, FSA, 401(k), disability & ADD insurance, life and pet insurance to eligible employees. Full-time and part-time employees working at least 30 hours per week on a regular basis are eligible to participate in Gridiron’s benefits programs.
Gridiron IT Solutions is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran status or disability status.
Gridiron IT is a Women Owned Small Business (WOSB) headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area that supports our clients' missions throughout the United States. Gridiron IT specializes in providing comprehensive IT services tailored to meet the needs of federal agencies. Our capabilities include IT Infrastructure & Cloud Services, Cyber Security, Software Integration & Development, Data Solution & AI, and Enterprise Applications. These capabilities are backed by Gridiron IT's experienced workforce and our commitment to ensuring we meet and exceed our clients' expectations.
group id: 91017793