Senior Network Engineer

Summary/ Objective:
Provide support for mission operations, routine maintenance, troubleshooting, root cause analysis, tech refresh, integration for new subsystems, and efforts to redesign, consolidate, improve, and modernize the infrastructure. The Senior Network Engineer will be expected to plan and lead integration projects, identify dependencies, manage resources, mitigate and manage risks, provide least-impact implementation procedures, perform analysis, coordinate with stakeholders, execute procedures, implement configurations, and create and update documentation and diagrams.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

•    Propose, plan, and implement network upgrades and configurations including architectural improvements, new subsystems, migrations, OS upgrades, hardware upgrades, and others
•    Operate and maintain network infrastructure hardware and software
•    Document configuration changes in the configuration management system
•    Analyze, troubleshoot, and resolve operational problems in the LAN/WAN infrastructure
•    Monitor and report device health and status, bandwidth utilization rates, uptime, outage and anomaly tracking, and threat detection/prevention
•    Document problem resolution activities in the ticketing system
•    Support procurements for hardware, software, and manufacturer maintenance contracts
•    Create and maintain documents and Standard Operating Procedures
•    Provide on-call and after-hours support when required

Education and Experience

• Four (4) year college degree in computer science or information systems or Technical School, with at least ten (10) years related experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Extensive knowledge of Fortinet, Fortimanger, and other related systems.
• Knowledge of fault-tolerance and high-availability including physical configurations, logical configurations, stateful failover, fast failover, hardware dependent solutions, open standards solutions, electrical power, system performance and equivalency, and Continuity of Operations (COOP}
• Demonstrated ability to lead, mentor, and guide a team of network engineers, ensuring project alignment and team skill development.
• Experience overseeing complex network projects from inception to completion, managing timelines, resources, and stakeholder communications.
• Proven track record of developing and implementing network strategies, aligning with organizational goals to ensure network scalability, security, and performance.
• Skilled in working with cross-functional teams (e.g., IT security, infrastructure, and business units) to ensure network design supports broader IT objectives.
• Experience in making critical decisions under pressure, particularly in troubleshooting network outages, performance issues, or security breaches.
• Experience managing relationships with vendors, negotiating contracts, and overseeing budgets to optimize costs while maintaining network performance and security.
• Led initiatives to improve operational processes, implement automation, and ensure ongoing education and certification for network engineering teams.
• Detailed knowledge of Next-generation firewalls (NGFW}, security zones, and defense-in-depth.
• Ability to configure, optimize, and troubleshoot routing protocols including OSPF and BGP
• Ability to configure, optimize, and troubleshoot network protocols including VRRP (or HSRP), STP, LACP, MLAG (or vPC}, Dotlq, and others
• Knowledge and familiarity with high-end network devices including modular­ chassis switches and routers, 40 or 100 Gb/s interfaces, and redundant supervisors and route processors.
• Knowledge and familiarity with cabling standards such as TIA/EIA, ISO/IEC, IEEE, and others.
• Experience with switching protocols to include: MLAG, vPC, LACP, VLAN­ trunking, aggregation, LLDP, and CDP.
• Experience completing software/firmware upgrades for routers/switches/firewalls
• Willingness to travel (required)
• Experience working in managed service environment. (desired)

Security Clearance Requirement: Public Trust 

Schedule:Monday - Friday (Hybrid) - Three (3) days onsite (required)

Location: Silver Spring, MD

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Health Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Disability Insurance
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Life Insurance
• Paid Time Off