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Leidos

Builds technology for defense and civil agencies

Junior Network Engineer

Full-TimeUpdated on 10/21/2026
$50.7k - $91.7k
Mid
Bethesda, MD, USA
In Person100% on-site at the customer site in Bethesda, at the Intelligence Community Campus.
IT OperationsNetwork Engineering & Administration
No H1B Sponsorship
US Citizenship, US Top Secret Clearance Required

About the job

Requirements
  • Proven experience designing, implementing, and maintaining data center network architectures with a focus on scalability, redundancy, and security.
  • Hands-on experience with Cisco ACI, Nexus, and Catalyst platforms, including configuration, monitoring, and troubleshooting.
  • Strong understanding of TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, OSPF, BGP, VLANs, HSRP, SNMP, and multicast protocols.
  • Proficiency with network monitoring and ITSM tools such as ServiceNow, SolarWinds, and NetBox.
  • In-depth knowledge of network security principles, including firewall rules, access control lists, virtual private networks, and secure remote access.
  • Familiarity with network asset lifecycle management, capacity planning, and hardware procurement processes.
  • Experience leading teams and managing performance under shifting operational priorities.
  • Ability to brief senior leadership and government stakeholders in writing and verbally.
  • Meet DoD 8140/8570.11-IAT Level II certification requirements with Security+ CE, CCNA Security, GSEC, or SSCP, and a valid Computing Environment certification.
  • U.S. citizenship is required.
  • Must have TS/SCI with polygraph, or TS/SCI and willingness to obtain a polygraph.
  • High school diploma and 3–5+ years of relevant experience.
Responsibilities
  • Design, implement, and maintain highly available, scalable, and secure data center and enterprise network architectures, including spine-leaf topologies, virtualized environments, and fabric networks.
  • Plan, integrate, and sustain LAN/WAN infrastructure, connecting on-premises systems, cloud environments, and external mission networks.
  • Configure and maintain Cisco ACI, routers, switches, firewalls, and load balancers for mission-critical operations.
  • Manage connectivity and performance across servers, storage, hypervisors, and data center interconnects to ensure network throughput and reliability.
  • Use network monitoring and ITSM tools such as ServiceNow, SolarWinds, NetBox, and PRTG to track network health, availability, and incident resolution metrics.
  • Lead troubleshooting and incident resolution for complex network and data center issues, including root cause analysis and recovery planning.
  • Develop and execute contingency and continuity plans to maintain network resilience and minimize downtime during outages or maintenance events.
  • Oversee network cabling standards, patch management, and structured wiring practices for data center operations.
  • Implement network segmentation, performance tuning, and latency optimization across physical and virtual environments.
  • Coordinate with IT, Systems Engineering, Cybersecurity, and Application teams on cross-functional projects and ensure network compliance with security and mission requirements.
  • Manage and assign work through ServiceNow ITSM, ensuring incidents and change requests are documented and resolved within service-level agreements.
  • Provide status reports, incident summaries, and performance metrics to program and executive leadership.
  • Lead or support network modernization and data center consolidation initiatives, ensuring projects meet technical, budgetary, and schedule requirements.
  • Evaluate and recommend network technologies to improve data center efficiency, scalability, and cybersecurity posture.
  • Supervise and mentor network engineers and technicians, providing technical leadership and professional development.
  • Assist leadership with schedule planning and ensure appropriate personnel coverage for support activities.
  • Evaluate resumes for vacancies and participate in candidate interviews.
  • Manage subordinate employees' work performance, provide periodic feedback, and document performance against employee goals and corporate guidelines.
  • Review and approve timesheets for assigned subordinates in accordance with corporate standards.
  • Provide after-hours or on-call support for critical outages as needed.
Desired Qualifications
  • Active Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification.
  • CCNP or CCIE certification.

About the company

Leidos develops technology and runs services for defense, intelligence and civilian agencies, as well as healthcare and commercial customers. It combines software and engineering work with systems integration, building secure networks and equipment used in demanding operations. Its portfolio includes medical services, energy infrastructure design and technology that supports military missions, linking specialist businesses under one parent. Customers pay through contracts for delivered systems and services, with payment tied to labor, costs or agreed project milestones. Leidos traces its roots to a company founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Reston, Virginia.

Company Size

10,001+

Company Stage

IPO

Headquarters

Reston, Virginia

Founded

1969

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Recognized sales are growing: Leidos reported fiscal Q2 revenue of $4.56 billion, up 7%, in August 2026.
  • Technical study gets support: Leidos lists 4,092 certification prep courses and tuition assistance for full time employees.
  • Future work includes funded contracts: Leidos reported $10.2 billion of funded backlog in August 2026.

What critics are saying

  • Federal budgets dominate demand: Leidos' February 2026 filing attributed 87% of fiscal 2025 revenue to U.S. government work.
  • Cleared cyber roles restrict access: Leidos' live Fort Meade analyst posting requires active Top Secret clearance with a polygraph.
  • Cost overruns threaten margins: firm fixed price work accounted for 43% of Leidos' fiscal 2025 revenue.

What makes Leidos unique

  • Runway capacity improves through software: Leidos and UK navigation provider NATS optimize landing spacing with Intelligent Approach.
  • Leidos reaches patients directly: its QTC medical exam business connects over 15,000 providers with more than 90 clinics.
  • Leidos builds battlefield hardware: it is the Army's prime contractor for Enduring Shield, a mobile air-defense launcher.

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Benefits

  • Medical, dental, & vision insurance
  • Health Savings account
  • Income protection
  • PTO
  • Paid parental leave
  • Jury duty pay
  • Bereavement leave
  • 401(k) Retirement Plan
  • Employee Stock Purchase Plan
  • Family Benefits

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

8%

1 year growth

8%

2 year growth

8%
PR Newswire
Oct 14th, 2026
Leidos wins one-year MOD logistics extension to 2029, building on $508M in benefits

Leidos has won a one-year extension to its Logistics Commodities and Services Transformation (LCST) contract with the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD). The deal continues logistics support to the UK Armed Forces through June 2029. Leidos has been prime contractor since 2015. It manages more than 70,000 commodity NATO Stock Numbers, supports distribution to more than 600 locations worldwide, and runs the £83 million Defence Fulfilment Centre at MOD Donnington. The company estimates it has delivered £400 million in benefits to the MOD. During the extension, Leidos will work on supply chain resilience, inventory visibility, and digital capability. The programme supported the MOD through the COVID-19 pandemic and urgent needs related to Ukraine.

INSURASALES
Oct 13th, 2026
Blackstone leads $1B financing for Analogic merger with three Leidos units

Blackstone Credit & Insurance (BXCI) is leading a $1 billion financing package for the merger of Analogic Corporation with three Leidos units: Security Enterprise Solutions, Ports & Borders, and Industrial Automation. The combined business will make imaging and detection technology for sectors such as aviation security and healthcare. BXCI is lead lender and joint lead arranger, alongside HPS, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo. Brad Colman, BXCI's head of healthcare investing, called the deal proof of its strength in building large credit strategies with flexible solutions. Analogic is based in Salem, New Hampshire. Leidos employs 50,000 people and earned $17.2 billion in fiscal 2026. BXCI managed $443 billion in assets at the end of 2025. Roughly 75% of Blackstone's credit assets are backed by institutional and insurance clients.

GFM Limited
Oct 13th, 2026
Blackstone leads $1bn private credit financing for Leidos-Analogic security merger

Blackstone is leading a $1bn private credit financing to support the combination of the security enterprise solutions businesses of Leidos Holdings and Analogic Corporation, Bloomberg reported. Blackstone Credit & Insurance is reportedly lead lender and joint lead arranger, alongside HPS Investment Partners, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo. Leidos, a listed engineering and technology services company based in Virginia, serves government and commercial clients. It generated $17.2bn in revenue in 2025. Analogic develops imaging, detection, artificial intelligence, and automation technologies. Private equity firm Altaris acquired it in a $1.1bn take-private deal in 2018. Blackstone was reportedly also among the lenders in a recent financing for Waymo, which was increased to $5bn.

PR Newswire
Oct 12th, 2026
Leidos joins US Army's Reveille Forge, a "permanent hackathon" for early tech integration testing

Leidos is taking part in Reveille Forge, the US Army's new permanent integration and testing environment, to help spot technology integration problems sooner. The Army set up the site after its Operation Jailbreak exercise earlier this year. Reveille Forge replaces periodic events with a continuous "integrate-first" approach. Government, industry, and academia can test how technologies work together before they reach soldiers in the field. Leidos recently completed Jailbreak Sprint 1.5 at Redstone Arsenal in Alabama. It followed the first sprint at Fort Carson, Colorado, in June, where the company tested its IFPC Inc 2, MXR, and ALPS systems. "Now, Reveille Forge gives the Army and industry an enduring environment to integrate early, test together and mature capabilities faster," said Matt Becker, a Leidos vice president.

PR Newswire
Oct 12th, 2026
Leidos picks X-Bow to supply rocket motors for US Army's low-cost cruise missile

X-Bow Systems, a US maker of solid rocket motors, has been selected by Leidos to develop and produce booster motors for the US Army's new Low-Cost Containerized Munition (LCCM), a low-cost cruise missile. The company announced the deal on October 12, 2026, at the Association of the United States Army annual meeting in Washington. X-Bow will handle design, qualification testing, and static fires before full-rate production in 2027. Leidos will build the munitions in large quantities under the Department of War's "Arsenal of Freedom" initiative. "Modern conflict is decided by how many rounds you can put downrange, not how exquisite each one is," said chief executive officer Jason Hundley. It is the sixth new propulsion program X-Bow has won in 2026. The company recently completed its first major production contract, delivering more than 2,100 rocket motors.