Telecommunications Network Engineer

Telecommunications Network Engineer

The Opportunity:

At Booz Allen, we power possibility for our clients facing their toughest challenges. Our cross-domain team of advisors, technologists, researchers, engineers, and cyber experts builds innovative solutions for the infrastructure and capabilities of tomorrow. We're trusted partners on our clients' most critical missions, and we bring expertise to the table, but it's our attitude, our courage, curiosity, and passion for tomorrow, that makes us unique.

We're seeking a Network Engineer to join a team that is building, integrating, and hardening next-generation telecommunications infrastructure that fuses carrier-grade networking with AI/ML acceleration. You'll work in a hands-on, fast-moving lab environment where systems need to be stood up, reconfigured, and troubleshot quickly, often on tight timelines ahead of demos, pilots, and government stakeholder reviews. You do not need prior cellular or open RAN experience to succeed here. We will teach the radio access side to a strong network engineer. What we need you to bring is deep Layer 2 and Layer 3 fundamentals, precision timing, Linux, and the discipline to document as you build. If you thrive when the pressure is on and enjoy tearing down and rebuilding systems until they work, we want to hear from you.

What You'll Work On:

• Build, rack, cable, and configure the lab network stack including GPU-accelerated servers, enterprise switching, radio and antenna hardware, and supporting infrastructure.
• Configure and validate precision timing distribution, including a PTP IEEE 1588 grandmaster with GPS or GNSS lock and SyncE, and verify the timing chain to downstream clients.
• Design and implement VLAN segmentation for management, control, user, and timing traffic.
• Configure QoS or CoS priority queuing for latency-sensitive, high-throughput flows.
• Deploy and configure IP networking for all platform interfaces including transport and backhaul, device management, out-of-band server management, and Kubernetes cluster and pod networks.
• Stand up and validate virtualized network functions on hypervisor VMs, including subscriber provisioning, routing, and policy configuration, and verify end-to-end connectivity.
• Deploy and troubleshoot containerized network workloads on Kubernetes running on GPU-accelerated servers and validate interface connectivity between distributed components.
• Provision and validate end-user devices and SIM or eSIM credentials and execute device connectivity, session establishment, and throughput validation such as iperf3.
• Apply security hardening including CIS Level 1 baseline on Ubuntu, STIG checklists, NAC, and 802.1X configuration such as Aruba ClearPass, Cisco ISE, and TLS on management interfaces.
• Write and maintain technical documentation, including Method of Procedure (MOP), Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), configuration guides, and troubleshooting guides, concurrently with lab work, not after the fact.
• Collaborate with cross-functional engineering teams to translate mission requirements into working network configurations.

Join us. The world can't wait.

You Have:

• 5+ years of experience with network engineering including telecommunications, defense systems, or enterprise networking
• Experience configuring and troubleshooting Layer 2 and Layer 3 switching and routing including VLAN design, trunking, QoS policy configuration, and ACLs
• Experience with Linux server administration including Ubuntu, RHEL, networking, SSH hardening, and log management
• Experience with virtualization or containers such as VMware, Proxmox, KVM, Docker, or Kubernetes in a lab or production environment
• Knowledge of IP networking fundamentals such as subnetting, routing, SCTP, UDP, TCP, DNS, and TLS
• Ability to read and interpret packet captures such as Wireshark and tcpdump for protocol-level troubleshooting
• Ability to work in a fast-paced lab environment with hard delivery deadlines and produce clear, accurate technical documentation under time pressure
• Ability to triage and resolve issues independently without waiting for escalation
• Ability to obtain a Secret clearance
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or Telecommunications field and 4+ years of experience in network engineering, or 9+ years of experience in network engineering in lieu of a degree
  

Nice If You Have:

• Experience with PTP/IEEE 1588 timing, including grandmaster, boundary clock, and client configuration, and with telecom timing profiles, such as ITU-T G.8275.1, and SyncE
• Experience with 5G/O-RAN systems, including CU/DU/RU architecture, eCPRI fronthaul, O-RAN Split 7.2x, and the F1, E2, and O1 interfaces
• Experience with O-RAN components such as O-RU, O-DU, O-CU, Near-RT RIC/Non-RT RIC, or xApp/rApp integration
• Experience with SIM/eSIM provisioning tools and test UE validation such as iPhone and Android
• Experience with NVIDIA GPU platforms, CUDA toolkit, or NVIDIA Container Toolkit in a server environment
• Experience with network automation and infrastructure-as-code tools such as Ansible, Terraform, or NetBox
• Experience with RF systems, including antenna installation, coax cabling, N-type/SMA connectors, spectrum analyzer use
• Experience with DoD security frameworks, including DoD STIG, RMF, Nessus/ACAS scanning, CIS benchmarks
• Knowledge of 5G core network functions, such as AMF, SMF, or UPF, including HPE Athonet, Ericsson, Nokia, open-source cores such as Open5GS, or equivalent, including PLMN, DNN, and network slicing S-NSSAI configuration
• Cisco CCNP, Juniper JNCIP, or equivalent professional-level networking certification

Clearance:

Applicants selected will be subject to a security investigation and may need to meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.

Compensation

At Booz Allen, we celebrate your contributions, provide you with opportunities and choices, and support your total well-being. Our offerings include health, life, disability, financial, and retirement benefits, as well as paid leave, professional development, tuition assistance, work-life programs, and dependent care. Our recognition awards program acknowledges employees for exceptional performance and superior demonstration of our values. Full-time and part-time employees working at least 20 hours a week on a regular basis are eligible to participate in Booz Allen’s benefit programs. Individuals that do not meet the threshold are only eligible for select offerings, not inclusive of health benefits. We encourage you to learn more about our total benefits by visiting the Resource page on our Careers site and reviewing Our Employee Benefits page.

Salary at Booz Allen is determined by various factors, including but not limited to location, the individual’s particular combination of education, knowledge, skills, competencies, and experience, as well as contract-specific affordability and organizational requirements. The projected compensation range for this position is $77,600.00 to $176,000.00 (annualized USD). The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position and is just one component of Booz Allen’s total compensation package for employees. This posting will close within 90 days from the Posting Date.

Identity Statement

As part of the hiring process, we will ask you to complete an identity verification process that leverages advanced biometrics and artificial intelligence to ensure authenticity and protect against identity fraud. You are expected to be on camera during interviews and assessments. We reserve the right to take your picture to verify your identity and prevent fraud.

Candidate AI Usage Policy

AI is a part of our daily work at Booz Allen, and we are committed to the responsible and ethical use of AI tools. However, we want to ensure a fair candidate process based on your own skills and knowledge. As part of this commitment, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) or other tools to assist with responses during interviews (whether in-person or virtual) is prohibited unless permission is explicitly provided.

Work Model
Our people-first culture prioritizes the benefits of collaboration. To support engagement and effective communication, employees working virtually are generally expected to have their cameras on during meetings.

• Remote: If this position is listed as remote, there may still be occasions when you are required to work in person at a Booz Allen or customer facility.
• Hybrid: If this position is listed as hybrid, you will be expected to work from a Booz Allen or customer facility, in alignment with your leadership's expectations and the needs of the role.
• Onsite: If this position is listed as onsite, work will primarily be performed full-time at a customer facility, where employees will collaborate directly with colleagues and customers as required by the role.

Commitment to Non-Discrimination

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, local, or international law.