Network Engineer

Network Engineer

Short Description: Network Engineer supporting hybrid enterprise infrastructure. Manages routing, switching, firewalls, VPN, SD-WAN, and network security while driving monitoring, troubleshooting, resiliency, and secure connectivity.

• Location: Richmond, VA
• Position Type: Contract / Full-Time Operational Support
• Reporting To: Director of Infrastructure & Operations

Position Summary

The Agency seeks a hands-on Network Engineer to maintain a secure, stable, and high-performing enterprise network across multiple office locations, data centers, and remote environments. This role emphasizes operational discipline, secure network design, structured change management, and reliable service delivery within a public sector environment.

You will collaborate closely with Infrastructure, Information Security, End User Services, and external vendors to minimize risk and ensure maximum uptime.

Core Responsibilities

1. Network Infrastructure & Edge Administration

• Configure, maintain, and optimize enterprise routing, switching, LAN, WAN, and wireless environments.
• Support hybrid MPLS and SD-WAN connectivity across multi-site architectures.
• Manage telecommunications carriers, circuit provisioning, hardware lifecycles, and support renewals.

2. Firewall & Secure Connectivity

• Administer enterprise firewalls, manage rule matrices, and execute network segmentation strategies.
• Implement secure remote access solutions and point-to-point VPN connectivity.
• Maintain and harden secure pipelines for hybrid-cloud environments (Azure/On-Premise).

3. Monitoring, Incident Response & Troubleshooting

• Proactively monitor network health, utilization, and performance using logging and SIEM tools.
• Lead structured troubleshooting and root-cause analysis (RCA) for complex outages, wireless drops, or performance degradation.
• Participate in security incident support and vulnerability remediation alongside the Information Security Office.

4. Change Management & Governance

• Execute network modifications strictly within established change management workflows.
• Validate planned architectural changes, draft robust rollback procedures, and coordinate maintenance windows.
• Maintain accurate, up-to-date network topologies and technical documentation.

Experience Matrix

The ideal candidate must possess a blend of core infrastructure expertise and advanced security/routing capabilities.

Required Core Experience

• Routing & Switching / TCP/IP
• Network Troubleshooting & Methodologies
• Firewall Administration & Rule Management
• LAN/WAN & Cisco Networking Technologies
• VLAN Configuration & Wireless Networking
• VPN, Remote Access, & Secure Connectivity
• Network Monitoring, Performance Analysis, & DNS
• SD-WAN Support & Optimization
• Carrier Coordination & Circuit Troubleshooting
• Network Resiliency, Segmentation, & High Availability
• Change Management & Maintenance Window Coordination
• Vulnerability Remediation & Incident Support

Preferred & Desired Expertise

• Dynamic Routing Protocols & BGP
• Cisco ASA / Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFW)
• Multi-Site Enterprise Experience
• Government or Regulated IT Environments
• Quality of Service (QoS) Configuration
• Azure & Hybrid Cloud Networking
• Zero Trust Architecture Concepts

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)

• Technical Acumen: Strong familiarity with Cisco ecosystems, security frameworks (NIST), and network logging/SIEM integrations.
• Operational Discipline: Proven capability to prioritize critical infrastructure tasks under pressure while maintaining a focus on reliability.
• Communication: Effective written and verbal skills necessary to explain operational risks, system impacts, and technical roadblocks to leadership.