Sr. Computer Network Architect

Job Type: Full- Time

Workplace Type: Onsite

Clearance: TS/SCI

Must be a U.S. Citizen

Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision coverage, 401k matching, generous PTO, paid holidays, professional training opportunities, and even pet insurance to ensure your furry friends are cared for too.

Job Summary

The US Battlefield Information Collection and Exploitation System eXtended (US BICES-X) is a leading-edge initiative directly supporting critical DoD intelligence information sharing regarding current and emerging global threats to mission partners, coalition forces, and developing nations. With a globally distributed team aligned with each combatant command, US BICES-X plays a vital role in supporting the warfighter and their missions. We are seeking a creative and highly motivated professional eager to tackle real-world challenges within a collaborative and fast-paced environment.

US BICES is undergoing a significant technology refresh across its enterprise and seeks innovative individuals passionate about working with leading-edge technologies. This role primarily focuses on modern Cisco Service Provider technologies, encompassing Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS), Segment Routing (SR), Traffic Engineering (TE), Software-Defined Networking (SDN), and key underlay and overlay technologies such as Equal-Cost Multi-Path (ECMP) for high availability and load balancing, alongside Virtual Extensible LAN (VXLAN) and Ethernet VPN (EVPN) for network virtualization and scalability. We also leverage automation with Ansible, Puppet, and Python within our core engineering team, where secondary knowledge of Juniper networks and experience in engineering projects are highly valued.

Roles and Responsibilities

A qualified candidate will perform the following duties and responsibilities, but are not limited to:

• Expertly manages and maintains the availability, performance, and reliability of voice, video, and data communication networks through comprehensive troubleshooting, configuration, upgrades, planning, design, evaluation, and selection, ensuring strict adherence to defined Service Level Agreements.
• Proactively monitors network service performance against defined metrics, identifying and resolving potential issues to maintain stability and optimal performance.
  Analyzes customer requirements and provides technical solutions to meet a wide range of network needs.
• Implements and manages security controls for network services, adhering to organizational policies and industry best practices to ensure overall compliance with relevant IT and regulatory policies.
• Designs and implements network layouts, including the configuration of routers and switches in complex enterprise environments.
• Analyzes network topologies, traffic patterns, and capacity demands to ensure efficient resource utilization and plan for future needs.
• Executes service requests related to network infrastructure changes and deployments.
• Participates in service continuity and disaster recovery planning and testing to ensure network resilience and maintain system backup and recovery capabilities.
• Provides clear and concise reporting on network service availability, capacity, and performance to stakeholders.
• Develops and maintains comprehensive network documentation, including topology diagrams and operational procedures.
• Supports procurement processes for network hardware, software, and subcontractor services.
• Leads technical teams or tasks, driving projects to successful completion and providing guidance to less experienced personnel.
• Provides technical support and problem resolution for network users as needed.
• Performs essential network administration functions to maintain system integrity and operational efficiency.
• Collaborates on and contributes technical expertise to special projects aimed at enhancing network capabilities.
• Evaluates new and emerging communication technologies to identify opportunities for network enhancement and improvement.
• Maintains current knowledge of relevant technologies and best practices in network engineering, particularly with Cisco and/or Juniper platforms.
• May be required to obtain professional certifications relevant to the role.

Required Qualifications:

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree (BA/BS) in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field with 6-8 years of progressive network engineering experience; or 10-12 years of equivalent progressive experience demonstrating bachelor's-level expertise.

• All candidates must have demonstrable experience managing complex enterprise networks.

Technical Certifications:

• Required (Minimum): Cisco CCNA or equivalent industry-recognized networking certification.
  Required: Security+ CE or equivalent security certification.
• Preferred: Cisco CCNP, Juniper JNCIP, or other relevant professional-level certifications.
• Preferred: Relevant security certifications such as CISSP.
• Preferred: ITIL Foundation certification (v3 or v4).

Technical Skills:

• Expert-level knowledge of routing and switching protocols and technologies (e.g., BGP, OSPF, VLANs, STP, QoS).

• Excellent skills in network analysis, troubleshooting, and problem resolution.
• Strong understanding of network security principles and technologies (e.g., firewalls, VPNs, intrusion detection).
• Strong understanding of network design principles and best practices.
• Proficiency in network monitoring and management tools.
  Working knowledge of scripting/automation tools (e.g., Python, Ansible) is a plus.

Soft Skills:

• Proven ability to analyze customer requirements and provide effective technical solutions.

• Excellent communication (written and verbal) and interpersonal skills.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Strong commitment to organizational and industry compliance policies.
• Experience with service continuity and disaster recovery planning and testing.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to manage time effectively and prioritize tasks.
• Experience in developing and maintaining comprehensive network documentation.

Travel

• May be required to undertake short-term deployments to various locations as needed.

Company Description

Castalia Systems is a proven business partner providing mission critical solutions to the Federal Government. We provide cutting edge solutions from Securing and Managing Data to Systems Engineering and Development. Castalia Systems is a pioneer in Artificial Intelligence Design and Application.

With our vast knowledge of our customers’ needs and relevant technology, our team is able to bring successful solutions to every mission. We are one-upping our competitors by providing premium IT solutions and platforms with cutting-edge technology so it’s so evident when you compare us with anyone.

Disclaimer

Castalia Systems is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer and strives to comply with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, or ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, marital status, HIV-positive status, as well as any other category protected by federal, state, or local laws. All such discrimination is unlawful, and all persons involved in the operations of the company are prohibited from engaging in this type of conduct.