Responsibilities

Network Systems Engineer (Cloud & Network Operations)

 

Location: Annapolis Junction, MD / Fort Meade, MDClearance: Active TS/SCI with Maryland Polygraph required

 

Position Overview

We are seeking a highly capable Network Systems Engineer to support mission-critical operations within our customer environment. This role operates at the intersection of enterprise networking, cloud infrastructure, and real-time operations, ensuring the availability, performance, and security of systems supporting national intelligence missions.

This is an operations-focused engineering role, requiring technical expertise to monitor, analyze, and sustain complex, distributed systems. The ideal candidate thrives in high-tempo environments and understands the importance of precision, speed, and mission continuity.

 

Key Responsibilities

• Monitor and sustain high-availability network and cloud infrastructure supporting our mission systems
• Analyze network traffic, system logs, and telemetry to detect anomalies, performance degradation, and potential mission impact
• Provide real-time situational awareness and concise operational reporting to mission stakeholders
• Perform incident triage, root cause analysis, and coordinated response actions across network and system layers
• Escalate issues with clear technical context, impact assessment, and actionable recommendations
• Develop and execute remediation strategies to restore services and prevent recurrence
• Support secure data flows and cross-domain solutions, ensuring compliance with IC security requirements
• Collaborate with systems engineers, cybersecurity teams, and cloud architects to enhance resiliency, performance, and scalability
• Contribute to runbooks, SOPs, and automation efforts to improve operational efficiency and response times
• Maintain awareness of evolving network architectures, cloud capabilities, and threat landscapes within the customer environment

 

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications

• Ten (10) years of experience as a Systems Engineer, Network Engineer, or related role supporting programs of similar scope, type, and complexity
• Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering Science, Engineering Management, or a related discipline from an accredited institution
• OR five (5) additional years of relevant experience may be substituted for a degree
• Active TS/SCI clearance with Maryland Polygraph required

Required Skills & Experience

• Strong expertise in enterprise networking (TCP/IP, routing protocols such as BGP/OSPF, switching, DNS, segmentation)
• Experience in real-time operations environments (NOC, SOC, or mission operations centers)
• Proficiency with monitoring and analytics tools (e.g., Splunk, Elastic, Prometheus, SolarWinds, or similar)
• Experience analyzing packet-level data, logs, and system metrics to support troubleshooting and performance tuning
• Solid understanding of Linux/Unix systems and operational scripting (Bash, Python, or similar)
• Familiarity with cloud networking concepts (VPCs, subnets, routing, load balancing, security groups)
• Experience with incident response workflows and operational reporting in classified environments
• Ability to clearly communicate technical issues in a mission-relevant, time-sensitive context

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting Maryland customer or similar Intelligence Community missions
• Knowledge of cross-domain solutions (CDS), data tagging, and secure data transfer mechanisms
• Experience with DevSecOps, automation, or infrastructure-as-code (Terraform, Ansible, etc.)
• Familiarity with Zero Trust architectures and advanced network security controls
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS GovCloud, Azure Government) in classified environments
• Relevant certifications such as CCNP/CCIE, Security+, AWS Solutions Architect, or equivalent

Work Environment

• High-tempo, mission-driven environment supporting national security operations
• Collaboration across multidisciplinary teams including network engineering, cybersecurity, and cloud operations
• Emphasis on operational excellence, rapid response, and continuous improvement

Target Salary Range$135,000 - $216,000. This represents the typical salary range for this position. Salary is determined by various factors, including but not limited to, the scope and responsibilities of the position, the individual’s experience, education, knowledge, skills, and competencies, as well as geographic location and business and contract considerations. Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay.