Enterprise WAN Engineer

Virginia Tech Applied Research Corporation

• $190K — $230K *
Telecommunications & Hardware
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Senior or lead-level experience in enterprise WAN environments in mission-critical settings.
  • Hands-on expertise with enterprise routing, transport, WAN segmentation, and SD-WAN.
  • Knowledge of multi-vendor networking technologies (Cisco, Juniper, Aruba, etc.).
  • Experience with TS/SCI, multi-enclave, and air-gapped environment support.
  • Practical knowledge of BGP, OSPF, MPLS, QoS, and WAN troubleshooting.
  • Ability to develop executable WAN designs and deployment plans.
  • Familiarity with network security compliance activities.

Responsibilities

  • Lead enterprise WAN engineering activities across the network lifecycle.
  • Design and modernize WAN infrastructures across various transport environments.
  • Develop and validate WAN designs for routing, transport diversity, and QoS.
  • Implement and troubleshoot advanced routing and transport technologies.
  • Coordinate design dependencies with various technical teams.
  • Support secure integration approaches for classified mission environments.
  • Create technical documentation and operational transition materials.
  • Mentor junior engineers and establish engineering standards.

Benefits

  • Opportunity for professional development and mentoring.
  • Engagement in cutting-edge enterprise WAN engineering projects.
  • Work within a team focused on mission-critical solutions.
  • Flexibility for occasional travel up to 10%.
  • Work in a supportive environment with a strong mission focus.
Full Job Description
About You:

You are a senior-level to staff-level enterprise WAN engineer and networking SME with deep experience designing, implementing, integrating, and modernizing global WAN and mission communications infrastructures in high-assurance, classified environments.

You bring broad hands-on depth across routing, transport, QoS, segmentation, SD-WAN, VPN, carrier services, secure enclave connectivity, and air-gapped network environments. You understand how to translate enterprise architecture objectives into executable WAN designs, implementation plans, configuration baselines, and operationally supportable solutions.

You are adaptable and comfortable owning complex WAN design and implementation efforts while working closely across technical teams and leads. You remain hands-on with deployment, troubleshooting, validation, documentation, and operational transition. You have a mission focus and take pride in building systems the right way and supporting them end-to-end.

Position Overview:

VT-ARC is seeking a Senior or Staff Enterprise WAN Engineer to provide technical leadership for enterprise WAN engineering, transport integration, secure routing, implementation, and modernization supporting mission-critical programs within TS/SCI environments.

This role is focused on domain-level WAN ownership across the full network lifecycle, from requirements interpretation and architecture input through detailed design, implementation planning, integration, validation, and transition to operations. The role is broader than SD-WAN alone and includes holistic WAN engineering across multiple transport layers, multi-enclave environments, classified networks, internet-connected networks, and fully air-gapped operating environments.

The Enterprise WAN Engineer will partner with programmatic staff and technical leads to deliver secure, resilient, interoperable, and mission-aligned WAN solutions. You have a mission focus and take pride in building systems the right way and supporting them end-to-end.

Active Top Secret/SCI clearance is required.

Duties/Responsibilities:
  • Lead end-to-end enterprise WAN engineering activities, including architecture input, detailed design, implementation planning, integration, validation, and operational transition.
  • Design, implement, and modernize global WAN infrastructures across MPLS, carrier Ethernet, commercial internet, private transport, SD-WAN, cloud interconnect, satellite, classified, multi-enclave, and air-gapped environments.
  • Develop and validate WAN designs that account for routing, transport diversity, QoS, resiliency, segmentation, encryption dependencies, traffic engineering, monitoring, and sustainment.
  • Implement and troubleshoot enterprise routing and transport technologies, including BGP, OSPF, MPLS, QoS, VPN, SD-WAN, route redistribution, overlay/underlay architectures, and high-availability designs.
  • Coordinate WAN design dependencies with inline encryption, UC, LAN, identity, cybersecurity, cloud, and mission application teams.
  • Support cross-domain, multi-enclave, and secure network integration approaches for classified and high-assurance mission environments.
  • Develop implementation plans, test plans, configuration standards, technical diagrams, migration runbooks, and operational transition materials.
  • Participate in lab validation, proof-of-concept demonstrations, technical pilots, network cutovers, and integration events.
  • Mentor junior engineers and help establish engineering standards, configuration baselines, and operational best practices.

Required Education, Certification, Skills, Capabilities:
  • Demonstrated senior or lead-level experience designing, implementing, and modernizing enterprise WAN environments in mission-critical or high-assurance settings.
  • Hands-on expertise with enterprise routing, transport, WAN segmentation, QoS, VPN, SD-WAN, and high-availability network design.
  • Experience with multi-vendor enterprise networking technologies, including platforms such as Cisco, Juniper, Aruba, Fortinet, Palo Alto, F5, or equivalent technologies.
  • Experience supporting classified, TS/SCI, multi-enclave, internet-connected, or air-gapped network environments.
  • Strong practical knowledge of BGP, OSPF, MPLS, QoS, IPsec, GRE, route redistribution, network address translation, and WAN troubleshooting.
  • Ability to translate architecture objectives and mission requirements into executable WAN designs, deployment plans, configuration baselines, and validation approaches.
  • Experience supporting RMF processes, ATO documentation, STIG compliance, security controls, or equivalent cybersecurity compliance activities for network infrastructure.
  • Ability to produce clear technical documentation, diagrams, implementation guides, and operational procedures.

Desired Education, Certification, Skills, Capabilities:
  • Professional certifications such as CCNP, JNCIP, Aruba Certified Professional, Security+, CISSP, or equivalent technical credentials.
  • Experience with Cisco Viptela, Juniper, Aruba, VMware/VeloCloud, Fortinet, or equivalent SD-WAN platforms.
  • Experience integrating WAN transport with Type 1 inline encryption, mission communications, voice/video, cloud, and data center services.
  • Experience with network automation, scripting, APIs, Ansible, Python, Git, or related tools.
  • Experience with network modeling, lab validation, traffic analysis, packet capture, or performance engineering tools.
  • Familiarity with DoD networking standards, DISA STIGs, Zero Trust principles, and systems engineering lifecycle reviews.

Primary Work Location: Work is expected to be fully onsite in Arlington, VA.

Special Work Conditions: Occasional travel may be required; up to 10%

Security:
  • Must be a U.S. Citizen
  • Active Top Secret/SCI clearance is required

Competitive Salary: VT-ARC offers a competitive salary and benefits package designed to attract and retain senior technical talent supporting mission-critical programs.

Salary: $190,000-$230,000/yr., based on skills, experience, clearance, technical depth, and mission alignment.

To learn more about VT-ARC's Benefits, Perks, Culture & more visit our Careers page: https://vt-arc.org/careers/

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