Job Description

Ashburn Consulting is seeking a Network Engineer to support a client's transition from a legacy Public Safety, MPLS-based Juniper network infrastructure to a modern, zero trust cloud-based network architecture. This individual will operate across both environments during the transition period - maintaining and troubleshooting the existing Juniper MPLS backbone while actively supporting the design, planning, and phased cutover to a cloud-delivered zero trust solution such as Zscaler.

This is a hands-on, coordination-heavy role. The engineer will work closely with network engineering teams, security teams, application owners, and client stakeholders to sequence site migrations, validate connectivity and performance at each cutover stage, and ensure no disruption to mission-critical services throughout the transition. Strong verbal and written communication skills are essential, as this individual will regularly lead or participate in coordination calls, migration planning sessions, and status briefings with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Qualifications
• Operate, maintain, and troubleshoot the existing Juniper MPLS network, including routing, switching, and WAN connectivity across distributed sites
• Support planning and execution of the migration from MPLS/legacy WAN architecture to a zero-trust cloud-based network solution (e.g., Zscaler Internet Access/Private Access)
• Develop and maintain migration runbooks, site cutover plans, and rollback procedures
• Support coordination, migration schedules, and cutover windows with client stakeholders, application owners, and internal engineering teams
• Validate network performance, security policy enforcement, and application accessibility pre- and post-migration
• Serve as a technical point of contact during cutover events, communicating status, risks, and issues clearly and in real time
• Document network architecture changes, configuration standards, and lessons learned throughout the migration
• Troubleshoot hybrid-state issues that arise from environments running both legacy and modernized network paths concurrently
• Support post-migration decommissioning of legacy MPLS circuits and infrastructure

Requirements
• A minimum of 5+ years of experience in network engineering, with hands-on experience supporting Juniper-based MPLS network environments
• Direct experience participating in or leading a migration from a legacy WAN/MPLS architecture to a zero-trust cloud-based network solution (Zscaler, Netskope, Cloudflare, or similar)
• Solid understanding of routing and WAN protocols (BGP, OSPF, MPLS/L3VPN)
• Familiarity with zero trust network access (ZTNA) concepts, SASE architecture, and cloud security gateway solutions
• Strong communication skills, with demonstrated ability to coordinate technical migration activities across cross-functional teams and communicate clearly with both engineers and non-technical stakeholders
• Ability to produce clear technical documentation, cutover plans, and status updates/reports
• Consulting experience preferred
• Federal or State/local government network experience a plus
• Must be able to pass a background investigation
• Must have U.S. Citizenship

Additional Information
• Bachelor's degree in a related field, or equivalent relevant experience, required
• Primarily remote work. Minimal travel may be required (up to 5%)