Operations and Exercises Network Engineer for NATO with security clearance

The Network Engineer operates within a highly complex, multi-domain environment supporting mission-critical services and distributed architectures. The role combines advanced technical expertise with strong operational accountability, ensuring secure, resilient, and scalable interconnectivity across organizational boundaries. Beyond incident resolution, the position contributes to service evolution, risk-aware change implementation, and continuous improvement initiatives within a change-sensitive environment. Under the direction of the Senior Routing and Switching Engineer, but largely under own initiative., * Provide advanced Level 3 support for complex enterprise network environments.

• Lead the technical resolution of high-impact and high-severity incidents.
• Perform in-depth analysis of recurring issues and implement sustainable corrective actions.
• Identify opportunities for service optimization and operational improvements, and drive their implementation.
• Contribute to the design, planning, and implementation of network enhancements and new projects.
• Ensure technical correctness, operational readiness, and minimal service impact during changes and deployments.
• Validate and support network changes in line with governance and change management processes.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, external partners, and service stakeholders.
• Maintain accurate technical documentation and contribute to knowledge sharing within the team.
• Ensure that, on Routing and Switching elements, remote routine maintenance throughout NATO sites is performed
• Coordinate with sites for Routing and Switching elements centralisation, standardisation and best practices
• Liaise and collaborate internally throughout the NCI Agency Service Line infrastructures and to external organisations for fault rectification activities
• Being responsible for the creation and maintenance of Standard Operating Procedures
• Coordinates and performs routing infrastructures design, configuration and maintenance activities for all appointed NATO exercise scenarios and Operations
• Performing the practical evaluation of management tools and capabilities
• Ensure a common understanding of the available toolsets and method of utilization within the centralised and distributed user base
• Investigating and proposing long term solutions to encountered equipment and configuration problems
• When required, coordinates on-site surveys, validations and system acceptance testing into the Routing infrastructure.

• Education & Experience Baseline: Bachelor’s degree in a related discipline plus 2 years’ post-related experience; OR in lieu of a degree, at least 8 years of extensive and progressive expertise in duties related to the post.
• Core Network Engineering Experience: At least 8 years’ progressive experience in complex network engineering roles.
• Routing Protocol Expertise: Deep knowledge of BGP (route reflectors, confederations, communities, path manipulation, iBGP/eBGP, policy control), OSPF, IS-IS, MPLS Traffic Engineering, policy-based routing, route aggregation/summarization, redistribution, and VRF.
• IPv6 Proficiency: Proven expertise in IPv6 implementation, troubleshooting, and dual-stack environments, with strong focus on IPv6 adoption and transition strategies.
• Multicast Engineering: In-depth knowledge of multicast protocols (PIM sparse/dense mode, IGMP, MSDP, Anycast RP) and their configuration/troubleshooting in real-world deployments.
• QoS Design: Proficient in QoS design, shaping, policing, classification (CBWFQ, LLQ, WRED), with extensive experience fine-tuning policies for mission-critical and voice services.
• Datacenter & Switching: Proficient in datacenter and switching technologies including STP, MSTP, RapidPVST, EtherChannel, LACP, Virtual Stack, StackWise, Cisco Nexus NX-OS, Spine-Leaf architecture, and VXLAN.
• SD-WAN & Programmability: Hands-on experience with SD-WAN technologies, plus familiarity with DevNet, API integrations, and network programmability.
• Network Automation & Orchestration: Proficient in network automation and scripting (Python, Ansible, Terraform), with a minimum of 2 years’ experience configuring/operating HP Network Automation or equivalent orchestration systems.
• Monitoring, Troubleshooting & Incident Management: Minimum 4 years’ experience with network monitoring systems (ideally CA Spectrum); proven experience with incident management tools (e.g., BMC Remedy); strong troubleshooting skills using Wireshark, NetFlow, and SNMP; knowledge of network monitoring concepts.
• Security & ITIL Knowledge: Knowledge of network security best practices (ACLs, firewalls, VPNs, IPSec, AAA, RBAC, PKI, security hardening); knowledge of ITIL service management model and experience in Service Transition; experience in configuration management practices and tools.
• Soft Skills & Additional Competencies: Autonomous, problem-solver, drives towards results; good interpersonal skills and ability to work independently and in a team; comprehensive knowledge of C2 systems and software maintenance procedures; experience in site/system evaluations, inspections, test plans, technical documentation, and SOP preparation.