Senior Network Engineer

The L616 - Enterprise and Tactical Networking Department within MITRE Technology and Engineering specializes in complex network challenges vital to national well-being. Our work involves researching, developing, and applying advanced technologies in core areas such as:

• Network architecture and design
• Software-defined and virtual networks (SDN/NFV)
• Network reliability, resilience, mission security and assurance, and network data analytics
• End-to-end network modeling, simulation, and analysis (MS&A), testing and evaluation (T&E), and AFSIM
• Embedded networks (IoT, ICS, SCADA)
• Tactical and threat-informed networking

By integrating deep technical expertise across these networking domains, we provide our federal sponsors with comprehensive solutions that enable their mission outcomes.

Roles & Responsibilities

MITRE’s Enterprise and Tactical Networking Department is seeking talented Senior Network Engineers to join our team and leverage expertise in enterprise networking, network security, automation, and infrastructure architecture to address complex technical challenges for a wide range of sponsor organizations.

Candidates will contribute to:

• Network Design: Defining validated designs for networks with the details required for implementation.
• Software-Defined / Virtual Networks: Configuring, deploying, testing, and validating the latest technologies in software-defined and virtualized networks, as well as “traditional” networking.
• Mission Security and Assurance: Conducting cybersecurity risk assessments of proposed and existing designs to evaluate security posture, identify threats and vulnerabilities, and recommend mitigation strategies.
• Network Data Analytics: Designing, implementing, and enhancing network monitoring and data collection capabilities to provide visibility into performance, availability, and operational health.
• Network Modeling, Simulation, and Analysis: Developing and applying network modeling, simulation, emulation, and test methodologies to validate design assumptions, analyze traffic patterns, assess resiliency, and predict performance and scalability outcomes.
• Tactical and Threat-Informed Networking: Developing solutions for coupling non-traditional, external threat feeds into traditional network routing parameters (i.e., bandwidth, delay, throughput) to better influence communications paths in challenging network environments.
• End-to-End Network Engineering: Contributing to the design, implementation, testing, validation, and modernization of secure, resilient, and scalable network environments spanning LAN/WAN, data center, and tactical operations use cases. The role requires strong collaboration, technical rigor, and the ability to translate mission needs into practical engineering solutions.

• Typically requires a minimum of 5 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 3 years and a Master’s degree; or a PhD with relevant experience who can immediately contribute at this job step; or an equivalent combination of related education and work experience.
• Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a Secret U.S. Government-issued Security Clearance. Per the U.S. Government’s eligibility requirements, you must be a U.S. citizen to be considered for a security clearance.
• This position requires a minimum of 4 days per week on-site.
• The candidate will engage in hands-on, mission-driven work. Responsibilities span the full solution lifecycle-from design and prototyping through testing, implementation, and monitoring-across various networking use cases and solutions.
• The candidate is expected to have some experience in the following:
• Network Design: Defining designs that enable secure, scalable, resilient, and supportable solutions, including:Target-state designsOperational processesImplementation artifacts
• Software-Defined / Virtual Networks: Some experience with software-defined and virtualized networks, as well as “traditional” networking protocols and concepts, such as:IPv4/IPv6Interior gateway routing protocols (e.g., OSPF)SD-WANDocker Swarm / KubernetesNetwork segmentation
• Mission Security and Assurance: Conducting and providing:Risk assessmentsThreat and vulnerability identificationMitigation strategy recommendations
• Network Data Analytics: Monitoring, troubleshooting, and managing networks using protocols and technologies such as:SNMP and/or SyslogNetFlow/IPFIXAPIs and dashboards
• Technical Reporting and Communications: Clearly communicating technical findings, methodologies, and project outcomes through written reports, briefings, and demonstrations.
• Knowledge Sharing: Actively participating in internal MITRE technical exchange events focused on emerging trends in networking and service management.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Data Science, or a related discipline, or an equivalent combination of related education and work experience.
• Associate-level networking certification(s), such as CCNA or JNCIA.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong communication, presentation, and writing skills.
• Ability to thrive in collaborative working relationships with people of different backgrounds.
• Knowledge of or hands-on experience in the following areas:
• Network Services: Recent hands-on experience configuring core network services (i.e., DHCP, DNS, NTP) and multiple routing protocols (i.e., OSPF, BGP).
• Virtualization and Continuous Integration: Experience with DevOps paradigms supported by virtualization, containerization, cloud, and serverless architectures.
• Software Development and Automation: Experience using languages such as Go, C++, Python, and JavaScript. Strong proficiency in scripting and automation using tools and frameworks such as Ansible, Terraform, PowerShell, and Bash. Experience with version control systems, particularly Git, for source code management, collaboration, and CI/CD workflow integration.
• Network Data Analytics & Monitoring: Experience collecting, processing, and analyzing large-scale network data (e.g., logs, flows, telemetry, SNMP, etc.) using tools such as Splunk, Elasticsearch, and Wireshark. Experience developing dashboards and visualizations to monitor network performance, capacity, and anomalies using Grafana, Kibana, and Microsoft Power BI. Experience implementing data pipelines for rea

At MITRE, your passion fuels work that impacts our nation and improves lives. This is where your skills strengthen national security, cybersecurity, health, transportation, and citizen services. We’re a nonprofit engineering, applied research, and advanced technology organization working in the public interest. With objectivity and integrity at our core, we lead federally funded research and development centers for U.S. government agencies - collaborating with industry and academia to deliver integrated, high-impact solutions that advance our nation’s health, security, and prosperity. Our people tackle the toughest technical challenges, supported by competitive benefits, meaningful career development, and a culture of innovation, collaboration, and technical excellence. Choose MITRE for a career with purpose - and help shape the future.