Senior Network Engineer

The Parallax Advanced Research mission is to deliver innovative research and provide technology, human, and business solutions through The Science of Intelligent Teaming for government, industry, and academic clients. The Senior Network Engineer leads the architecture, engineering, security, and lifecycle management of the enterprise, data center, and research networks that support Parallax advanced technology programs. This senior technical contributor owns complex designs and escalations, sets network standards, shares expertise with less experienced engineers, and partners with cybersecurity, systems administration, engineering, and program stakeholders to deliver resilient, scalable, and compliant infrastructure. This is an individual contributor position with no supervisory responsibilities., The essential functions include, but are not limited to the following: Network Architecture & Design

• Lead design and modernization of LAN/WAN, wireless, data center, and segmented research networks, and define technical roadmaps, standards, and capacity plans.
• Own advanced routing, switching, and segmentation designs (TCP/IP, VLANs, ACLs, OSPF, BGP, STP, 802.1Q), weighing performance, reliability, and security tradeoffs.
• Architect secure connectivity for laboratories, compute clusters, virtualization hosts, storage, and government program enclaves, maintaining required separation of environments.

Network Engineering & Operations

• Engineer and administer enterprise switches, routers, next-generation firewalls, VPNs, and network access controls, with resilient, high-availability designs.
• Serve as the senior escalation point for critical network incidents and lead packet-level troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and corrective actions.
• Maintain network monitoring, alerting, and performance reporting.
• Assess change risk and follow change management procedures for planned changes and maintenance windows, including after-hours work.

Security & Compliance

• Lead network controls supporting CUI protection, NIST SP 800-171, CMMC Level 2, and applicable federal requirements, and coordinate hardening and vulnerability remediation.
• Partner with cybersecurity staff on logging, incident response, least-privilege access, secure remote access, firewall rule governance, and audit evidence.

Systems Support

• Provide senior-level support for Windows Server and Linux services, Active Directory/Group Policy, DNS/DHCP, VMware/Hyper-V, patching, and backup and recovery coordination.

Documentation, Projects & Technical Leadership

• Drive infrastructure deployments and upgrades, and develop architecture diagrams, configuration baselines, IP address plans, operating procedures, and disaster recovery documentation.
• Evaluate products, guide vendors and service providers, and manage network hardware lifecycle, maintenance contracts, and circuits.
• Review designs, share technical expertise with less experienced engineers and administrators, and communicate recommendations and risks to stakeholders.
• Follow all requirements for handling CUI and classified information and systems.
• Other duties as assigned.

• US Citizenship.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Network Engineering, Cybersecurity, or a related field; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
• 8+ years of progressively responsible enterprise network engineering experience, including ownership of complex designs, migrations, and high-severity troubleshooting.
• Advanced hands-on knowledge of enterprise routing and switching, firewall administration, VPNs, segmentation, network monitoring, and packet analysis.
• Experience with enterprise platforms such as Cisco, Juniper, or Aruba, and core services including DNS, DHCP, NTP, SNMP, RADIUS, and TACACS+.
• Working knowledge of Windows Server, Linux, Active Directory/Group Policy, VMware or Hyper-V, and secure server operations.
• Demonstrated ability to lead technical projects, produce clear architecture documentation, and communicate risks and decisions.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance as required by assigned programs.
• Availability for scheduled after-hours maintenance and on-call support for critical incidents., * CCNP or equivalent advanced networking certification; Security+, CISSP, CCIE, or relevant Microsoft or VMware credentials.
• DoD 8140 qualification (for example, Security+ CE) for privileged access to DoD systems.
• Experience with DoD or federal programs, isolated or classified environments, secure research laboratories, and high-performance computing or data center networks.
• Familiarity with CMMC Level 2, NIST SP 800-171/800-53, RMF, DISA STIGs, vulnerability management, and assessment support.
• Network automation with Python, PowerShell, or Ansible, and hybrid cloud networking in Azure or AWS.
• Active Secret clearance or higher.

Physical Demands and Work Environment The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. Office, laboratory, and data center work, including occasional lifting of server and network equipment up to 50 pounds. Occasional after-hours maintenance. Travel up to 10 percent, which may flex during projects.