Lead Network Engineer

The Lead, Network Engineering is responsible for designing, securing, and operating the enterprise connectivity fabric that enables all business and mission systems. This role ensures reliable, compliant, and high-performance connectivity across cloud, corporate, and secure environments.

This is a working leadership role in a lean IT organization. You will set direction, define architecture, and execute hands-on network engineering while coordinating closely with Platform Engineering, Cybersecurity, and Digital & AI Engineering to ensure secure and integrated delivery.

• Define and maintain the enterprise network architecture across LAN/WAN, VPN, SD-WAN, and hybrid cloud environments
• Design Azure connectivity (ExpressRoute, site-to-site VPN, virtual network architecture) aligned to GCCH constraints
• Establish network segmentation and boundary enforcement consistent with Zero Trust principles and CMMC requirements
• Maintain documentation of network topology, boundaries, and system interconnections for audit and compliance purposes

• Own enterprise connectivity across physical sites, remote workforce, and cloud environments
• Design and maintain firewall policies, routing configurations, and secure access controls
• Enable secure remote access for distributed and mobile users
• Support SCIF and secure facility network requirements, including design, documentation, and compliance alignment

• Monitor network performance, availability, and capacity across all locations
• Identify and resolve performance bottlenecks impacting application and data workloads
• Establish and track SLAs for network uptime and recovery objectives
• Lead incident response efforts related to connectivity and network disruptions

• Partner with Cybersecurity to implement and validate network security controls and segmentation
• Ensure transport-layer security meets FIPS 140-2/140-3 requirements
• Maintain network boundary documentation and evidence required for CMMC assessment
• Support vulnerability remediation and security incident containment at the network layer

• Partner with Platform Engineering on cloud networking, private endpoints, and identity-aware access
• Support Digital & AI Engineering by designing data paths and connectivity for application and AI workloads
• Participate in CAB and ARB forums to assess network impact of changes and new designs

• →Contribute to System Security Plan (SSP) documentation related to network architecture and boundaries
• →Support CMMC audit readiness activities, including documentation and evidence collection
• →Participate in vendor evaluation and selection for networking hardware, services, and connectivity solutions
• →Mentor junior engineers and contribute to hiring and onboarding efforts

• 8–12+ years of experience in network engineering, infrastructure engineering, or cloud networking
• Experience designing and operating enterprise network architectures across hybrid environments
• Hands-on experience with Azure networking (or equivalent cloud platform)
• Experience supporting geographically distributed organizations with multiple sites and remote users
• Experience working in regulated environments (CMMC, NIST, ISO, or equivalent)

• Experience with Network technologies: routing, switching, VPN, SD-WAN, firewall configuration
• Experience with Cloud networking: Azure virtual networks, ExpressRoute, private endpoints
• Experience with Security: Zero Trust architecture, segmentation, encryption standards
• Experience with Monitoring and troubleshooting tools for network performance and availability
• Experience with Documentation and diagramming of enterprise network architectures

• Ability to operate as a technical leader and domain owner in a lean organization
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills
• Ability to communicate technical concepts to both engineering teams and leadership
• Experience coordinating work across multiple teams without direct authority

• Experience supporting SCIF or secure facility network environments
• Familiarity with CMMC Level 2 requirements and audit expectations
• Experience with network automation and infrastructure-as-code approaches
• Experience in a GovCon or similarly regulated environment
• Attained industry recognized certifications such as CCNP, CCNA or some subset of those certifications (Cisco routing and switching for example).
• Experience or familiarity with the FortiNet suite of products and solutions.

• U.S. Citizenship required
• Must be eligible for security clearance
• Must comply with all enterprise security and data handling policies
• Must adhere to CMMC-mandated practices and training requirements

• You think in terms of systems and connectivity, not just devices and configurations
• You understand that network design is foundational to security and performance
• You operate comfortably as both architect and operator
• You prioritize clarity, documentation, and repeatability in your work
• You are effective in a lean environment, where ownership is broad and resources are limited

This role is one of five pillar leadership positions within Enterprise IT. The team operates with shared accountability and a strong emphasis on cross-functional execution. The Lead, Network Engineering is responsible for ensuring that connectivity is never a constraint to business operations or technology delivery.