IP Network Test Engineer

NS4 Inc; Fort Meade, Northern (MD, KY); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

NS4 Inc. is seeking an IP Network Test Engineer to design, develop, execute, and document test activities for large-scale IP networks and services.

You will work with senior engineers and customer teams to validate performance, resiliency, and interoperability in lab and production-like environments. The role involves hands-on testing, troubleshooting complex network issues, and helping automate repeatable testing.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent; CCNP/CCIE/JNCIE considered.
• 3–7 years in IP network engineering, testing, or related field.
• SEC+ certification or DoD 8570 Information Assurance Technical / II certification.
• Hands-on experience with enterprise or service-provider network equipment.
• Knowledge of Cisco, Juniper, Nokia, Arista, or other major network platforms.
• Experience with MPLS, Segment Routing, EVPN/VXLAN, QoS, SD‑WAN.

Responsibilities

• Develop, document, and execute IP network test plans, test cases, and test procedures.
• Perform functional and performance testing of routers, switches, firewalls, and network services.
• Validate IP routing, forwarding, resiliency, and convergence behavior.
• Test routing protocols including BGP and OSPF.
• Test IPv4 and IPv6 network functionality.
• Capture and analyze traffic using Wireshark/tcpdump; utilize Ixia/Keysight/Spirent generators.

Skills

Network resiliency testing

High-availability routing

Network virtualization

Python/Ansible scripting

Git/version-control

Automated regression tests/CI/CD

Network modeling/digital twins

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent; CCNP/CCIE/JNCIE considered

Tools

Ixia

Keysight

Spirent

Wireshark

Job description

We are seeking an IP Network Test Engineer to support the design, development, execution, and documentation of test activities for large-scale IP networks and network services. The engineer will work with senior network engineers and customer technical teams to develop and execute test plans that validate network performance, functionality, resiliency, interoperability, and configuration. The position will involve hands‑on testing in laboratory and production‑like environments, troubleshooting complex network issues, and supporting the automation of repeatable network testing. The ideal candidate has a strong foundation in IP networking and routing, hands‑on experience with network equipment and test environments, and an interest in applying automation to network engineering and validation.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, document, and execute IP network test plans, test cases, and test procedures.
• Perform functional and performance testing of routers, switches, firewalls, and network services.
• Validate IP routing, forwarding, resiliency, and convergence behavior.
• Test routing protocols including BGP and OSPF.
• Test IPv4 and IPv6 network functionality.
• Validate VLAN, VRF, MPLS, QoS, SD‑WAN and other network services.
• Perform network failover, resiliency, and recovery testing, including link, interface, device, and path failures.
• Conduct interoperability testing across multi‑vendor network environments.
• Perform baseline and performance testing, including throughput, latency, packet loss, jitter, and convergence measurements.
• Configure and operate network equipment within laboratory and test environments.
• Develop test topologies that replicate customer network architectures and operational scenarios.
• Use network traffic generators and test equipment to generate and analyze realistic traffic flows.
• Capture and analyze network traffic using tools such as Wireshark and tcpdump.
• Troubleshoot test failures and determine whether issues are caused by network configuration, software, hardware, protocols, or test infrastructure.
• Document test results, defects, observations, and recommended corrective actions.
• Support development of automated network testing and regression test capabilities.
• Support development and maintenance of network testbeds and virtualized network environments.
• Participate in engineering reviews and technical discussions with customer and vendor personnel.
• Support network modernization and technology evaluations by testing new hardware, software, protocols, and architecture.
• Maintain accurate test documentation, configurations, test data, and laboratory records.

Desired Qualifications

• Network resiliency and convergence testing.
• Testing high‑availability routing architectures.
• Experience with network virtualization and virtual network appliances.
• Script development using Python, Ansible, or similar automation technologies to configure equipment, execute tests, collect results, and generate reports.
• Experience with Git or other configuration/version‑control systems.
• Experience developing automated regression test suites and CI/CD concepts applied to network testing.
• Familiarity with network modeling, digital twins, or network simulation environments.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related technical discipline; equivalent experience or certifications such as CCNP, CCIE, or JNCIE will be considered
• 3–7 years of experience in IP network engineering, network testing, network operations, or a related field
• SEC+ certification or equivalent DoD 8570 Information Assurance Technical / Information Assurance Management Level II certification
• Hands‑on experience with enterprise or service‑provider network equipment
• Knowledge of Cisco, Juniper, Nokia, Arista, or other major network platforms
• Experience supporting large enterprise, telecommunications, government, or defense networks
• Strong understanding of routing and switching concepts including TCP/IP, BGP, OSPF, VLANs, VRFs, and IPv4/IPv6
• Experience with MPLS, Segment Routing, EVPN/VXLAN, QoS, multicast, and SD‑WAN
• Experience developing and executing network test plans and test cases
• Experience troubleshooting network connectivity, routing, and performance problems
• Experience using packet capture and network analysis tools such as Wireshark
• Experience with network traffic generators such as Ixia, Keysight, Spirent, or equivalent platforms
• Experience with Linux servers
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills
• Ability to document technical findings clearly and produce professional test reports
• Strong verbal and written communication skills