Lead Network Engineer

Koitecc Solutions; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 131,000 - 237,000; Full time

Job summary

Leidos is seeking a Lead Network Engineer for the SMIT contract, based at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. You will design, implement, and maintain robust, global network and security solutions—routing, switching, wireless, DMZ, VPNs—for NMCI and Navy customers around the world.

As a technical leader, you will guide engineering standards and governance, provide Tier-III escalation support to NOC, and drive incident response, change, and problem management.

Qualifications

• B.S. Degree and 12+ years of relevant network engineering experience.
• Active DoD Secret clearance required.
• Active DoD 8570.01 IAT Level III certification (e.g., CCNP Security, CISSP, CASP+).
• Active network vendor certification from Cisco/Juniper/Palo Alto/F5 Networks required.

Responsibilities

• Lead engineering efforts across BAN/LAN, Wireless, and WAN/Boundary architectures.
• Provide Tier-III escalation support to NOC and watch staff.
• Drive incident response, change management, problem management, and DevSecOps initiatives.
• Design, implement, and maintain robust global network and security solutions.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams and SRE leadership to align engineering with mission goals.

Skills

Technical leadership

Cybersecurity SME

Engineering standards

Operations & escalation

24x7 on-call readiness

Education

B.S. Degree or higher

Tools

Cisco

Juniper

Palo Alto

F5 Networks

Job description

Leidos currently has an opening on the ‘Service Management, Integration and Transport’ (SMIT) Contract for a Lead Network Engineer located in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Join our team to support the SMIT mission, the largest IT services program for the United States Navy. As part of the Leidos team, you will play a pivotal role in delivering the Navy-Marine Corps Intranet (NMCI) to customers around the globe.

We are seeking a highly skilled and solution-focused Lead Network Engineer who will serve as a technical leader and subject matter expert across BAN/LAN, Wireless, and WAN/Boundary environments. In this role, you will be responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining robust, mature global network and security solutions, including routing, switching, wireless, firewalls, DMZ, and VPN technologies.

You will collaborate closely with cross-functional engineering teams, domain architects, project managers, automation teams and Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) leadership to safeguard our network infrastructure against threats and ensure the highest levels of operational integrity. As a senior member of the technical team, you will manage customer relationships, drive operational processes, and oversee critical resources for Incident Response, Change Management, Problem Management, and DevSecOps initiatives.

Primary Responsibilities

• Technical Leadership & Scope: Lead engineering efforts and collaborate with team members across BAN/LAN, Wireless, and WAN/Boundary architectures.
• Cybersecurity Subject Matter Expertise: Serve as a cybersecurity SME. Provide technical inputs to cybersecurity topics, including managing STIG vulnerabilities for Cyber Operational Readiness Assessment (CORA) inspections and leading enterprise-wide remediation efforts.
• Engineering Standards & Governance: Create, modify, and peer-review Engineering Implementation Plans (EIPs). Participate in and present plans at Engineering Review Boards (ERB).
• Operations & Escalation Support: Provide Tier-III escalation support to the Network Operations Center (NOC) and watch staff. Lead troubleshooting and root-cause analysis for complex network and security incidents.
• 24/7 Mission Readiness: Provide 24x7 support on an on-call rotation to resolve critical network issues and meet Navy mission requirements.
• Customer & Stakeholder Collaboration: Maintain clear, concise, and professional communication with customers, domain architects, project managers, and SRE leadership to align engineering execution with mission goals.
• Network & Security Administration: Perform highly technical maintenance, performance tuning, and configuration changes on Routers, switches, firewalls, VPNs, and DMZ appliances.
• Continuous Service Improvement (CSI): Drive the development of new processes and procedures, write/maintain SOPs/TTPs, and identify network automation opportunities to improve delivery efficiency and reliability.

Basic Qualifications

• Education & Experience: B.S. Degree and 12+ years of prior relevant experience in network engineering. Work experience may be substituted for a degree at the Hiring Manager’s discretion.
• Security Clearance: U.S. Citizenship with an active DoD Secret security clearance.
• DoD 8570 Certification: Must currently possess an active DoD 8570.01 IAT Level III Certification (e.g., CCNP Security, CISSP, CASP+, or equivalent).
• Vendor Certifications: Must currently possess an active Associate-level (or higher) Network Vendor Certification from at least one of the following: Cisco, Juniper, Palo Alto, or F5 Networks.
• Technical Breadth: Hands-on experience engineering, troubleshooting, and administering enterprise networks utilizing technologies from multiple vendors, including:
  • Cisco
  • Juniper
  • Palo Alto Networks
  • F5 Networks
  • Brocade
  • Aruba
  • McAfee
  • Gigamon
• Protocols & Networking Expertise: Extensive experience with routing, switching, MPLS, VPNs, routing protocols (BGP, OSPF), switching protocols (Spanning Tree Protocol, VLANs, LLDP, VoIP), Multicast, and emerging network technologies.
• IP Architecture: Deep understanding and in-depth knowledge of IP network/subnet addressing and modern network topologies.
• Automation & IaC: Hands-on experience with Network Automation tools and principles (e.g., Ansible, Python, Infrastructure as Code).
• Availability: Ability to work or be called in during off-hours to support critical incident resolution. Must participate in a 24x7 on-call rotation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience supporting the Navy-Marine Corps Intranet (NMCI) or other large-scale DoD enterprise networks.
• Strong background in DevSecOps practices applied to network infrastructure.

NGEN

If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo - because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 - and moving faster than anyone else dares.

Original Posting:

September 4, 2026

Pay Range:

Pay Range $131,300.00 - $237,350.00

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.

About Leidos

Leidos is an industry and technology leader serving government and commercial customers with smarter, more efficient digital and mission innovations. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with 47,000 global employees, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $16.7 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2025. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.

Pay and Benefits

Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision. That's why we craft compensation packages that reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers. Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement. More details are available at www.leidos.com/careers/pay-benefits.

Securing Your Data

Beware of fake employment opportunities using Leidos’ name. Leidos will never ask you to provide payment-related information during any part of the employment application process (i.e., ask you for money), nor will Leidos ever advance money as part of the hiring process (i.e., send you a check or money order before doing any work). Further, Leidos will only communicate with you through emails that are generated by the Leidos.com automated system - never from free commercial services (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail) or via WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. If you received an email purporting to be from Leidos that asks for payment-related information or any other personal information (e.g., about you or your previous employer), and you are concerned about its legitimacy, please make us aware immediately by emailing us at [e-mail].

If you believe you are the victim of a scam, contact your local law enforcement and report the incident to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

Commitment to Non-Discrimination

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, age, national origin, citizenship, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, family structure, marital status, ancestry, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Leidos will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with relevant laws.