Manager, Network Engineering and Telecommunications

Draper Labs; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 118,000 - 308,000; Full time

Job summary

Draper Labs in Cambridge, MA, seeks a Manager of Network Engineering and Telecommunications to lead the enterprise network and VOIP, overseeing LAN/WAN, firewall, VPN, and security. You will guide a team of engineers across campus and satellite sites, shape architecture, and act as senior escalation during outages.

In this role you will manage projects, budget, and compliance with CMMC/NIST 800-171, collaborate with the Director of IT Infrastructure & Operations, and ensure reliable, secure

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a relevant field, or equivalent professional experience.
• 10 years of progressive experience in network engineering or IT infrastructure.
• 3 years of people-management or team-lead experience with hiring, performance management, and budget responsibilities.
• Experience operating in regulated/defense-industry environments (CMMC, NIST 800-171) preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and manage a team of network engineers and infrastructure personnel, including hiring and performance management.
• Oversee LAN/WAN architecture and operations across main campus and satellite sites, including IDF and data center facilities.
• Direct incident response as senior technical authority; lead troubleshooting across LAN, WAN, voice, and security layers.
• Manage enterprise firewall infrastructure, segmentation, VPN, NAC, and wireless platforms.
• Oversee CUCM voice/telephony environment and carrier relationships.
• Manage data centers, capacity planning, and physical security for network infrastructure.
• Plan and deliver network and structured-cabling builds for multiple facilities within budget and schedule.
• Maintain budgets, vendor relationships, circuits, and maintenance contracts; ensure compliance with security requirements.

Skills

Enterprise networking

Team leadership

Incident response

Security compliance

WAN/LAN administration

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/IT or equivalent

Tools

CUCM

Cisco routers & switches

Job description

Overview:

Draper is an independent, nonprofit research and development company headquartered in Cambridge, MA. The 2,000+ employees of Draper tackle important national challenges with a promise of delivering successful and usable solutions. From military defense and space exploration to biomedical engineering, lives often depend on the solutions we provide. Our multidisciplinary teams of engineers and scientists work in a collaborative environment that inspires the cross-fertilization of ideas necessary for true innovation. For more information about Draper, visit www.draper.com.

Job Description Summary:

The Manager of Network Engineering and Telecommunications provides technical leadership and direction for the enterprise network and telecommunications infrastructure spanning the main campus and thirteen satellite sites. The Manager leads a team of network engineers and infrastructure operations personnel responsible for the design, operation, security, and continuous availability of the corporate LAN, WAN, voice, and network security platforms. This is a technical leadership role: the Manager serves as the senior escalation point during outages and complex troubleshooting efforts, directing the team's diagnostic approach and driving rapid restoration, and manages the projects, operating budget, and compliance execution for the network environment, with strategy and architecture direction set in partnership with the Director of IT Infrastructure & Operations.

Job Description:

Duties/Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and manage a team of network engineers and infrastructure operations personnel, including hiring, professional development, and performance management.
• Manage the architecture and operation of the campus LAN and the enterprise WAN connecting satellite sites and data center facilities, including all IDF and satellite-site network infrastructure.
• Direct incident response as the senior technical authority; lead structured, first-principles troubleshooting across LAN, WAN, voice, and security layers to isolate faults and restore service rapidly.
• Manage the enterprise firewall infrastructure, including network segmentation architecture and dedicated segmentation firewalls supporting secure enclaves.
• Oversee VPN, load balancing, network access control (NAC), and enterprise wireless platforms.
• Manage the Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM) voice/telephony environment and related telecom services and carrier relationships.
• Manage the unclassified on-premises and collocated data centers, including the equipment installation, upgrade, and decommission lifecycle, environmental monitoring, capacity planning, and physical security.
• Serve as the subject-matter expert for IT facilities buildout in existing and planned facilities; plan and deliver network and structured-cabling infrastructure for multiple concurrent construction, renovation, and new-facility projects, on schedule and within budget.
• Manage vendor relationships, circuits, maintenance contracts, and the network operating and capital budgets.
• Ensure network infrastructure meets CMMC and NIST 800-171 security requirements; partner with Information Security on segmentation, access control, and compliance initiatives.
• Maintain configuration management, documentation, monitoring, and operational readiness across all network platforms.

Skills/Abilities

• Deep technical command of enterprise routing and switching, firewalls, segmentation, wireless, NAC, load balancing, VPN, and VoIP (Cisco environment preferred).
• Ability to credibly direct engineers through complex troubleshooting without serving as the primary hands-on resource.
• Demonstrated success managing multiple concurrent projects, vendors, and budgets in a multi-site enterprise environment.
• Experience operating in a regulated or defense-industry environment (CMMC, NIST 800-171) strongly preferred.

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a relevant field, or equivalent professional experience.

Experience

• 10 years of progressive experience in network engineering or IT infrastructure
• 3 years of people-management or demonstrated team-lead experience leading network or infrastructure teams, with responsibility for hiring, performance management, and budget

Additional Job Description:

Applicants selected for this position will be required to obtain and maintain a government security clearance.

Secret Clearance is preferred.

Job Location - City:

Cambridge

Job Location - State:

Massachusetts

Job Location - Postal Code:

02139-3563

The US base salary range for this full-time position is $117,500.00 - $307,500.00

Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target salaries for the position across all US locations.

Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Union ranges will be in compliance with the collective bargaining agreement's approved rates by location and role. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process. Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and does not include bonuses or benefits.

Draper is committed to creating an inclusive environment. We understand the value of inclusivity and its impact on a high-performance culture. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information. Draper is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. To request reasonable accommodation, please contact [e-mail].