Network Architect

Socket.dev; Hampton (VA); On-site; USD 116,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Leidos Defense Sector is seeking a Network Architect to lead enterprise network design and modernization across DoD environments, including WAN, campus, and data centers, with a focus on Zero Trust and secure interconnections.

The role drives architecture governance, guides engineering teams through implementation, and ensures RMF/DISA compliance from concept through operations while collaborating with government leadership and program offices.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with 12+ years of experience or Master’s with 10+ years.
• Active Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility.
• DoD 8570/8140 IAT Level III certification and networking certs (CCNP/JNCIP).
• 12-15 years of progressive network engineering, 5+ years in architecture.
• Expert-level routing/switching, data-center fabrics, and secure remote access.

Responsibilities

• Develop target-state network architectures and roadmaps.
• Produce high/low level designs for WAN, data center, and campus.
• Architect Zero Trust capabilities and secure interconnections.
• Guide architecture reviews and governance with government leadership.
• Mentor engineers and ensure RMF/ DISA compliance from design to ops.

Skills

Routing & Switching

BGP/OSPF/IS-IS

MPLS/L3VPN

VXLAN/EVPN

Zero Trust

Data Center Fabric

Type 1 Encryption

IPv6

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree

Tools

Firewalls

eMASS/ATO

Cisco CCNP

Juniper JNCIP

Job description

The Defense Sector at Leidos is seeking a highly experienced Network Architect to lead the design and modernization of enterprise network infrastructure across Department of War networks. This individual will serve as the senior technical authority for network architecture - translating mission requirements into secure, resilient, and scalable designs spanning WAN, campus, data center, and tactical edge environments. The Network Architect will drive Zero Trust alignment, guide engineering teams through implementation, and ensure every design meets DISA, RMF, and program security requirements from concept through operations.

Roles and Responsibilities:

Architecture & Design

• Develop target-state network architectures and multi-year modernization roadmaps aligned with mission, program, and DoD enterprise objectives.
• Produce high-level and low-level designs for WAN, campus, data center, and cloud-connected environments, including routing policy, segmentation, and redundancy models.
• Architect Zero Trust network capabilities, including micro-segmentation, software-defined perimeter, and policy enforcement points aligned with DoD ZT pillars.
• Design secure interconnections between classification levels and mission partners, coordinating Type 1 encryption and boundary protection requirements.

Security & Compliance

• Ensure all designs incorporate DISA STIG, SRG, and RMF control requirements from inception, and support ISSMs/ISSOs with architecture artifacts for eMASS and ATO submissions.
• Evaluate architectural risk, define compensating controls, and support Plans of Action and Milestones (POA&M) remediation at the design level.
• Align boundary and connection designs with DISA Connection Approval Process (CAP) and cybersecurity service provider (CSSP) requirements.

Technical Leadership & Governance

• Serve as the senior technical authority and escalation point for network engineering, operations, and NOC/SOC teams.
• Lead architecture and design reviews, present recommendations to government leadership, and brief Configuration Control Board (CCB) decisions.
• Establish and maintain network design standards, reference architectures, and naming and addressing conventions.
• Mentor senior and mid-level engineers and provide technical oversight during implementation and cutover activities.

Lifecycle & Modernization

• Conduct technology assessments, Analyses of Alternatives (AoA), and proof-of-concept evaluations for emerging network capabilities.
• Drive hardware and software lifecycle planning, including end-of-life replacement, capacity planning, and performance baselining.
• Champion network automation and infrastructure-as-code practices to improve consistency, compliance, and deployment speed.

Required Qualifications:

• Clearance: US Citizen with at least an active Top Secret clearance and the ability to obtain a SCI prior to your start date.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree with 12+ years of experience or a Master’s degree with 10+ years of experience. Additional experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• Certifications: DoD 8570/8140 IAT Level III certification (e.g., CISSP, CompTIA SecurityX/CASP+ CE) and a professional-level networking certification (e.g., Cisco CCNP Enterprise, Juniper JNCIP).
• Experience: 12-15 years of progressive network engineering experience, including at least 5 years in a network architecture or senior design role supporting DoD environments.
• Technical Expertise:
  • Expert-level knowledge of routing and switching, including BGP, OSPF, IS-IS, MPLS/L3VPN, IP multicast, and QoS design.
  • Proven experience architecting data center fabrics (e.g., VXLAN/EVPN, spine-leaf) and enterprise campus and WAN topologies.
  • Hands-on design experience with next-generation firewalls, network segmentation, and secure remote access architectures.
  • Working knowledge of Type 1 encryption (HAIPE/TACLANE) and classified network enclaves.
  • Strong understanding of dual-stack IPv4/IPv6 design and enterprise IP address management.
• Compliance Knowledge: In-depth familiarity with RMF, NIST SP 800-53, DISA Network Infrastructure STIGs, and the DoD Zero Trust Reference Architecture.
• Documentation: Demonstrated ability to produce high-level and low-level designs, network diagrams, and architecture artifacts suitable for ATO packages and design reviews.

Preferred Qualification:

• Clearance: US Citizen with an active TS/SCI
• Expert Certification: Cisco CCNP, or Juniper JNCIP.
• SD-WAN & Cloud: Design experience with SD-WAN and hybrid connectivity to AWS GovCloud, Azure Government, or classified cloud environments.
• Network Automation: Proficiency with Ansible workflows for network configuration.
• Enterprise Programs: Familiarity with DISN transport services, Joint Regional Security Stacks (JRSS), CSfC, or cross-domain solution (CDS) architectures.
• Tactical Networks: Experience designing deployable, disconnected, or low-bandwidth tactical network architectures.

DABAOPP1

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.

Pay Range:

Pay Range $116,350.00 - $210,325.00

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline onlyand 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.