Network Automation Engineer – Configuration Management (w/ active Secret)

CriticalSolutions, LLC; Norfolk (VA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

100% premium coverage for Medical, D e

401K matching

Flexible Time Off (PTO/Holidays)

Higher Education/Training Reimbursemen

Job summary

Critical Solutions in Norfolk, VA is seeking a Network Automation Engineer – Configuration Management to automate configuration lifecycles across routers, switches, firewalls, and load balancers. The role aims to reduce drift and manual errors by leveraging modern NM S and IaC workflows.

The candidate will implement NMS platforms and automation tools to enforce standards, manage backups, and perform rapid rollbacks.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field.
• Experience with network automation tools and modern CI/CD workflows.
• Strong understanding of core networking protocols and vendor OS.
• Proven ability to manage baseline configurations and automations.

Responsibilities

• Configuration Lifecycle & Baseline Management across global production nodes.
• Drift detection and real-time audit against gold standards.
• Backup management and rapid rollback procedures for outages.
• Automated remediation for non-compliant infrastructure nodes.
• Develop and maintain CI/CD pipelines for network changes.
• Tier-3 troubleshooting for complex outages caused by configuration or upgrades.
• Coordinate mass patching campaigns across thousands of devices.

Skills

Ansible

Terraform

Python

Jinja2

Git

GitLab CI/CD

GitHub Actions

Jenkins

Docker

Nautobot

Cisco IOS/IOS-XE/XR

OpenText Network Automation

Infoblox IPAM

Wireshark

BGP

OSPF

VLANs

VRFs

ACLs

SSH/SNMP

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Engineering

Tools

Cisco Catalyst Center

OpenText NNMi

OpenText Network Automation

Nautobot

Infoblox IPAM

Wireshark

Git

GitLab CI/CD

Jenkins

Docker

Job description

Location: Norfolk, VA

Clearance: Secret

Type: Full-time, Onsite

Salary Range: $85,000 - $110,000.

Critical Solutions has an immediate opening for a Network Automation Engineer - Configuration Management. The Configuration Management Engineer is responsible for ensuring the stability, consistency, and compliance of the enterprise network infrastructure. This role focuses on maintaining the lifecycle of network device configurations across all nodes (routers, switches, firewalls, and load balancers). The engineer will eliminate manual errors and baseline drift by leveraging modern Network Management Systems (NMS) and advanced infrastructure-as-code automation frameworks.

Key Responsibilities

• Configuration Lifecycle & Baseline Management
• Establish official baselines for all production network node types across the global footprint.
• Perform drift detection to continuously audit real-time configurations against approved gold standards.
• Manage configuration backups and rollback procedures to ensure rapid disaster recovery.
• Enforce compliance standards by executing automated remediation on non-compliant infrastructure nodes.
• NMS Tool Administration & Optimization
• NMS platforms (Cisco Catalyst Center, OpenText NNMi, OpenText Network Automation and others) for inventory discovery and configuration storage.
• Integrate Source-of-Truth systems (Nautobot) with the NMS to keep network topology and IPAM data synchronized.
• Configure alert thresholds within the NMS to flag unauthorized manual configuration changes instantly.
• Generate compliance reports for leadership and audit teams regarding network patch levels and vulnerabilities.
• Network Configuration Automation & CI/CD Pipeline Engineering
• Write automation playbooks using tools like Ansible, Terraform, and Python to push global changes safely.
• Maintain Git repositories for the network infrastructure code, managing pull requests and peer configuration reviews.
• Build CI/CD pipelines (GitLab CI, Jenkins) to validate, lint, and dry-run network changes before deployment.
• Develop automated validation workflows to check network health before and after a change window.
• Change Control & Third-Tier Support
• Review high-impact modifications to ensure alignment with standard architecture templates.
• Provide Tier-3 troubleshooting for complex network outages caused by configuration discrepancies or failed software upgrades.
• Coordinate mass patching campaigns to fix vendor software vulnerabilities across thousands of active network nodes.

Required Qualifications & Technical Competencies

Technical Skills & Toolsets

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering discipline

Network Automation: Ansible, Terraform, Python, Jinja2 and other template modeling.

• NMS & Tools: Cisco Catalyst Center, OpenText Network Automation, Nautobot, Infoblox IPAM, Wireshark.
• DevOps Workflows: Git, GitLab CI/CD, GitHub Actions, Jenkins, Docker.
• Core Networking: Solid understanding of BGP, OSPF, VLANs, VRFs, ACLs, and SSH/SNMP protocols.
• Vendor OS Fluency: Cisco IOS/IOS-XE/XR, Juniper JunOS, Arista EOS.

Soft Skills & Certifications

• Data-driven analytical thinker skilled at tracking down anomalies in massive configuration text files.
• Detail-oriented planner capable of coordinating large-scale automated pushes across global time zones.

LOCATION

• Norfolk, VA

Additional Information

CLEARANCE REQUIREMENT: Must possess an active DoD Secret Clearance. In addition, selected candidate must undergo background investigation (BI) and finger printing by the federal agency and successfully pass the preceding to qualify for the position. US CITIZENSHIP IS REQUIRED.

Critical Solutions Pay And Benefits

Salary Range: $85,000 - $110,000 per year. The salary range for this position represent the typical salary range for this job level and this does not guarantee a specific salary. Compensation is based upon multiple factors such as responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, certifications, and other requirements.

BENEFIT SNAPSHOT: 100% premium coverage for Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance, Supplemental Insurance, 401K matching, Flexible Time Off (PTO/Holidays), Higher Education/Training Reimbursement, and more.