Network Engineer 3

CHIPTON-ROSS Inc.; San Antonio (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Chipton-Ross is seeking a Network Engineer 3 in San Antonio, TX for a contract role. Responsibilities include designing and sustaining mission-critical launch networks, aligning designs with RMF/ATO, and collaborating with cyber teams to ensure secure baselines.

The role requires a STEM degree, DoD Top Secret clearance with SCI access eligibility, and IAT Level II certification. On-site in San Antonio with full-time hours and government project exposure.

Qualifications

• Requires STEM degree with experience in engineering; or advanced degrees with more experience.
• U.S. Citizenship with DoD Top Secret clearance and SCI eligibility within 24 months.
• DoD 8570 IAT Level II certification or equivalent before start.
• Experience planning, implementing, operating, and troubleshooting IP networks, including security practices.

Responsibilities

• Designs, plans, and documents network architecture for launch and test networks.
• Lead network design, implementation, and performance tuning with cyber teams.
• Ensure RMF/ATO alignment and secure baselines across infrastructure.
• Configure and maintain enterprise-scale network systems (routers, switches, firewalls).
• Lead end-to-end testing and validate configurations for reliability and security.
• Develop implementation plans for network upgrades with minimal disruption.
• Operate core network services (DNS, DHCP, NTP, AAA) with secure boundaries.
• Coordinate with ISSMs/ISSOs and cyber teams on network changes and security.
• Document changes, rollback plans, and engineering artifacts for stakeholders.
• Maintain accurate as-built documentation and network baselines.

Skills

Network engineering

DoD Top Secret clearance

IAT Level II

IPv4 routing

VLANs

Firewall administration

Linux administration

RMF/ATO alignment

Cybersecurity fundamentals

VPNs

Education

Bachelor's in STEM

Master's in STEM

PhD in STEM

Tools

Cisco routing/switching

VMware vSphere/ESXi/NSX

NMS/SIEM platforms

Job description

Chipton-Ross is seeking a Network Engineer 3 for a contract opportunity in San Antonio, TX.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS (REQUIRED SKILLS/EXPERIENCE)

Bachelor's degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) discipline from an accredited institution and 8 years of related professional/military experience in engineering; or a Master's degree in a STEM discipline and 6 years of related experience; or a Ph.D. in a STEM discipline and 4 years of related experience.

U.S. Citizenship with a current DoD Top Secret security clearance and SCI eligibility/access that has been active within the last 24 months.

DoD 8570 IAT Level II certification (e.g., Security+ CE) or equivalent prior to start.

Hands-on experience planning, implementing, operating, and troubleshooting routed and switched IP networks (e.g., IPv4, OSPF, VLANs, VPNs, firewalls) in mission-critical or real-time environments, including administration of Microsoft and Linux networked systems and applying foundational cybersecurity practices (e.g., hardening, secure configuration, access control) in collaboration with cyber/security teams.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES

Looking for an Engineer Network 3 to support our Engineering & Sciences San Antonio department. As a member of the San Antonio department, you'll get to help architect and build a launch execution network, building and sustaining high-availability launch and missile test networks that span classified and unclassified enclaves. As a network-strong engineer with meaningful cyber depth, you will lead network design, implementation, and performance tuning while partnering with cyber teams to embed RMF-aligned protections and secure baselines into the infrastructure.

Responsibilities

• Designs and plans network communications systems. Provides specifications and detailed schematics for network architecture. Provides specific detailed information for hardware and software selection, implementation techniques and tools for the most efficient solution to meet business needs, including present and future capacity requirements. Conducts testing of network design. Maintains technical expertise in all areas of network and computer hardware and software interconnection and interfacing, such as routers, multiplexers, firewalls, hubs, bridges, gateways, etc. Evaluates and reports on new communications technologies to enhance capabilities of the network.
• Serve as a network engineer on a multi-disciplinary team, designing and sustaining complex, multi-node launch and test networks spanning classified and unclassified enclaves.
• Work with customer ISSMs/ISSOs and cyber engineering teams to develop and implement network changes in environments operating under, or seeking, an ATO/IATT, ensuring network designs align with RMF/ATO requirements.
• Design, plan, configure, and maintain enterprise-scale network communications systems, delivering and maintaining detailed schematics and specifications for routers, switches, firewalls, multiplexers, bridges, gateways, and related hardware/software.
• Lead end-to-end testing of network designs, validate configurations, and monitor hardware and link performance to ensure proper settings, reliability, availability, and compliance with security policies and control objectives.
• Develop and execute implementation plans for network enhancements, upgrades, and migrations, coordinating with stakeholders to minimize service disruption and thoroughly documenting all changes and rollback plans.
• Engineer and operate core network services (e.g., DNS, DHCP, NTP, AAA) and segmented architectures that enforce well-defined trust boundaries and enable controlled information sharing between multiple enclaves.
• Support the architecture and design of baked-in cybersecurity protections by implementing and tuning network-level security controls (e.g., firewalls, VPNs, ACLs, IDS/IPS, NAC) in close coordination with cyber/security teams.
• Participate in network operations activities (fault/performance monitoring, incident response support, change management), using NMS/monitoring tools and log/SIEM platforms as part of an integrated NOC/SOC construct.
• Perform physical-layer installation tasks (e.g., fiber, patch panels, encryption devices) and ensure accurate as‑built documentation and configuration baselines are maintained.
• Produce periodic status reports, engineering change documentation, and network design artifacts; communicate technical options, trade‑offs, risks, and recommendations to internal and external stakeholders.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS (DESIRED SKILLS/EXPERIENCE)

• Proven experience acting as a network design authority or principal engineer for new deployments or major redesigns, from concept through implementation and cutover, including high- and low-level designs, ICDs, addressing and routing plans, firewall/ACL matrices, and NOC runbooks.
• Extensive hands-on experience designing, implementing, and maintaining enterprise-scale physical and virtual networks (e.g., Cisco routing/switching, firewalls, VPNs, VMware vSphere/ESXi/NSX) with well-maintained network schematics and configuration baselines.
• Deep technical expertise with routing and switching in enterprise or mission networks, including route filtering, convergence tuning, VLAN/VXLAN, spanning-tree variants, MLAG/port-channeling, QoS and traffic engineering, and tuning network security controls (e.g., firewalls, IDS/IPS, NAC, endpoint protection); Cisco CCNP (or higher, such as CCIE) certification is strongly preferred.
• Experience architecting and supporting multi-node test or launch networks for missile test ranges, weapon systems, or other real-time mission systems, where latency, determinism, and availability are critical.
• Strong experience in engineering and securing DNS, DHCP, NTP, and AAA (RADIUS/TACACS+) within mission-critical networks, including split-horizon DNS, DNSSEC, DHCP authorization, authenticated NTP, and integration of these services with identity systems (e.g., Active Directory, identity management solutions).
• Extensive experience designing segmented architectures (user, server, management, security, out-of-band components) with well-defined trust boundaries in multi-domain or cross-domain environments, including segregation and controlled information sharing between classified and unclassified networks using solutions such as guards, data diodes, and MLS/CDS systems.
• Demonstrated ability to align network architecture with RMF/ATO requirements and apply DISA STIGs/CIS benchmarks to routers, switches, firewalls, VPN gateways, and other network appliances, building standard network baselines (AAA, logging, NTP, SNMP, management access, banners, crypto settings) and verifying compliance at scale.
• Proficiency in automation, configuration management, and Infrastructure-as-Code for network automation (e.g., Ansible, Python, Bash, PowerShell, or similar tools), including device provisioning, configuration templating, drift detection, bulk policy updates (ACLs, QoS, routing policies), and automated compliance checks.
• Experience working within an integrated Network Operations Center (NOC) (fault/performance monitoring, event correlation, escalation workflows, collaboration with SOC personnel) combined with strong troubleshooting skills across layers 1-7 and a track record of restoring service quickly in complex environments.
• Experience leading end-to-end network testing and validation, including performance, resiliency, and failover testing in complex, distributed environments, and developing/executing implementation plans for network upgrades, migrations, and enhancements while minimizing mission impact; experience with voice and real-time services over IP (e.g., VoIP, SIP trunking, QoS) in converged voice/data networks is highly desired.
• Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills; demonstrated ability to work with cross-functional cyber, systems, software, and test teams to capture requirements, document designs and decisions, and brief options, trade-offs, risks, and recommendations to both technical stakeholders and leadership/customer representatives.

REQUIRED EDUCATION

Bachelor's degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) discipline is required.

School must be accredited.

WORK HOURS

Full-Time 5/40 work week. This role is on-site full-time in San Antonio, TX.

MISCELLANEOUS

Applicants responding to this position will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements by currently possessing the ability to view classified government information.