Network Engineer, Lead - Firewall Infrastructure | Top Secret w/SCI eligibility

AMERICAN SYSTEMS; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

AMERICAN SYSTEMS is seeking a Lead Network Engineer, Firewall Infrastructure, to support a critical national security mission in Dallas, TX. This hands-on role focuses on enterprise firewall infrastructure, routing, switching, secure connectivity, and NAC in a highly classified environment.

The candidate will lead configuration, administration, troubleshooting, and operational support of complex networks; responsibilities include firewall policy management, VPNs, 802.1X, RMF/STIG, and

Qualifications

• U.S. citizenship required.
• Active Top Secret clearance with SCI/SAP eligibility.
• Bachelor’s degree in a related technical field, or equivalent experience.
• 8+ years in network engineering/operations/infrastructure or firewall administration.
• IAT Level II certification (Security+ CE, CySA+, SSCP) or equivalent.
• CCNA or higher Cisco certification.
• Hands-on with enterprise network infrastructure including routing, switching, VLANs, ACLs and VPNs.
• Experience with firewall platforms and policy administration, NAC, and RMF/STIG security requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead network engineering, administration, and operations in a highly classified environment.
• Design and maintain enterprise network infrastructure including routers, switches, and firewalls.
• Manage VLANs, ACLs, VPNs, network segmentation, and high-availability architectures.
• Administer and troubleshoot enterprise firewall environments and policies.
• Support Cisco Firepower and FMC; experience with other major firewall platforms.
• Troubleshoot Layer 2/3 issues and ensure reliable network services.
• Support 802.1X, NAC, AAA, and network access control requirements.
• Create diagrams, SOPs, and technical documentation; coordinate with cybersecurity teams.

Skills

Network engineering

Firewall administration

Cisco Firepower

Routing & switching

Network segmentation

L3 troubleshooting

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a technical field

Tools

Cisco Firepower

FMC

Cisco ISE

Job description

Overview

AMERICAN SYSTEMS, a 100% employee-owned federal government contractor, is seeking aLead Network Engineer, Firewall Infrastructure to support a critical national security mission in a highly classified environment in Dallas, TX.

This is a hands-on network engineering role focused on enterprise firewall infrastructure, routing and switching, secure connectivity, and network access control. The selected candidate will lead the configuration, administration, troubleshooting, and operational support of a complex enterprise network environment.

We are seeking an experienced network professional with strong hands-on experience supporting routers, switches, firewalls, VLANs, VPNs, ACLs, network segmentation, and high-availability network architectures. Candidates should be comfortable resolving complex Layer 2 and Layer 3 network issues, administering firewall platforms, and maintaining reliable, resilient network services.

Responsibilities

As a Lead Network Engineer, Firewall Infrastructure with AMERICAN SYSTEMS, you will:

• Lead network engineering, administration, and operational support activities in a highly classified environment.
• Design, implement, configure, and maintain enterprise network infrastructure, including:
  • Routers, switches, and firewalls
  • VLANs, ACLs, VPNs, and network segmentation
  • High-availability, resilient network architectures
• Administer, monitor, troubleshoot, and maintain enterprise firewall environments.
• Configure and manage firewall policies, access rules, NAT, VPNs, security zones, logging, and monitoring.
• Support and troubleshoot Cisco Firepower and Firepower Management Center (FMC). Cisco Firepower experience is preferred.
• Troubleshoot complex Layer 2 and Layer 3 issues involving routing, switching, firewall connectivity, access controls, and enterprise network services.
• Support AAA, authentication, authorization, accounting, and network access control requirements.
• Configure and troubleshoot 802.1X, VPN, and NAC solutions.
• Support Cisco ISE environments, including authentication, authorization, policy enforcement, and network access control.
• Support network-related RMF, STIG, secure configuration, vulnerability remediation, and compliance activities.
• Develop and maintain network diagrams, implementation plans, standard operating procedures, configuration documentation, and technical reports.
• Partner with cybersecurity, systems administration, and mission teams to deliver reliable and resilient network services.
• Support network outages, root cause analysis, change implementation, remediation efforts, and incident-response activities related to network infrastructure.
• Monitor network performance and recommend improvements to availability, reliability, performance, and infrastructure resiliency.
• Provide technical leadership, mentoring, and guidance to network engineering and operations personnel.

Qualifications

• U.S. citizenship required.
• Active Top Secret clearance required, with eligibility to obtain SCI and SAP access.
• Bachelor’s degree in a related technical field, or additional relevant experience in lieu of a degree.
• 8+ years of experience in network engineering, network operations, network infrastructure, or firewall administration.
• Active DoD 8140/8570 IAT Level II certification, e.g., Security+ CE, CySA+, SSCP, or an equivalent certification.
• Active Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification or higher-level Cisco networking certification.
• Strong hands-on experience with enterprise network infrastructure, including:
  • Routing and switching
  • Layer 2 and Layer 3 troubleshooting
  • VLANs, subnetting, IP addressing, and network design
  • Access control lists (ACLs) and VPN technologies
  • Network segmentation and resilient network architectures
• Hands-on experience administering and troubleshooting enterprise firewall platforms.
• Experience with one or more of the following firewall technologies:
  • Cisco Firepower and Firepower Management Center (FMC) preferred
  • Palo Alto Networks
  • Fortinet
  • Check Point
  • Other commercial or government enterprise firewall platforms
• Experience with firewall policy administration, rule management, NAT, VPNs, security zones, logging, monitoring, and troubleshooting.
• Experience supporting AAA, 802.1X, network access control, RMF, STIG, and secure configuration requirements.
• Cisco ISE experience preferred, particularly with:
  • Authentication
  • Authorization
  • Accounting
  • Policy enforcement
  • Network access control
• Experience troubleshooting Cisco routers, switches, firewalls, and enterprise network infrastructure.
• Ability to work independently, lead technical efforts, and resolve complex network and firewall infrastructure issues.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.