Network Engineer (SME)

Leidos; McLean (VA); On-site; USD 139,000 - 251,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid Time Off

11 paid Holidays

401K with a 6% company match

Flexible Schedules

Discounted Stock Purchase Plans

Technical Upskilling

Education and Training Support

Parental Paid Leave

Job summary

Leidos in Virginia seeks a Network Engineer SME to lead design, deployment and operations of enterprise networks across on-premises and cloud environments. You will monitor performance, ensure patching, and drive improvements to meet SLA requirements.

The role requires mastery of Cisco/Nexus architectures, scripting, and ITIL practices, with SAFe Agile experience and active TS/SCI with Polygraph. Leidos offers strong benefits and career growth.

Qualifications

• Master's or Doctorate with substantial experience; substitution allowed.
• Active TS/SCI with Polygraph is required to be considered.
• Expert leadership and budgeting experience on major tasks.
• Deep knowledge of Cisco Enterprise environments and IP routing.
• Experience with cloud design, deployment, and security patches.

Responsibilities

• Architect, design, install, configure, administer and maintain networks.
• Update to new technologies, tune performance, apply critical patches.
• Manage on-premises and cloud resources and monitor SLA metrics.

Skills

Security Engineering

Network Architecture

Cloud Technologies - AWS

Shell/Python scripting

Project leadership

Vendor evaluation

SAFe Agile

Education

Master’s degree in a relevant field

15+ years of relevant experience or Doctorate with 13+ years

Tools

Cisco NX-OS

Cisco Nexus 9K/7K/5K/2K

GitHub

Jenkins

Ansible

Job description

Leidos has a new and exciting opportunity for a Network Engineer SME in our Intel Sector's (IS) Solutions Analysis Business Area (ASBA).

Our talented team is at the forefront in Security Engineering, Computer Network Operations (CNO), Mission Software, Analytical Methods and Modeling, Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), and Cryptographic Key Management.

At Leidos, we offer competitive benefits, including and much more. Join us and make a difference in National Security!

• Paid Time Off
• 11 paid Holidays
• 401K with a 6% company match and immediate vesting
• Flexible Schedules
• Discounted Stock Purchase Plans
• Technical Upskilling
• Education and Training Support
• Parental Paid Leave

Job Description

The Network Engineer SME provides technical expertise in network engineering, administration, and operations. This role maintains enterprise network infrastructure to ensure proper configuration, availability, performance, capacity, and maintenance (including application of the latest patches and upgrades). This role monitors technology obsolescence, manages upgrades, and evaluates alternatives across on-premises and cloud IT infrastructures, both virtual and physical. This role monitors operations and collects and evaluates metrics to manage network services and for inclusion into project KPIs and Service Level Agreements (SLA). This individual performs risk assessment, risk mitigation analysis, vendor trade studies, and appropriate documentation to ensure network services are available according to established Service Level Agreements (SLA). This role ensures continuity of operations including disaster recovery.

Primary Responsibilities

• This role is responsible for architecture, design, installation, configuration, administration, support, and maintenance of networks, including associated hardware and cloud resources.
• Duties include updating to new technologies, tuning performance, and prioritizing the implementation of critical system patches.
• This infrastructure includes on-premises and cloud resources.

Basic Qualifications

• Master’s degree with 15+ years of prior relevant experience or a Doctorate with 13+ years of prior relevant experience.
• Additional years of experience may be substituted in lieu of a degree.
• Must have an active TS/SCI with a Polygraph, to be considered.
• Expert in providing technical/management leadership on major tasks or technology assignments.
• Expert in establishing goals and plans that meet project objectives.
• Domain and expert technical knowledge.
• Expert in directing and controlling activities for a client, having overall responsibility for financial management, methods, and staffing to ensure that technical requirements are met.
• Expert in interfacing with senior management and negotiating with clients on requirements and deliverables.
• Experience with Cloud technologies -AWS Expert level experience with Cisco and Nexus Architecture with experience with designing, configuring, and troubleshooting enterprise-level Cisco/Nexus networking hardware (9K/7K/5K/2K).
• Expert experience in scripting skills with shell, python, PERL and the like
• Proven experience installing and maintaining security patches on servers
• Documented experience creating maintaining and implanting detailed documentation for standard systems operating procedures
• Expert experience supporting Windows and Unix environments
• Ability to analyze available hardware and software from external vendors and make recommendations for purchase and installation
• Expert experience with ITIL
• In-depth knowledge of Cisco Enterprise environments
• Expert experience with IP, Routing and Connection services
• Expert experience working on a SAFe Agile Framework.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience architecting and securing hybrid or multi-cloud environments
• Experience developing DevOps infrastructure using GitHub, Jenkins, Ansible and related tools
• CCNP, CCNA #CABARESTON #ASBA #HALO #HALOincumbents

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.

Original Posting: October 14, 2026

For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above.

Pay Range

Pay Range: $139,100.00 - $251,450.00

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

Leidos Leidos is an industry and technology leader serving government and commercial customers with smarter, more efficient digital and mission innovations. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with 47,000 global employees, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $17.2 billion for the fiscal year ended January 2, 2026. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.

Pay and Benefits

Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision. That's why we craft compensation packages that reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers.

• competitive compensation
• Health and Wellness programs
• Income Protection
• Paid Leave and Retirement

More details are available here.

Securing Your Data

Leidos will never ask you to provide payment-related information at any part of the employment application process. And Leidos will communicate with you only through emails that are sent from a Leidos.com email address. If you receive an email purporting to be from Leidos that asks for payment-related information or any other personal information, please report the email to [e-mail].

Commitment and Diversity

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, age, national origin, citizenship, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, family structure, marital status, ancestry, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Leidos will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with relevant laws.