Network Engineer SME - Top Secret Clearance REQUIRED

i3 Consulting; Chantilly (VA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

i3 Consulting is seeking a Network Engineer (SME) in Chantilly, VA to lead architecture, zero-trust design, and secure cross-enclave network interoperability for mission-critical operations.

The role requires extensive experience and a strong background in security architecture, cloud and on-premises environments, and technical leadership across teams. This is a senior, on-site position with responsibilities spanning design, implementation, and governance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree is required; 10+ years of relevant experience in network engineering.
• Experience designing enterprise networks and zero-trust implementations.
• Strong skills in routing, switching, firewalls, VPNs, and access control.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement enterprise network architectures to support secure, mission-critical ops.
• Lead zero-trust design initiatives and cross-enclave interoperability solutions.
• Optimize performance, reliability, and security across multi-enclave environments.

Skills

Enterprise network design

Zero-trust architecture

Network security

Routing & switching

Leadership

Technical documentation

Troubleshooting

Secure communications

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Tools

Terraform

Ansible

Docker

Kubernetes

OpenShift

AWS GovCloud

GCP

Nutanix Prism Central

RDS / DynamoDB

GitLab CI/CD

Job description

Network Engineer - SME

"Bachelors required Minimum 10 years experience"

The Network Engineer (SME) serves as the principal authority for network architecture, zero-trust network design, and cross-enclave interoperability. This role leads the design, implementation, and optimization of resilient, secure network infrastructures supporting mission-critical operations. The SME provides strategic and technical leadership in network modernization, security architecture, and performance optimization while ensuring secure and reliable communications across complex, multi-enclave environments.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement enterprise network architectures that support secure, mission-critical operations.
• Lead zero-trust network design initiatives and cross-enclave interoperability solutions.
• Optimize network performance, reliability, and security across complex, multi-enclave environments.
• Establish and enforce network security architecture standards and governance processes.
• Drive network modernization efforts aligned with enterprise strategy and zero-trust principles.
• Ensure secure communications and connectivity across classified and highly regulated environments.
• Provide technical leadership for network infrastructure planning and implementation.
• Partner with security, architecture, and operations teams to maintain resilient network systems.

Required skills:

Extensive experience designing and supporting enterprise network environments. Strong expertise in routing, switching, firewalls, VPNs, network security, and access control technologies. Experience implementing zero-trust architectures and secure communications solutions. Advanced troubleshooting and network performance analysis skills. Experience supporting mission-critical, highly secure, or regulated environments. Strong leadership, communication, and technical documentation skills.

Unique Skills / Technical Requirements

• Air-gapped hybrid cloud and on-premises operational environments, including complex multi-enclave ecosystems
• AWS GovCloud/SC2S/C2S and GCP cloud platforms Nutanix host and cluster configuration, management with Prism Central, and NDFS configuration/management
• Cisco switching, routing, firewalling, and site-to-site functionality (such as IPSEC, DMVPN, and SD-WAN)
• Locally hosted GPU servers
• Multi-tenant Cross-Domain Solutions (CDS)
• Infrastructure-as-Code (Terraform, Ansible)
• Containerization and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes, OpenShift)
• Cloud-native security implementation and security accreditation processes
• Advanced GitLab CI/CD pipelines and DevSecOps practices
• Enterprise database services (RDS, RDS Aurora, DynamoDB)
• Serverless architectures (Lambda)
• Cloud networking and VPC configuration
• Monitoring, logging, and data platforms (Elasticsearch, OpenSearch, Splunk)
• Microservices architecture and API Gateway implementation
• Development experience with Python, .NET/C#, and related languages
• Identity and access services (Microsoft Active Directory, LDAP / OpenLDAP, Entra ID, Keycloak)
• High-assurance cross-domain and encryption solutions (TACLANE, NCAP)
• Cloud cost-optimization techniques
• Operating Systems: Linux (e.g., Rocky, RedHat, Amazon, Ubuntu), Windows, and Mac OS

Preferred skills:

"Master's degree in Information Technology, Network Engineering, Cybersecurity, or related field. Experience supporting federal, defense, intelligence, or classified network environments. Expertise with multi-enclave or cross-domain network architectures. Experience with cloud networking, software-defined networking (SDN), and hybrid cloud environments. Knowledge of security accreditation processes and compliance frameworks. Relevant certifications such as CCNP, CCIE, CISSP, JNCIP, JNCIE, AWS Advanced Networking, or equivalent."