Network Engineering/Operations Site Lead

Leidos Inc; Fort Belvoir (VA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Leidos is seeking an experienced Network Engineering/Operations Site Lead to support DTRA at Fort Belvoir, VA. The role focuses on designing, implementing, and sustaining a resilient, secure network that enables mission-critical operations and data pipelines.

You will lead a team of network professionals, drive Zero Trust adoption, manage TACLANE devices, and ensure compliance with CTOs, TASKORDs, and FRAGORDs while delivering scalable, secure connectivity across enterprise systems.

Qualifications

• Active Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility.
• Bachelor's degree in CS/EE/IS with 12–15 years of experience, or Master's with 10–13 years, or 12+ years in lieu of degree.
• Current DoD 8570/8140 baseline certification (Security+ or higher).
• Proven track record of people leadership, including task prioritization and resource management.
• Experience contributing to or managing CD(L)Rs, SLAs, and program status reporting.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of network engineers in a mission-critical environment.
• Implement CTOs, TASKORDs, FRAGORDs, and IAVM/STIG compliance directives across network infrastructure.
• Conduct risk assessments, maintain risk registers, and develop mitigation strategies.
• Provide leadership and direction for the network engineering team to align with mission objectives.
• Design, deploy, and maintain robust network infrastructure for enterprise systems and data pipelines.
• Configure and optimize routers, switches, firewalls, load balancers, and VPNs.
• Manage Unified Communications (CUCM) for seamless voice/video.
• Lead complex network projects including upgrades, migrations, and deployments.
• Implement and manage NAC using Cisco ISE for Zero Trust architecture.
• Monitor performance, troubleshoot latency, and improve stability and throughput.
• Maintain TACLANE encryptors and Agile VLAN for Layer 2 security.
• Create and maintain comprehensive network diagrams and standards.
• Ensure security policy compliance and scalable designs aligned with mission needs.
• Collaborate with government partners to deliver scalable, production-ready solutions.

Skills

People leadership

Network engineering

Security/compliance

Risk assessment

Documentation

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/EE/IS

Tools

CUCM (Cisco UC Manager)

Cisco ISE (NAC)

TACLANE cryptographic devices

Cisco routers/switches/firewalls

Ansible (IaC)

Job description

Description

Leidos is seeking an experienced Network Engineering/Operations Site Lead to support the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) on the Integrated Information Technology Support Services (I3TS) contract in Fort Belvoir, VA. This contract is a critical initiative to modernize and operate DTRA's enterprise IT systems.

The successful candidate will play a key role in enhancing IT efficiency, security, and mission effectiveness by designing, implementing, and maintaining a resilient and secure network infrastructure. This role will be instrumental in supporting the agency's mission to counter and prevent emerging global threats. As a people leader, you will be responsible for not only the technical success of the network infrastructure but also for the growth and development of the engineering team, ensuring they are empowered to support the mission.

Primary Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of network engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence, integrity, and collaborative problem-solving in a mission-critical environment.

• Implementing Cyber Task Orders (CTOs), Tasking Orders (TASKORDs), Fragmentary Orders (FRAGORDs), and IAVM/STIG compliance directives across network infrastructure.

• Conduct risk assessments, maintain risk registers, and develop mitigation strategies for network modernization, operational outages, and cybersecurity vulnerabilities.

• Provide leadership and direction for the network engineering team, translating strategic requirements into actionable projects and ensuring the team's efforts align with mission objectives.

• Design, deploy, and maintain robust network infrastructure to support enterprise systems and data pipelines.

• Configure and optimize network hardware including routers, switches, firewalls, load balancers, and VPN solutions to ensure secure and reliable connectivity.

• Manage and support Unified Communications, including Cisco Call Manager (CUCM), to ensure seamless voice and video collaboration.

• Lead complex network engineering projects, including system upgrades, migrations, and new deployments.

• Implement and manage network access control (NAC) using Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE), including device profiling, posture assessment, and policy enforcement to support a Zero Trust architecture

• Monitor network performance, troubleshoot latency and bandwidth issues, and implement changes to improve stability and throughput.

• Configure, and maintain TACLANE high-assurance cryptographic encryptors, including the implementation of Agile VLAN for Layer 2 security.

• Create and maintain comprehensive documentation, including detailed network diagrams, system engineering plans, and technical standards.

• Ensure the network design complies with all security policies, supports scalability, and aligns with operational and mission requirements, including the implementation of Zero Trust principles.

• Collaborate with government partners, engineers, and other stakeholders to translate operational and strategic requirements into scalable, production-ready solutions.

Basic Qualifications

• Active Top Secret (TS) clearance with SCI eligibility at time of consideration.

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical/Network Engineering, Information Systems, or a related technical discipline with 12 - 15 years of prior relevant experience or Masters with 10 - 13 years of prior relevant experience - Or 12+ years of relevant technical and leadership experience in lieu of a degree. Relevant military service particularly in a Senior Enlisted or Officer leadership capacity is strongly valued and may be substituted for formal education requirements.

• Current DoD 8570/8140 baseline certification (Security+ or higher) at time of consideration.

• Proven track record of people leadership, including operational task prioritization, direct team supervision, performance mentoring, and resource administration (e.g., labor tracking, timesheet review/approval, and staffing coverage) consistent with senior military or civilian leadership roles.

• Experience contributing to or managing Contract Data Requirements Lists (CDRLs), technical reports, Service Level Agreements (SLAs), and program status reporting.

• Strong foundation in accountability, operational integrity, and mission focus, with demonstrated experience enforcing standards, operational discipline, and technical rigor in high-tempo environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced networking certifications such as Cisco CCNP or CCIE.

• Experience with high-assurance cryptographic devices, specifically TACLANE (KG-175).

• Experience with Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM).

• Experience with network automation and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools like Ansible.

• Familiarity with Zero Trust network segmentation and micro-segmentation.

• Experience supporting large-scale enterprise data, analytics, or platform services in secure environments.

• Experience with Remedy and ServiceNow (SNOW) ticketing systems.

• Familiarity with TACLANE management (e.g. GemOne, CHIMERA, VINE)

• Experience with Cisco Nexus switching platforms and expertise in software-defined networking (SDN) solutions, particularly Cisco ACI, for data center automation and micro-segmentation.

• Hands-on experience with routing and switching protocols (BGP, OSPF), network security (NGFW, IDS/IPS), and load balancing.

• Experience with configuring routers, switches, firewalls, load balancers, and VPN solutions from vendors like Cisco, and Palo Alto.

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: September 16, 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

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.

About 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 $16.7 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2025. 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. Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement. More details are available at www.leidos.com/careers/pay-benefits.

Securing Your Data

Beware of fake employment opportunities using Leidos' name. Leidos will never ask you to provide payment-related information during any part of the employment application process (i.e., ask you for money), nor will Leidos ever advance money as part of the hiring process (i.e., send you a check or money order before doing any work). Further, Leidos will only communicate with you through emails that are generated by the Leidos.com automated system - never from free commercial services (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail) or via WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. If you received an email purporting to be from Leidos that asks for payment-related information or any other personal information (e.g., about you or your previous employer), and you are concerned about its legitimacy, please make us aware immediately by emailing us at [e-mail].

If you believe you are the victim of a scam, contact your local law enforcement and report the incident to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

Commitment to Non-Discrimination

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.