Network Security Engineer

Agile Defense, Inc.; Suitland (MD); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

Life Insurance

Paid Time Off

Holiday Pay

Short-term Disability

Long-term Disability

Retirement benefits

Learning and Development opportunities

Job summary

Agile Defense, Inc. is seeking a Senior Network Security Engineer in Suitland, MD to lead Cisco ISE deployments and migrations from ForeScout CounterACT.

You will design and enforce authentication and access controls, integrate with AD/LDAP, and support wireless and wired networks in a high-security government environment. Ideal candidates will have 8+ years in large gov contexts, strong leadership, and a deep understanding of zero-trust architectures, posture checks, and PKI integrations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Cybersecurity, or a related field.
• Eight years in a large government organization with leadership experience.
• Four years implementing and troubleshooting Cisco ISE.

Responsibilities

• Troubleshoot and resolve Cisco ISE issues across RADIUS, TACACS+, 802.1X, device administration, and endpoint authentication.
• Deploy, configure, and maintain Cisco ISE on two clustered SNS 3715 appliances with HA.
• Support migration from ForeScout CounterACT to Cisco ISE and map legacy policies.
• Provide wireless support, including onboarding and access workflows.
• Integrate Cisco ISE with AD/LDAP for identity lookups and policy decisions.
• Configure ISE components: policy sets, auth rules, TACACS+, profiling, PKI integrations.
• Monitor security events using ISE logs and perform root cause analysis.
• Mentor junior staff and contribute to knowledge sharing.

Skills

Cisco ISE expertise

Zero Trust knowledge

802.1X authentication

Leadership experience

Government sector experience

Education

Bachelor’s degree in IT / Cybersecurity or related field

Tools

Cisco SNS 3715

ForeScout CounterACT

Active Directory / LDAP integration

Job description

At Agile Defense we know that action defines the outcome and new challenges require new solutions. That’s why we always look to the future and embrace change with an unmovable spirit and the courage to build for what comes next.

Our vision is to bring adaptive innovation to support our nation's most important missions through the seamless integration of advanced technologies, elite minds, and unparalleled agility—leveraging a foundation of speed, flexibility, and ingenuity to strengthen and protect our nation’s vital interests.

Requisition #: 1853

Job Title: Network Security Engineer

Location: Suitland, MD

Clearance Level: Public Trust

About Agile Defense

At Agile Defense we know that action defines the outcome and new challenges require new solutions. That’s why we always look to the future and embrace change with an unmovable spirit and the courage to build for what comes next.

Our vision is to bring adaptive innovation to support our nation's most important missions through the seamless integration of advanced technologies, elite minds, and unparalleled agility—leveraging a foundation of speed, flexibility, and ingenuity to strengthen and protect our nation’s vital interests.

Requisition #: 1853

Job Title: Network Security Engineer

Location: Suitland, MD

Clearance Level: Public Trust

Job Description

Agile Defense is seeking a Senior Network Security Engineer to support the agency as it moves away from its legacy ForeScout CounterACT NAC/NAM system and adopts Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) as the new access control platform. The engineer will help configure and manage Cisco ISE across the environment, handling AAA services, wired and wireless 802.1X authentication, device administration, and posture checks for users and devices.

This role also supports the agency’s modernization work by improving authentication processes, updating ISE policies, and strengthening identity-based access controls. The engineer will troubleshoot access issues, refine policy designs, and help ensure users and devices can connect securely and reliably as the organization completes its transition from ForeScout to Cisco ISE.

• Troubleshoot and resolve Cisco ISE issues across RADIUS, TACACS+, 802.1X, device administration, and endpoint authentication
• Deploy, configure, and maintain Cisco ISE running on two clustered Cisco SNS 3715 appliances, ensuring high availability and consistent policy enforcement
• Support the agency’s migration from ForeScout CounterACT to Cisco ISE, including reviewing legacy ForeScout policies, device groups, and access rules and mapping them into ISE policy sets
• Provide general wireless support, including basic troubleshooting, wireless access workflows, and coordination with wireless infrastructure teams
• Configure and support Cisco ISE integrations with Cisco 9800 WLCs, including guest/registration portals, wireless onboarding, and policy driven access control
• Integrate and maintain Cisco ISE with Active Directory (AD) and LDAP, including identity lookups, group based authorization, and directory based authentication workflows
• Deploy, configure, and maintain Cisco ISE components, including:
  o Policy Sets, Authorization Profiles, and Authentication Rules
  o TACACS+ device administration
  o 802.1X for wired and wireless networks
  o Profiling, posture, and compliance policies
  o Certificate based authentication and PKI integrations
• Monitor security events using ISE logs, syslog, and performing root cause analysis for authentication and access issues
• Manage identity integrations, enforce security policies, and tune configurations to support Zero Trust and improve user experience
• Perform routine health checks, upgrades, migrations, and document changes through SOPs, engineering designs, and implementation procedures
• Work closely with engineering, operations, and compliance teams while mentoring junior staff and contributing to knowledge sharing efforts

Education and Background

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Cybersecurity, or a related field

Years of Experience

• Eight (8) years of experience in a large government organization with five (5) years in technical leadership, including four (4) years implementing and troubleshooting Cisco ISE
• Four (4) years of experience supporting identity centric or Zero Trust architectures with strong knowledge of segmentation, certificate management, and endpoint posture controls

Required Skills

Senior Network Security Engineer responsible for designing, configuring, monitoring, and troubleshooting Cisco ISE as a NAC/NAM platform, including TACACS+/RADIUS services, device administration policies, and wired/wireless 802.1X authentication.

• Eight (8) years of experience in a large government organization with five (5) years in technical leadership, including four (4) years implementing and troubleshooting Cisco ISE with expertise in:
  o Authentication and authorization policies (RADIUS/TACACS+)
  o 802.1X/EAP methods for wireless and wired access
  o Device profiling, posture checks, and endpoint compliance
  o Certificate based authentication (EAP TLS) and PKI integration
  o AAA integrations for switches, appliances, firewalls, and wireless controllers
• Experience working with Cisco ISE deployed on Cisco SNS 3715 appliances, preferably in a two node clustered, high availability setup
• Understanding of ForeScout CounterACT, including legacy NAC/NAM policies, device classification, and access workflows, to support the migration to Cisco ISE
• Experience providing general wireless network support, including basic troubleshooting, controller interactions, and wireless access workflows
• Hands on experience integrating Cisco ISE with Active Directory (AD) and LDAP, including identity lookups, group based policy decisions, and directory based authentication
• Experience supporting Cisco ISE integrations with Cisco 9800 Wireless LAN Controllers, including guest/registration page redirection and wireless onboarding
• Experience migrating legacy NAC, RADIUS, or device authentication systems into Cisco ISE while aligning with Zero Trust principles
• Solid understanding of telecommunications, network security, and Zero Trust best practices
• Strong communication skills with the ability to explain Cisco ISE, NAC/NAM, and AAA concepts to both technical and non technical audiences

Preferred Skills

• Preferred certifications: Cisco CCNP Security, Cisco ISE Specialist, or similar identity/security certifications

Working Conditions

• On-site 5 days a week in Suitland, Maryland

In addition, Agile Defense invests in its employees beyond just compensation. Agile’s benefits offerings include, dependent upon position, Health Insurance, Life Insurance, Paid Time Off, Holiday Pay, short-term and long-term Disability, Retirement and Learning and Development opportunities as well as other optional benefit elections.

Our Core Values

• Happy - Be Infectious.
• Helpful - Be Supportive.
• Honest - Be Trustworthy.
• Humble - Be Grounded.
• Hungry - Be Eager.
• Hustle - Be Driven.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.