Network/VPN Engineer - 176797

Zachary Piper Solutions; Norfolk (VA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 112,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

PTO

401K

Paid Holidays

Job summary

Zachary Piper Solutions is seeking a Network/VPN Engineer to support the US Navy and Marine Corps based in Norfolk, VA. This full-time onsite role will focus on firewall, VPN, DMZ, and network security in a mission-critical NMCI environment.

You will perform Tier III support, incident response, and collaboration with NOC and engineering teams to secure and maintain Enterprise networks, including automation via Ansible and Python.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in IT, CS, engineering, cybersecurity, or related field.
• 8+ years of network engineering experience.
• Active DoD Secret Security Clearance.
• Active DoD 8570 IAT Level II Certification.
• Active associate-level certification (Cisco/Juniper/Palo Alto/F5).
• Experience with firewall administration, VPN engineering, and DMZ environments.
• Experience with routing and switching (BGP, OSPF, IS-IS, MPLS, VLANs).
• Scripting with Ansible and Python.

Responsibilities

• Provide firewall, VPN, and DMZ engineering for NMCI.
• Configure and maintain enterprise firewall and VPN solutions (Juniper, Cisco).
• Collaborate with NOC and engineering teams to improve security services.
• Develop SOPs, TTPs, and EIPs.
• Identify automation opportunities using Ansible, Python, IaC.
• Provide Tier III escalation and incident response.
• Support network upgrades, maintenance windows, and outages.
• Participate in RCA and problem management.

Skills

Firewall engineering

VPN engineering

Network security

Automation & scripting

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in IT/CS/Engineering

Tools

Ansible

Python

Infrastructure as Code

Cisco devices

Juniper devices

Palo Alto devices

Job description

Zachary Piper Solutions is currently seeking a Network/VPN Engineer to support the US NAVY and Marine Corp based in Norfolk, VA. This position is a full-time role that will be fully onsite. This position is critical in supporting and securing one of the largest intranet environments in the world, ensuring robust network security, operational integrity, and reliable connectivity for United States Navy personnel around the globe. As a Network/VPN Engineer, you will play a pivotal role in firewall engineering, VPN operations, DMZ administration, network security enhancement, and Tier III operational support within a mission-critical environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support current operations for the United States Navy by providing Firewall, VPN, and DMZ engineering expertise for the NMCI enterprise environment.
• Perform network modification, integration, maintenance, security, and implementation activities across a large-scale global network infrastructure.
• Configure, manage, and troubleshoot enterprise-grade firewall and VPN solutions, including Juniper and Cisco network security appliances.
• Collaborate with the Network Operations Center (NOC), Network Administrators, and Engineering teams to continuously improve network security services and operational processes.
• Develop and maintain Network Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Technical Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs), and Engineering Implementation Plans (EIPs).
• Identify and implement automation opportunities utilizing Ansible, Python, and Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) methodologies.
• Conduct system performance tuning, technology refresh efforts, and Continuous Service Improvement (CSI) initiatives.
• Plan and execute network upgrades, maintenance windows, and infrastructure modernization efforts in coordination with operations and release management teams.
• Provide Tier III escalation support, incident response, and vendor engagement for complex networking and security issues.
• Participate in Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and Problem Management activities to improve network reliability and availability.
• Support routing, switching, MPLS, VPNs, BGP, OSPF, IS-IS, VLANs, Spanning Tree Protocol, LLDP, multicast technologies, and emerging network technologies.
• Participate in an on-call rotation and support off-hours maintenance and operational requirements as needed.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, Cybersecurity, or a related field.
• 8+ years of relevant network engineering experience (additional experience may substitute for degree requirements).
• Active DoD Secret Security Clearance.
• Active DoD 8570 IAT Level II Certification
• Active Associate-level certification from Cisco, Juniper, Palo Alto Networks, or F5 Networks.
• Extensive experience with firewall administration, VPN engineering, and DMZ environments.
• Strong experience with routing and switching technologies, including BGP, OSPF, IS-IS, MPLS, VLANs, and multicast.
• In-depth knowledge of IP addressing, subnetting, network architecture, and defense-in-depth security principles.
• Experience with network automation tools and scripting, including Ansible and Python.
• Ability to troubleshoot complex enterprise networking environments and provide advanced operational support.
• Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate across technical and operational teams.
• Ability to support off-hours operational requirements and participate in on-call rotations.

Compensation:

• Salary Range: $90,000 - $112,000 *depending on experience*
• Health, Dental, Vision, Life insurance
• PTO
• 401K
• Paid Holidays

This job opens for applications on 10/19/2026. Applications for this job will be accepted for at least 30 days from the posting date.

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Keywords: Network Systems Engineer, Network Engineer, Firewall Engineer, VPN Engineer, Juniper, Juniper SRX, Cisco, Network Security, DMZ, Network Operations, NOC, NMCI, Navy Marine Corps Intranet, MPLS, BGP, OSPF, IS-IS, VLANs, Spanning Tree Protocol, LLDP, Routing and Switching, Enterprise Networks, Network Architecture, Defense-in-Depth, Security Engineering, Infrastructure as Code, IaC, Ansible, Python, Automation, Tier III Support, Incident Management, Problem Management, Root Cause Analysis, Engineering Implementation Plans, Active Secret Clearance, CISSP, CASP+, CCNP Security, DoD 8570, Network Modernization, Multicast, Cisco Networking, Juniper Networking, Operational Support, Network Infrastructure, Telecommunications, Enterprise Security, Federal IT, Department of Defense, Navy IT, Systems Engineering.