Principal Enterprise Network Architect – Data Center & FW

Virginia Tech Applied Research Corporation; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 220,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Virginia Tech Applied Research Corporation (VT-ARC) is seeking a Senior to Principal Enterprise Network Engineer to lead data center networking and firewall engineering, serving as a senior technical authority for enterprise network architecture and modernization. This role supports mission-critical programs within TS/SCI environments and remains multi-vendor across WAN/LAN/classified enclaves.

This is a hands-on, senior role spanning requirements interpretation to deployment, providing

Qualifications

• Active Top Secret/SCI clearance is required.
• Professional certifications such as CCNP, CCIE, JNCIP, JNCIE, PCNSE, Aruba Certified Professional/Expert, Security+, CISSP, or equivalent credentials.
• Experience with Cisco Nexus data center switching, Juniper SRX, Cisco ASA/Firepower, or comparable data center networking and enterprise firewall platforms.
• Experience with F5 BIG-IP LTM/GTM or equivalent load-balancing platforms.
• Experience integrating VMware networking, physical and virtual server infrastructure, and storage network connectivity in high-availability environments.
• Experience with SD-WAN technologies and cloud/hybrid networking architectures.
• Experience with network automation, scripting, and infrastructure-as-code tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise network engineering for data centers and firewalls, from architecture input through design and deployment.
• Design, implement, and modernize data center routing and switching infrastructure.
• Configure and troubleshoot enterprise firewalls, including policies, NAT, VPNs, DMZs, segmentation, and high availability.
• Develop resilient designs accounting for redundancy, convergence, and failover.
• Translate architecture objectives into executable designs and roadmaps.
• Develop cross-domain, multi-enclave, secure network integration approaches for classified environments.
• Collaborate with architecture, cybersecurity, and infrastructure teams to ensure end-to-end mission integration.
• Mentor engineers and establish network engineering standards.

Job description

Virginia Tech Applied Research Corporation (VT-ARC) is seeking a Senior to Principal Enterprise Network Engineer to lead data center networking and firewall engineering, serving as a senior technical authority for enterprise network architecture and modernization. This role supports mission-critical programs within TS/SCI environments and remains multi-vendor across WAN/LAN/classified enclaves.

This is a hands-on, senior role spanning requirements interpretation to deployment, providing