Principal Network Engineer

Leidos; Bethesda (MD); On-site; USD 116,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401K with company match

Paid Time Off

11 paid Holidays

Flexible schedules

Job summary

Leidos seeks a Principal Network Engineer to maintain and optimize enterprise networks across on-prem and cloud environments, ensuring patches, performance, and SLA alignment. You will lead architecture, design, and deployment while coordinating security and reliability across hybrid IT resources.

The role requires TS/SCI with a Polygraph, deep Cisco/Nexus expertise, and strong ITIL/SAFe practices, guiding teams through complex multi-cloud implementations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree plus 12+ years of relevant experience or Master’s with 10+ years of relevant experience.
• Active TS/SCI with a Polygraph.
• Experience providing technical/management leadership on major tasks or technology assignments with domain and expert knowledge.
• Master level experience with Cisco and Nexus architecture with experience designing, configuring, and troubleshooting enterprise-level Cisco/Nexus networking hardware (9K/7K/5K/2K).
• Expert experience with IP, Routing and Connection services as well as working on ITIL and SAFe Agile Frameworks.
• Ability to analyze available hardware and software from external vendors and make recommendations for purchase and installation, with documented SOPs.

Responsibilities

• Architecture, design, installation, configuration, administration, support, and maintenance of networks, including hardware and cloud resources.
• Update to new technologies, tuning performance, and prioritizing critical patches.
• Risk assessment, mitigation analysis, vendor trade studies, and documentation to meet SLAs.
• Ensure continuity of operations including disaster recovery.
• Monitor operations and collect metrics for project KPIs and SLAs.

Skills

Cisco/Nexus

IP Routing

ITIL

SAFe Agile

Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree +12+ years

Master’s degree +10+ years

Tools

GitHub

Jenkins

Ansible

Cisco Nexus hardware

Job description

Leidos has a new and exciting opportunity for a Principal Network Engineer in our Intel Sector's (IS) Analysis Solutions Business Area (ASBA). Our talented team is at the forefront in Security Engineering, Computer Network Operations (CNO), Mission Software, Analytical Methods and Modeling, Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), and Cryptographic Key Management. At Leidos, we offer competitive benefits, including Paid Time Off, 11 paid Holidays, 401K with a 6% company match and immediate vesting, Flexible Schedules, Discounted Stock Purchase Plans, Technical Upskilling, Education and Training Support, Parental Paid Leave, and much more. Join us and make a difference in National Security!

Job Description

The Principal Network Engineer maintains enterprise network infrastructure to ensure proper configuration, availability, performance, capacity, and maintenance (including application of the latest patches and upgrades). They will also monitor technology obsolescence, manage upgrades, and evaluate alternatives across on-premises and cloud IT infrastructures, both virtual and physical.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Responsible for architecture, design, installation, configuration, administration, support, and maintenance of networks, including associated hardware and cloud resources.
• Update to new technologies, tuning performance, and prioritizing the implementation of critical system patches.
• Performs risk assessment, risk mitigation analysis, vendor trade studies, and appropriate documentation to ensure network services are available according to established Service Level Agreements (SLA).
• Ensures continuity of operations including disaster recovery
• Monitors operations and collects and evaluates metrics to manage network services and for inclusion into project KPIs and Service Level Agreements (SLA).

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s with 12 or more years of prior relevant experience or a Masters with 10 or more years of prior relevant experience. Additional years of experience may be substituted in lieu of a degree.
• Must have an active TS/SCI with a Polygraph, to be considered.
• Experience providing technical/management leadership on major tasks or technology assignments; and establishing goals and plans that meet project objectives; with domain and expert technical knowledge.
• Master level experience with Cisco and Nexus Architecture with experience with designing, configuring, and troubleshooting enterprise-level Cisco/Nexus networking hardware (9K/7K/5K/2K).
• Expert experience with IP, Routing and Connection services as well as working on ITIL and SAFe Agile Frameworks.
• Ability to analyze available hardware and software from external vendors and make recommendations for purchase and installation, along with documented experience creating maintaining and implanting detailed documentation for standard systems operating procedures

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience architecting and securing hybrid or multi-cloud environments
• Experience developing DevOps infrastructure using GitHub, Jenkins, Ansible and related tools
• CCNA

#CABARESTON

#ASBA

#HALO

#HALOincumbents

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:

October 14, 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:

Pay Range $116,350.00 - $210,325.00

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.