Principal Network Engineer TS/SCI

General Dynamics IT; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 153,000 - 207,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401K with company match

Competitive pay & PTO

Military-friendly workplace

Job summary

General Dynamics IT is seeking a Principal Network Engineer to lead a large, DoD-based enterprise network and mentor engineers. You will design, implement, and optimize core transport networks, ensuring security, performance, and reliability across 8,000+ devices.

The role requires top-level DoD security clearance, extensive Cisco/Juniper experience, and strong scripting/automation skills. Onsite at the Pentagon, you will shape network strategy and deliver critical infrastructure improvements.

Qualifications

• Active TS/SCI clearance (or Secret depending on role).
• 10+ years of IT/network engineering experience in complex, enterprise environments.
• Bachelor's degree in computer science or a related technical field.
• DoD 8570 IAT Level II certification.
• One or more active certifications: CCNA, CCNP, ACSA.
• Expertise with Cisco and Juniper networking platforms.
• Strong knowledge of TCP/IP, MPLS, OSPF, BGP, SDN, and 802.1X.
• Experience managing DNS, DHCP, IPAM, and NTP in multi-site environments.
• Familiarity with firewalls, IDS/IPS, VPNs, and vulnerability remediation.
• Proficiency with monitoring and analysis tools such as SolarWinds, NetScout, NetBrain, IBM NetCool, Infovista, Clearpass, Aruba, and Arista.
• Strong CLI configuration and hardware troubleshooting skills.
• Experience with network automation scripting.
• Onsite at the Pentagon.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a subject-matter expert for routing, switching, SDN architectures, and network performance.
• Design, implement, and maintain network hardware, services, and configurations aligned with enterprise standards.
• Lead advanced troubleshooting, incident response, root cause analysis, and on-call escalation efforts.
• Conduct daily monitoring to ensure the health, integrity, and availability of critical network infrastructure.
• Evaluate new technologies for compatibility with enterprise architecture and mission requirements.
• Develop and maintain installation, configuration, and operational documentation.
• Collaborate with cybersecurity teams to identify and remediate vulnerabilities.
• Provide technical leadership, mentoring, and customer-facing support.
• Develop scripts and automation solutions to streamline migration, integration, and administrative tasks.
• Support multiple projects, special initiatives, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Maintain current knowledge of emerging network technologies and best practices.

Skills

Cisco Networking Infrastructure

Firewalls Configuration

IT Troubleshooting

Juniper

Network Infrastructures

Education

Bachelor's degree in computer science or related technical field

DoD 8570 IAT Level II certification

Tools

CCNA

CCNP

ACSA

Job description

Type of Requisition: Regular

Clearance Level Must Currently Possess: Top Secret/SCI

Clearance Level Must Be Able to Obtain: Top Secret/SCI

Public Trust/Other Required: None

Job Family: IT Infrastructure and Operations

Job Qualifications

• Skills: Cisco Networking Infrastructure, Firewalls Configuration, IT Troubleshooting, Juniper, Network Infrastructures
• Certifications: None
• Experience: 10 + years of related experience
• US Citizenship Required: Yes

Principal Network Engineer

Seeking an experienced Principal Network Engineer to support and enhance a large, complex enterprise network of more than 8,000 devices. This role provides senior-level technical leadership for the Core Transport Network Engineering team, delivering expert guidance in routing, switching, network security, SDN, and performance optimization. The Principal Network Engineer will design and implement network solutions, lead troubleshooting and upgrades, ensure infrastructure security and reliability, and mentor junior engineers. Work is performed both independently and collaboratively within a high-demand DoD environment.

The Principal Network Engineer will provide comprehensive network administration, security enhancements and remediation, and troubleshooting of network devices such as routers, switches, load balancers, VPNs, 802.11 Wireless, and VoIP. This position requires an understanding of best practices pertaining to network security and may require the development, deployment, and integration of network security services. Successful candidates should be able to work both independently and as part of a team.

How our Principal Network Engineer will make an impact

• Serve as a subject-matter expert for routing, switching, SDN architectures, and network performance.
• Design, implement, and maintain network hardware, services, and configurations aligned with enterprise standards.
• Lead advanced troubleshooting, incident response, root cause analysis, and on-call escalation efforts.
• Conduct daily monitoring to ensure the health, integrity, and availability of critical network infrastructure.
• Evaluate new technologies for compatibility with enterprise architecture and mission requirements.
• Develop and maintain installation, configuration, and operational documentation.
• Collaborate with cybersecurity teams to identify and remediate vulnerabilities.
• Provide technical leadership, mentoring, and customer-facing support.
• Develop scripts and automation solutions to streamline migration, integration, and administrative tasks.
• Support multiple projects, special initiatives, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Maintain current knowledge of emerging network technologies and best practices.

What you'll need to succeed

• Active TS/SCI clearance (or Secret depending on role).
• 10+ years of IT/network engineering experience in complex, enterprise environments.
• Bachelor's degree in computer science or a related technical field.
• DoD 8570 IAT Level II certification.
• One or more active certifications: CCNA, CCNP, ACSA.
• Expertise with Cisco and Juniper networking platforms.
• Strong knowledge of TCP/IP, MPLS, OSPF, BGP, SDN, and 802.1X.
• Experience managing DNS, DHCP, IPAM, and NTP in multi-site environments.
• Familiarity with firewalls, IDS/IPS, VPNs, and vulnerability remediation.
• Proficiency with monitoring and analysis tools such as SolarWinds, NetScout, NetBrain, IBM NetCool, Infovista, Clearpass, Aruba, and Arista.
• Strong CLI configuration and hardware troubleshooting skills.
• Experience with network automation scripting.
• Strong communication and customer service skills; ability to excel in dynamic environments.
• Onsite at the Pentagon.

Preferred Skills

• Experience supporting DoD, DISA, or JSP enterprise networks.
• Infoblox IPAM/DHCP experience.
• Experience with ServiceNow ITSM.
• Experience administering Linux, Windows, or UNIX systems.
• LDAP/PKI experience.
• Experience with Aruba/Arista network devices.
• Ability to document network topology using Visio.

GDIT IS YOUR PLACE

• Growth: AI-powered career tool that identifies career steps and learning opportunities
• Support: An internal mobility team focused on helping you achieve your career goals
• Rewards: Comprehensive benefits and wellness packages, 401K with company match, and competitive pay and paid time off
• Community: Award-winning culture of innovation and a military-friendly workplace OWN YOUR OPPORTUNITY Explore an enterprise IT career at GDIT and you'll find endless opportunities to grow alongside colleagues who share your desire to drive operations forward.

The likely salary range for this position is $153,000 - $207,000. This is not, however, a guarantee of compensation or salary. Rather, salary will be set based on experience, geographic location and possibly contractual requirements and could fall outside of this range.

Scheduled Weekly Hours: 40

Travel Required: Less than 10%

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