Senior Network Engineer

Parallax Advanced Research; Huntsville (AL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Parallax Advanced Research seeks a Senior Network Engineer to lead architecture and lifecycle management of enterprise, data center, and research networks in support of government and academic programs.

The role manages complex designs, sets network standards, and collaborates with cybersecurity, systems, and program stakeholders to deliver scalable, resilient infrastructure while adhering to security requirements. This is an individual contributor role with no supervisory duties.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, IT, network engineering, or related field.
• 8+ years of enterprise network engineering experience with complex designs and high-severity troubleshooting.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance as required by programs.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and modernization of LAN/WAN, data center, and wireless networks, with roadmaps and capacity planning.
• Own advanced routing, switching, and segmentation designs (TCP/IP, VLANs, ACLs, OSPF, BGP, STP, 802.1Q).
• Architect secure connectivity for laboratories, compute clusters, and government enclaves with proper environment separation.
• Engineer and administer enterprise switches/routers/firewalls, VPNs, and network access controls for high availability.
• Serve as senior escalation point for critical incidents, perform root cause analysis, and implement corrective actions.
• Develop architecture diagrams, configuration baselines, IP plans, and disaster recovery docs.

Skills

LAN/WAN design

Data center networking

Security & compliance

Troubleshooting & incident response

Network monitoring & performance

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, IT, Network Engineering, or related field

Tools

Cisco IOS/Junos/Aruba OS

Cisco

Juniper

Aruba

Job description

Parallax Advanced Research is an Equal Opportunity Employer, drug free workplace, and complies with ADA regulations as applicable.

Position Title

Reports to

Effective Date

11-1-26

FLSA Status

Exempt

Employment Status

Full-Time

Work Location

On-Site

Location

Parallax HQ: 4035 Colonel Glenn Hwy, Beavercreek, OH 45431, or Huntsville, AL [TBD]

Position Summary

The Parallax Advanced Research mission is to deliver innovative research and provide technology, human, and business solutions through The Science of Intelligent Teaming™ for government, industry, and academic clients.

The Senior Network Engineer leads the architecture, engineering, security, and lifecycle management of the enterprise, data center, and research networks that support Parallax advanced technology programs. This senior technical contributor owns complex designs and escalations, sets network standards, shares expertise with less experienced engineers, and partners with cybersecurity, systems administration, engineering, and program stakeholders to deliver resilient, scalable, and compliant infrastructure. This is an individual contributor position with no supervisory responsibilities.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The essential functions include, but are not limited to the following:

• Lead design and modernization of LAN/WAN, wireless, data center, and segmented research networks, and define technical roadmaps, standards, and capacity plans.
• Own advanced routing, switching, and segmentation designs (TCP/IP, VLANs, ACLs, OSPF, BGP, STP, 802.1Q), weighing performance, reliability, and security tradeoffs.
• Architect secure connectivity for laboratories, compute clusters, virtualization hosts, storage, and government program enclaves, maintaining required separation of environments.

Network Engineering & Operations

• Engineer and administer enterprise switches, routers, next-generation firewalls, VPNs, and network access controls, with resilient, high-availability designs.
• Serve as the senior escalation point for critical network incidents and lead packet-level troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and corrective actions.
• Maintain network monitoring, alerting, and performance reporting.
• Assess change risk and follow change management procedures for planned changes and maintenance windows, including after-hours work.

Security & Compliance

• Lead network controls supporting CUI protection, NIST SP 800-171, CMMC Level 2, and applicable federal requirements, and coordinate hardening and vulnerability remediation.
• Partner with cybersecurity staff on logging, incident response, least-privilege access, secure remote access, firewall rule governance, and audit evidence.

Systems Support

• Provide senior-level support for Windows Server and Linux services, Active Directory/Group Policy, DNS/DHCP, VMware/Hyper-V, patching, and backup and recovery coordination.

Documentation, Projects & Technical Leadership

• Drive infrastructure deployments and upgrades, and develop architecture diagrams, configuration baselines, IP address plans, operating procedures, and disaster recovery documentation.
• Evaluate products, guide vendors and service providers, and manage network hardware lifecycle, maintenance contracts, and circuits.
• Review designs, share technical expertise with less experienced engineers and administrators, and communicate recommendations and risks to stakeholders.
• Follow all requirements for handling CUI and classified information and systems.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Network Engineering, Cybersecurity, or a related field; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
• 8+ years of progressively responsible enterprise network engineering experience, including ownership of complex designs, migrations, and high-severity troubleshooting.
• Advanced hands‑on knowledge of enterprise routing and switching, firewall administration, VPNs, segmentation, network monitoring, and packet analysis.
• Experience with enterprise platforms such as Cisco, Juniper, or Aruba, and core services including DNS, DHCP, NTP, SNMP, RADIUS, and TACACS+.
• Working knowledge of Windows Server, Linux, Active Directory/Group Policy, VMware or Hyper‑V, and secure server operations.
• Demonstrated ability to lead technical projects, produce clear architecture documentation, and communicate risks and decisions.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance as required by assigned programs.
• Availability for scheduled after-hours maintenance and on‑call support for critical incidents.

Preferred Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)

• CCNP or equivalent advanced networking certification; Security+, CISSP, CCIE, or relevant Microsoft or VMware credentials.
• DoD 8140 qualification (for example, Security+ CE) for privileged access to DoD systems.
• Experience with DoD or federal programs, isolated or classified environments, secure research laboratories, and high-performance computing or data center networks.
• Familiarity with CMMC Level 2, NIST SP 800-171/800-53, RMF, DISA STIGs, vulnerability management, and assessment support.
• Network automation with Python, PowerShell, or Ansible, and hybrid cloud networking in Azure or AWS.
• Active Secret clearance or higher.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. Office, laboratory, and data center work, including occasional lifting of server and network equipment up to 50 pounds. Occasional after-hours maintenance. Travel up to 10 percent, which may flex during projects.