Senior Network Engineer

MITRE; McLean (VA); On-site; USD 122,000 - 184,000; Full time

Job summary

MITRE in McLean, Virginia, is seeking a Senior Network Engineer to design, implement, and optimize enterprise networks that support mission-critical systems and government programs.

You will work with Juniper and Cisco gear, lead routing with OSPF, ISIS, and BGP, apply site reliability engineering practices, and mentor junior engineers while collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure security, reliability, and performance. This role requires on-site presence three days a week in McLean.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of network engineering experience.
• Working knowledge of OSPF, ISIS, and BGP with troubleshooting.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
• Eligible for Secret clearance and U.S. citizenship.
• Minimum 3 days on-site per week.

Responsibilities

• Design, deploy, and manage networks with Juniper and Cisco gear.
• Optimize routing for high availability and performance.
• Develop network automation strategies to streamline operations.
• Mentor junior engineers and collaborate with cross-functional teams.
• Create and maintain network documentation and ensure compliance.

Skills

OSPF

ISIS

BGP

Troubleshooting

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Tools

Ansible

Python

Terraform

Job description

At MITRE, your passion fuels work that impacts our nation and improves lives. This is where your skills strengthen national security, cybersecurity, health, transportation, and citizen services. We’re a nonprofit engineering, applied research, and advanced technology organization working in the public interest. With objectivity and integrity at our core, we lead federally funded research and development centers for U.S. government agencies – collaborating with industry and academia to deliver integrated, high-impact solutions that advance our nation’s health, security, and prosperity. Our people tackle the toughest technical challenges, supported by competitive benefits, meaningful career development, and a culture of innovation, collaboration, and technical excellence. Choose MITRE for a career with purpose — and help shape the future.

MITRE is seeking a highly skilled and motivated Senior Network Engineer with expertise in Network Engineering, advanced routing protocols (OSPF, ISIS, BGP), operational excellence, and site reliability engineering (SRE). In this role, you will work with other Network Engineers and Architects to design, implement, and optimize cutting‑edge network solutions that support mission‑critical systems. You will collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to ensure the reliability, scalability, and security of MITRE’s network infrastructure while driving innovation and best practices.

Key Responsibilities

Network Design and Implementation

• Design, deploy, and manage networks comprised of Juniper Routers, Switches, and Wireless access points.
• Manage and optimize network routing based on OSPF, ISIS, and BGP protocols to ensure high availability, efficiency and performance.
• Experience managing and administrating enterprise network hardware switches and routers from Cisco or Juniper.
• Develop and implement network automation strategies to streamline operations and reduce manual intervention.
• Act as escalation for advanced troubleshooting.

Operational Excellence

• Drive operational excellence by establishing and maintaining processes, tools, and metrics to monitor and improve network performance and reliability.
• Collaborate with Tools team to improve usage of current observability, automation, and management toolkits, identify gaps in in our toolkits and work with our Tools teams to identify and implement tools to fill these gaps.
• Identify and resolve complex network issues, ensuring minimal downtime and maximum efficiency.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to align network operations with organizational goals and mission requirements.

Site Reliability Engineering (SRE)

• Apply SRE principles to enhance the reliability, scalability, and security of MITRE’s network infrastructure.
• Develop and maintain robust monitoring and alerting systems to proactively identify and address network issues.
• Implement automated solutions for incident response, capacity planning, and performance optimization.

Leadership and Collaboration

• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior engineers and team members.
• Collaborate with stakeholders across MITRE to understand mission needs and translate them into network solutions.
• Stay abreast of emerging technologies and industry trends to ensure MITRE remains at the forefront of innovation.

Documentation and Compliance

• Create and maintain detailed documentation of network designs, configurations, and processes.
• Ensure compliance with organizational policies, industry standards, and government regulations.

Basic Qualifications

• Typically requires a minimum of 5 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 3 years and a Master’s degree; or a PhD with relevant experience who can immediately contribute at this job step; or equivalent combination of related education and work experience.
• 5+ years of experience in network engineering, with a focus on Network Engineering, routing protocols, and operational excellence.
• Working understanding of routing protocols such as OSPF, ISIS, and BGP, including troubleshooting and optimization.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to resolve complex technical issues.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively in a team environment.
• Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a Secret U.S Government issued Security Clearance. Per the U.S. Government’s eligibility requirements, you must be a U.S Citizen to be considered for a security clearance.
• This position requires a minimum of 3 days a week on‑site.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certifications such as CCIE, CCNP, or equivalent.
• Experience with network automation tools (e.g., Ansible, Python, Terraform).
• Experience managing and administering self‑deployed MPLS Networks.
• Experience with 802.1X network authentication, authorization and accounting systems such as Cisco ISE.
• Familiarity with cloud networking and hybrid environments.
• Knowledge of cybersecurity principles and best practices.
• Active Secret Clearance

This requisition requires the candidate to have a minimum of the following clearance(s)

None

This requisition requires the hired candidate to have or obtain, within one year from the date of hire, the following clearance(s)

Secret

Salary compensation range and midpoint

$122,400 - $153,000 - $183,600 Annual

Work Location Type

Onsite

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Commitment to Non‑Discrimination

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, local or international law.

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