Senior Principal Network Engineer

Piper Companies; Newington (VA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full benefits package

Job summary

Zachary Piper Solutions seeks a Senior Principal Network Engineer to support a federal defense program focused on national security and critical infrastructure protection. This on-site role is in Newington, VA and requires an active TS/SCI clearance.

You will design, implement, and optimize complex networks, lead high-level architectures, and apply advanced routing, switching, security, and automation to ensure secure, reliable government operations.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in network engineering or complex enterprise networks.
• Expertise with routing and switching: BGP, OSPF, EIGRP, MPLS, VXLAN, EVPN.
• Hands-on Cisco experience: Catalyst, Nexus, ACI, NGFW.
• Active TS/SCI clearance with SAP eligibility.

Responsibilities

• Design and architect scalable voice, video, wireless, and data networks with cross-functional teams.
• Develop high-level and low-level network designs and support deployment.
• Troubleshoot complex network issues and implement improvements.
• Translate mission requirements into scalable network architectures.
• Utilize advanced routing, switching, security, and automation to modernize infrastructure.

Skills

Network engineering

Routing & switching

Cisco technologies

Network monitoring

Analytical skills

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or related field

Tools

SolarWinds

Wireshark

NetFlow

Job description

Zachary Piper Solutions is seeking a Senior Principal Network Engineer to support a federal defense program focused on national security, mission-critical communications, and critical infrastructure protection. This position is on-site in Newington, VA. The Senior Principal Network Engineer will lead the design, implementation, and optimization of complex network environments supporting high-priority government operations.

Responsibilities for the Senior Principal Network Engineer include:

• Design and architect scalable, secure voice, video, wireless, and data communication networks in collaboration with engineering, security, cloud, and operations teams.
• Develop high-level and low-level network designs (HLDs/LLDs) and support the deployment and integration of enterprise and data center networking solutions.
• Troubleshoot complex network issues, conduct root cause analysis, and implement performance, reliability, and security improvements.
• Act as a trusted technical advisor by translating mission requirements into scalable network architectures and strategic solutions.
• Utilize advanced routing, switching, security, and automation technologies to optimize and modernize network infrastructure.

Required Qualifications for the Senior Principal Network Engineer include:

• 8+ years of experience in network engineering, network architecture, or complex enterprise networking environments.
• Strong expertise with routing and switching technologies including BGP, OSPF, EIGRP, MPLS, VXLAN, and EVPN.
• Hands-on experience with Cisco technologies including Catalyst, Nexus, ACI, Next-Generation Firewalls, and enterprise LAN/WAN environments.
• Experience with network monitoring and troubleshooting tools such as SolarWinds, Wireshark, and NetFlow.
• Strong communication, presentation, troubleshooting, and analytical skills.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field; equivalent experience may be considered.
• Active TS/SCI clearance required with eligibility for Special Access Program (SAP) approval.

Compensation for the Senior Principal Network Engineer include:

Salary Range: $160,000 - $180,000 depending on experience

Full Benefits Package: PTO, Paid Holidays, Medical, Dental, Vision, 401K, Tuition Reimbursement, Sick Leave as required by law.