Senior SDN Network & Systems Architect

Nightwing; Annapolis (MD); On-site; USD 122,000 - 253,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Vision, Dental Insurance

401k

PTO & Holidays

Insurance

Job summary

Nightwing seeks a Senior Network Engineer / Systems Engineer to dive deep into SDN architectures, modular platform internals, and custom extensions. You will evaluate, design, and prototype for mission-critical networking needs, coordinating with engineers and service members in a security-focused environment.

The role emphasizes deep technical work on SDN controllers, model-driven architectures, and cross-team collaboration to deliver scalable platform enhancements and robust networking

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Network Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related STEM field
• 7+ years of experience in network engineering, systems engineering, or software-defined networking
• Deep hands-on experience with software-defined networking (SDN) controller platforms including architecture, deployment, and customization
• Strong understanding of model-driven architectures and service abstraction layers in SDN controllers
• Expertise in network protocols including OpenFlow, NETCONF, RESTCONF, BGP, OSPF, and SNMP
• Proficiency with YANG data modeling for network device configuration and state management
• Strong knowledge of OSGi framework and Apache Karaf runtime environments
• Experience analyzing large-scale Java codebases and understanding architectural patterns
• Solid understanding of Java programming and ability to read/modify Java code for prototyping
• Knowledge of RESTful API design and implementation
• Experience with distributed systems, microservices architectures, and data consistency challenges
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with attention to architectural details
• Proven ability to evaluate technical trade-offs and make sound architectural recommendations
• Excellent documentation and communication skills for conveying complex technical concepts
• Active TS/SCI security clearance with Polygraph
• U.S. citizenship is required

Responsibilities

• Conduct deep technical analysis of software-defined networking controller architectures, including core modules, southbound/northbound plugins, and internal service dependencies
• Evaluate existing SDN platform capabilities against mission requirements to determine gaps and necessary extensions
• Architect and design custom modules, plugins, and features to extend platform functionality for specialized networking needs
• Perform detailed code analysis of controller internals, understanding the interactions between core services, data abstraction layers, and protocol plugins
• Assess whether requirements should be implemented as additions to the existing architecture or as separate modular components
• Design and prototype southbound protocol plugins for specialized network devices and protocols
• Develop northbound API extensions and custom applications that leverage network programmability capabilities
• Analyze platform performance characteristics, identify bottlenecks, and recommend optimization strategies for high-scale deployments
• Work with data models to define structures for network device configuration and operational state
• Evaluate integration points with external systems, network orchestration platforms, and management tools
• Document architectural decisions, technical trade-offs, and implementation strategies for platform customizations
• Collaborate with software engineers to implement and test custom modules and extensions
• Stay current with SDN community developments, emerging technologies, and industry best practices

Skills

SDN controllers

Java programming

REST API design

System engineering

Analytical skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Engineering

Tools

YANG data modeling

OSGi framework

Apache Karaf

RESTCONF

Job description

Nightwing seeks a Senior Network Engineer / Systems Engineer to dive deep into SDN architectures, modular platform internals, and custom extensions. You will evaluate, design, and prototype for mission-critical networking needs, coordinating with engineers and service members in a security-focused environment.

The role emphasizes deep technical work on SDN controllers, model-driven architectures, and cross-team collaboration to deliver scalable platform enhancements and robust networking