Network Engineer III

Leidos is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Network Engineer III to support the Advanced Enterprise Global Information Technology Solutions (AEGIS) program and join a large Engineering team entrusted with evolving and sustaining the NASA OCIO Enterprise Corporate network. The Network Engineer that is selected for this role will be responsible for the design, configuration, and troubleshooting of the NASA enterprise network infrastructure with a focus on Wi-Fi technologies. You will leverage your deep understanding of RF principles, wireless protocols, and Cisco wireless solutions to ensure optimal performance, reliability, and security.

Also utilizing tools such as Cisco Catalyst Center for network management, Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) for access control, and Splunk for network logging and analysis. The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of network technologies and security protocols, along with hands-on experience with the aforementioned tools to ensure the NASA Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) is efficient, secure, and continuously available. This is currently a hybrid role, however, to adhere to customer expectations the selected candidate would need to be within a 50-mile commuting distance to any NASA facility. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Possess a deep understanding of various Catalyst-based wireless architectures, including FlexConnect, Bridge Mode, and especially Fabric Enabled Wireless (SD-Access Wireless)
• Design robust, scalable, and secure wireless network solutions to meet NASA's evolving business needs, spanning diverse environments. Conduct thorough requirements gathering for complex wireless projects, collaborating with stakeholders across multiple network areas (e.g., LAN, security, applications) to ensure alignment.
• Utilize Ekahau software to create predictive models and heatmaps for wireless network performance
• Determine optimal access point placement and RF coverage for diverse environments, including office spaces, conference rooms, and outdoor areas.
• Manage and configure Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) to enforce network access control policies for both wired and wireless environments
• Respond to network incidents, troubleshoot network issues, and provide timely resolution to minimize downtime and impact on the business
• Manage network configuration, inventory, and performance using Cisco Catalyst Center aka DNAC
• Develop custom Splunk dashboards and alerts for network-related incidents, performance issues, and security events
• Maintain up-to-date documentation of network configurations, processes, troubleshooting procedures, and incident resolutions
• Provide input and guidance along with independent decision making to Government customer on best practice for the operation and maintenance of the network infrastructure creating documents & presentations for future reference material
• Work directly or indirectly with NASA customers, Technicians, Network Engineers and/or Network Architects to execute network design changes or modifications of the NASA network infrastructure, as well as identify, analyze, and resolve issues for customer impacting events that may be escalated to Engineering
• Additional duties as assigned

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Management Information Systems, Cyber Security, or a related field
• 10 – 15 years combined experience between WLAN and LAN wired for large Enterprise networks
• Professional-level knowledge of Wi-Fi technologies, including 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax standards
• Extensive experience with Cisco wireless infrastructure, including access points, wireless LAN controllers, and management tools (Prime Infrastructure, Catalyst Center)
• Proficiency in performing site surveys and creating/updating Wireless RF designs using Ekahau, iBWave, Airmagnet, or similar software.
• Solid understanding of underlying LAN technologies, including PoE standards, topologies (3-tier, SD-Access)
• Solid understanding of Cisco routing & switching, multicast, and QoS
• Experience deploying QoS in wireless environments
• Experience with NAC using dot1x for wired and wireless environments
• Excellent troubleshooting and problem-solving skills
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Relevant certifications, such as CWNA, CWDP, CWSP, CWNE, CCNP Enterprise (Wireless Design and/or Wireless Implementation specialist), or CCIE Enterprise Wireless
• Has the ability to obtain and keep a minimum of a Public Trust clearance

Desired Skills:

• Experience with fabric wireless aka SD-Access Wireless
• In-depth knowledge of Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) for access control, network security, and user/device authentication
• Proficiency with Splunk for network log management, analysis, and creating custom dashboards and reports
• Advanced knowledge of networking protocols (e.g., OSPF, BGP, MPLS, QoS, IPSec)
• Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills with the ability to diagnose and resolve complex network issues.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills to effectively collaborate with team members, management, and external stakeholders
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment, providing guidance and mentorship to other network engineers
• Familiarity with SD-WAN solutions and network automation tools (e.g., Ansible, Terraform)
• Possess a solid understanding of RF principles
• Additional certifications related to Security and Route/ Switch would be a plus

If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo — because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 — and moving faster than anyone else dares.

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.