Federal Network Systems Engineer- Secret

Federal Network Systems Engineer (Senior)

Location: Reston, VA

Clearance: Active Secret Clearance Required

Shifts: (1) Day, (1) Swing, and (1) Night (24x7 Operations)

Hours:5:30am-4pm; 1pm-11:30am; 9pm-7:30am

Shift Differential pay for: Swing -7% + night - 10%

Responsible for providing advanced operational support and infrastructure assistance for the Azure Core Networking team within Government Cloud environments. This role bridges Tier 1 support and Tier 1.5 engineering by contributing to incident response, troubleshooting, and service reliability for mission-critical networking infrastructure across secure federal facilities.The position supports 24x7 operations and works across services including Physical Networks, ExpressRoute, VPN, and enterprise network services, assisting in issue resolution, deployment support, and performance monitoring. The engineer collaborates closely with other engineers while proving guidance to Tier 1 and Tier 1.5 staff, and contributes to continuous improvement efforts within federal networking operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Perform triage, investigation, and resolution of customer-reported and deployment-related incidents of moderate complexity, ensuring timely restoration of service in federal environments
• Utilize SPAN/packet capture tools to assist in traffic analysis and identify common performance or connectivity issues
• Support WAN-related incident troubleshooting, collaborating with internal teams and external providers to assist in resolution efforts.
• Assist with deployment and onboarding of Microsoft ExpressRoute infrastructure, including validation and basic troubleshooting during implementation
• Validate and troubleshoot network configurations prior to production deployment, escalating discrepancies or risks as needed
• Support PulseVPN implementations, assisting with configuration validation and connectivity troubleshooting
• Perform initial root cause analysis (RCA) for recurring issues and document findings for escalation or long-term resolution
• Support network decommissioning activities, ensuring tasks are completed according to established procedures and compliance requirements
• Provide guidance and support to Tier 1 and Tier 1.5 engineers during troubleshooting and incident handling
• Develop and maintain runbooks, troubleshooting guides, and knowledge base documentation
• Act as an escalation support resource for Tier 1 and Tier 1.5 assisting with more complex issues while coordinating as needed
• Coordinate with external providers (AT&T, BT, Verizon, Equinix, etc.) for incident updates, troubleshooting support, and onboarding activities
• Participating in post-incident reviews, contributing observations and recommendations for operational improvements

Required Qualifications

• Must be a US citizen currently residing in the United States.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret and CJIS background check.
• 3-4+ years of experience in network operations or technical support.
• Intermediate-level knowledge of enterprise networking architectures, including advanced routing protocols (BGP, OSPF, and secure VPN technologies, with the ability to evaluate, and troubleshoot complex network topologies.
• Hands-on experience with Microsoft Azure networking services, including ExpressRoute, VPN Gateway, and Virtual WAN, supporting large-scale, mission-critical government cloud environments.
• Hand-on experience with network monitoring and diagnostics, including SPAN sessions, packet capture analysis, and root-cause investigation across hybrid and secure networks.
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot issues independently, making sound technical decisions under pressure in high-availability environments.
• Ability to operate autonomously in a 24x7 operational environment, serving as a senior escalation point and technical authority during off-hours support.
• High attention to detail with a strong commitment to documentation, standards, and operational excellence, including runbooks and knowledge base contributions.
• Customer-focused mindset with the ability to manage competing priorities, balance operational demands, and deliver reliable service in regulated federal environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Microsoft Azure certifications (AZ-700 or Equivalent)
• Experience with federal government cloud environments
• Cisco CCNP or equivalent networking certification
• Experience with network automation and scripting (PowerShell, Python, Linux), leveraging automation to improve operational efficiency and reduce recurring incidents.
• Prior experience in managed service provider (MSP) or NOC environments

Required Certifications (One or More)

• CompTIA Security+
• Azure AZ-700
• CCNA