SIPRNET Network Engineer

Basic Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in computer science or related field; or equivalent relevant experience is required, plus a minimum of 5 years of relevant experience; or Master's degree plus a minimum of 3 years of relevant experience.

CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS: Ability to obtain a Department of Defense Secret security clearance is required at time of hire. Applicants selected will be subject to a U.S. Government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information. Due to the nature of work performed within our facilities, U.S. citizenship is required.

Responsibilities for this Position

Put your engineering talent to the ultimate test. At General Dynamics Mission Systems, we create the technologies, products and services that help our service members, intelligence analysts and first responders keep our nation safe. The work we do is so advanced our teams often redefine what’s possible for the world. If you want to be a leader with the company that delivers smart solutions for our nation’s challenges, this is your opportunity. We apply advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, AR/VR, Cloud Native and Quantum Physics to solve our customers’ missions in cyber, RF, undersea, interstellar and everything in between.

The SIPRNET Network Engineer is responsible for the day-to-day operation, maintenance, engineering, security, and troubleshooting of secure SIPRNET and classified network and systems environments supporting critical business and customer missions. This position serves as a technical subject matter expert responsible for maintaining highly available, secure, compliant, and operationally ready SIPRNET infrastructure across geographically dispersed locations.

The successful candidate will provide hands-on and remote network engineering support across SIPRNET environments, including network infrastructure, routing and switching, firewalls, encryption devices, virtualization, and enterprise services. The engineer will troubleshoot complex technical issues, implement approved configuration changes, support new technology deployments, and ensure systems remain compliant with applicable Department of Defense, DISA, NIST, and cybersecurity requirements.

This position requires strong technical knowledge of secure network architecture, classified systems administration, network security, vulnerability management, configuration management, and Cyber Operational Readiness Assessment (CORA) requirements. The successful candidate must be comfortable working independently, responding to operational issues, supporting multiple concurrent priorities, and have the ability to clearly communicate network requirements, technical instructions, and troubleshooting steps to personnel with varying levels of technical experience, including providing effective remote guidance and support.

Travel will be required to support geographically dispersed SIPRNET environments, infrastructure deployments, maintenance activities, inspections, and customer requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day operation, maintenance, administration, and troubleshooting of secure network infrastructures.
• Design, develop, configure, test, implement, and maintain secure network engineering solutions supporting SIPRNET operations.
• Configure, install, maintain, and troubleshoot Cisco routers, switches, firewalls, network security appliances, and other network components.
• Administer and troubleshoot network routing, switching, VLANs, TCP/IP, subnetting, DHCP, BGP, ACLs, firewall policies, and network security technologies.
• Configure, maintain, and troubleshoot Cisco Catalyst and Nexus switches, Cisco ISR/ASR routers, Cisco Identity appliances, Palo Alto next-generation firewalls, and related network infrastructure.
• Implement and maintain network security controls in accordance with U.S. Government COMSEC, NIST, DISA, and Department of Defense requirements.
• Perform network and systems troubleshooting using packet analysis, monitoring, logging, and diagnostic tools to identify and resolve complex technical issues.
• Analyze network performance, availability, and security events and determine appropriate corrective actions.
• Perform operating system and vendor software patching in accordance with approved configuration management and security requirements.
• Implement and maintain STIGs, security configurations, and other applicable cybersecurity controls across network infrastructure.
• Support Cyber Operational Readiness Assessments (CORA), DISA inspections, audits, security assessments, and other customer compliance activities.
• Maintain accurate network diagrams, system documentation, configurations, technical baselines, standard operating procedures, and troubleshooting documentation.
• Support the installation, configuration, testing, and operational deployment of new SIPRNET infrastructure, network technologies, systems, and security solutions.
• Perform network and systems configuration changes in accordance with established change management and configuration management processes.
• Support identity, authentication, authorization, and access control technologies, including RADIUS, TACACS, Cisco ISE, and 802.1X.
• Monitor network and system performance using approved monitoring, logging, and security tools, including Splunk and other enterprise monitoring platforms.
• Identify and troubleshoot security, availability, configuration, and performance issues and coordinate resolution with appropriate technical teams.
• Research emerging technologies and technical solutions and recommend improvements to the SIPRNET network and systems environment.

Required Experience

• Demonstrated hands-on experience supporting SIPRNET or classified network operations in a Department of Defense environment.
• Strong understanding of SIPRNET architecture, network administration, systems administration, and operational support.
• Extensive experience with TCP/IP, subnetting, DHCP, routing, switching, packet analysis, network troubleshooting, and network security.
• Experience configuring and troubleshooting Cisco network infrastructure and complex network issues in high-availability operational environments.
• Experience configuring and troubleshooting enterprise firewall technologies, including Palo Alto NGFW.
• Experience with firewall policies, access control lists (ACLs), network segmentation, BGP and enterprise routing protocols, and secure network architectures.
• Experience with AAA technologies, including RADIUS, TACACS, 802.1X, and Cisco ISE.
• Working knowledge of NIST SP 800-53, NIST SP 800-171, RMF, DISA STIGs, vulnerability management, configuration management, and System Security Plans.
• Experience working within formal change management and configuration management processes.
• Ability to create and maintain technical documentation, network diagrams, system configurations, and operational procedures.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to independently troubleshoot complex technical problems.
• Ability to clearly communicate network requirements, technical instructions, and troubleshooting steps to personnel with varying levels of technical experience, including providing effective remote guidance and support.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

What you’ll experience:

• Technologies that aren’t just top-notch, they’re often top-secret
• A team of bold thinkers committed to exploring what’s next
• Opportunities to gain new knowledge - as it’s discovered

What you bring to the table:

• A Bachelor’s degree in computer science or related field; or equivalent plus a minimum of 5 years of relevant experience; or Master's degree plus a minimum of 3 years of relevant experience
• Subject matter expert (SME) in one discipline/field and developing working knowledge in adjacent disciplines/fields
• Understanding of how domain interrelates with other components within the closed and enterprise networking environment
• Expert experience within primary domain and resolves a wide range of issues in creative ways
• CCNA certification
• Experience supporting Cyber Operational Readiness Assessments (CORA)

Success in this position will be measured by:

• SIPRNET environments consistently maintain operational and compliance readiness throughout the year.
• CORA assessments are completed successfully with minimal findings.
• Standardized administration practices are implemented across all environments.
• Maintain required certifications and technical proficiency.
• Operational risks are identified early and communicated effectively.
• High system availability and reliable service delivery.
• Increased operational efficiency through process improvements and standardization.
• Demonstrates strong collaboration, communication, and accountability as a member of the distributed SIPRNET team.
• Positive partnerships with Engineering, Cybersecurity, Information Assurance, Security, and Program stakeholders.

Salary Note

Combined Salary Range

Company Overview

General Dynamics Mission Systems (GDMS) engineers a diverse portfolio of high technology solutions, products and services that enable customers to successfully execute missions across all domains of operation. With a global team of 12,000+ top professionals, we partner with the best in industry to expand the bounds of innovation in the defense and scientific arenas. Given the nature of our work and who we are, we value trust, honesty, alignment and transparency. We offer highly competitive benefits and pride ourselves in being a great place to work with a shared sense of purpose. You will also enjoy a flexible work environment where contributions are recognized and rewarded. If who we are and what we do resonates with you, we invite you to join our high-performance team!

Equal Opportunity Employer / Individuals with Disabilities / Protected Veterans