Principal Network Engineer

Job Description Job Description Description As a Principal Network Engineer at Impulse, you will be responsible for the full lifecycle of network infrastructure, including design, implementation, operation, and continuous improvement across enterprise, inter-site, manufacturing, lab/test, mission-critical, data center, and cloud-adjacent environments. This is a principal, execution-focused engineering role with architecture ownership within assigned domains, operating within company reference architectures and standards defined in partnership with Network Architecture and Security leadership. The ideal candidate thrives in environments where uptime, performance, segmentation, and security are non-negotiable and is comfortable supporting event-driven, operationally critical activities. While the environment is Cisco-leaning, strong experience with other enterprise networking platforms is valued, and candidates are not required to have exclusively Cisco backgrounds. Responsibilities Network Architecture & Engineering (Domain Ownership) Own network architecture and design decisions within assigned domains (sites, network tiers, or functional areas). Design, implement, and maintain enterprise network infrastructure including Layer 2/3 switching, routing, segmentation, wireless, and WAN connectivity. Design and deploy advanced routing solutions using protocols such as OSPF and BGP, with a focus on scalability, resilience, and performance. Engineer segmented network environments supporting corporate, manufacturing, lab/test, restricted, and guest use cases. Design and implement high-availability and fault-tolerant network solutions (for example HSRP/VRRP, MLAG, stack-level or chassis resiliency). Partner with Network Architects to align implementations with reference architectures and future-state designs. Network Operations & Reliability Own the operational health of assigned network environments, including availability, performance, and fault isolation. Troubleshoot complex network issues across Layers 1 through 7. Participate in event-driven operational support (for example test campaigns, mission events, critical operational activities). Lead or contribute to incident response, root cause analysis, and post-mortems. Execute firmware upgrades, lifecycle management, and hardware refreshes. Participate in capacity planning, performance tuning, and growth forecasting. Security, Segmentation & Compliance Implement network security controls in partnership with Security and Compliance teams. Support network segmentation initiatives including VRFs, ACL policy enforcement, and zero-trust-aligned access models. Implement and support NAC / 802.1X, firewalling, VPNs, and access control mechanisms. Operate networks in regulated environments aligned with ITAR, NIST 800-171, CMMC, and similar requirements. Ensure logging, monitoring, and telemetry meet security and audit expectations. Connectivity, Timing & Performance Design and manage site-to-site and site-to-cloud connectivity, including IPsec VPNs, SD-WAN, and cloud network integrations. Configure and optimize QoS policies to support latency-sensitive traffic such as voice, video, telemetry, or control systems. Support precision-timed and time-sensitive networking requirements (for example PTP / IEEE 1588, 802.1AS) where applicable. Automation, Observability & Tooling Apply automation and scripting (for example Ansible, Python, Terraform) to improve consistency, reliability, and operational efficiency. Deploy and maintain network observability solutions including SNMP, NetFlow/sFlow, and performance telemetry. Integrate network telemetry into broader monitoring and alerting platforms. Contribute to operational runbooks, standard operating procedures, and reliability improvements. Documentation & Cross-Team Collaboration Maintain accurate network documentation, topology diagrams, IP address management, and configuration records. Work closely with Infrastructure, Security, Facilities, and IT Operations teams. Support new site builds, expansions, relocations, and lab deployments. Provide Tier III or escalation-level technical support and guidance to operations teams. Minimum Qualifications 12+ years of hands-on network engineering experience in production environments. Demonstrated experience supporting multi-site, on-prem, and cloud-adjacent networks. Experience operating in security-sensitive or regulated environments. Active Industry CCNP certification Preferred Skills and Experience Industry certifications such as CCNA, CCIE, or equivalent advanced hands-on experience. Experience with SD-WAN, data center fabrics, or EVPN/VXLAN. Familiarity with precision time protocols (PTP / IEEE 1588, 802.1AS) and QoS or traffic engineering. Experience with automation frameworks and infrastructure-as-code concepts. Experience in aerospace, defense, manufacturing, or other regulated, mission-critical environments. Technical Skills Expert knowledge of Layer 2/3 networking technologies including VLANs, trunking, STP, link aggregation, OSPF, and BGP. Hands-on experience designing and deploying high-availability architectures (HSRP/VRRP, MLAG, stacking). Strong experience with network segmentation, VRFs, ACLs, NAC, and 802.1X. Experience with enterprise wireless networks, VPNs, and WAN connectivity. Strong troubleshooting skills across complex, distributed network environments. Experience in Cisco-leaning environments, including traditional enterprise platforms and Meraki or other cloud-managed solutions. Experience with other enterprise networking platforms (for example Juniper, Arista, Palo Alto, Fortinet, Aruba, or similar) is also acceptable. Additional Information: Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity. In addition to base salary, for full-time hires, you may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of stock options , and access to medical, vision & dental coverage as well as access to a 401(k) retirement plan . Impulse Space’s spacecraft manufacturing business is subject to U.S. export regulations including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR). This position requires applicants to be either U.S. Persons (i.e., U.S. citizen, U.S. national, lawful permanent U.S. resident (green card holder), an individual granted asylum in the U.S., or an individual admitted in U.S. refugee status) or persons eligible to obtain an export license from the U.S. Departments of State, Commerce, or other applicable U.S. government agencies. Learn more about the ITAR here. Impulse Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Impulse Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.