Principal Network Engineer III

Principal Network Engineer III

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: No relocation assistance availableCLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: YesCLEARANCE TYPE: SecretTRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the Time

Description At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work - and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.

Northrop Grumman Space Systems-Missile Defense Integration offers an excellent opportunity for three (3) Principal Network Engineer III (26-098, 26-115, 26-116) to join our team of talented and diverse professionals. Based in Colorado Springs, CO, this role is essential to supporting the U.S. President, the Secretary of Defense, and combatant commanders at the strategic, regional, and operational levels. This position does not provide relocation assistance and requires on-site work with no remote options.

Position Overview: The Command and Control, Battle Management, and Communications (C2BMC) program is the central element of the Missile Defense System. It is a critical operational system that enables the U.S. president, the secretary of defense, and combatant commanders at the strategic, regional, and operational levels to plan ballistic missile defense operations systematically. It also enables them to monitor the battle collectively and to dynamically manage assigned networked sensors and weapons systems to achieve global and regional mission goals. C2BMC supports a layered missile defense capability that provides an optimized response to threats across all ranges and flight phases. It acts as a force multiplier by networking, integrating, and synchronizing autonomous sensor and weapon systems and operations at global and regional scales to enhance performance. C2BMC is a key component of all ground and flight tests that verify and demonstrate the capabilities of current and future missile defense systems.

In this role, the candidate will support the implementation, maintenance, and troubleshooting of enterprise network infrastructure. This position is responsible for ensuring reliable connectivity across LAN/WAN environments while collaborating with senior engineers on network design and optimization. The ideal candidate has strong networking fundamentals and a hands-on approach to supporting production environments.

Essential Functions:

• Configure and maintain network devices, including routers, switches, and firewalls from vendors such as Cisco and Juniper Networks.
• Monitor network performance and availability, proactively detecting and fixing connectivity, latency, and packet loss problems
• Implement and support essential networking technologies such as VLANs, routing protocols (e.g., OSPF, BGP), and fundamental network security measures
• Troubleshoot network incidents across LAN/WAN networks, perform root cause analysis, and document solutions
• Work with cross-functional IT teams to facilitate network changes, upgrades, and infrastructure projects
• The candidate will be responsible for traveling to remote locations to lead and carry out network installations, independently troubleshoot issues, and provide status updates to Program personnel
• The candidate might need to support essential activities outside of normal business hours, including evenings and weekends, as necessary
• Typically has 3 or more years of relevant experience and may hold a post-secondary degree or training in a related field
• Must be an effective communicator with excellent writing and presentation skills, proficient in Microsoft Office products, especially PowerPoint and Visio
• Any other tasks required by the program

Basic Qualifications: Please list your current security clearance and IAT or relevant certifications on your resume, if applicable.

• A Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Network Engineering, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or a related field from an accredited university, along with 5 years of experience; or a Master's degree in a related field with 3 years of relevant work experience; or 9 years of relevant work experience may be considered as an alternative to a degree
• Applicants must have a current, active DoD 8140 certification at IAT Level II or higher (such as Security+ CE, GSEC, SCNP, CISSP, CISA, GSE, SCNA, CCNA-Security, CySA+, CND, etc.) at the time of application, which is required to start. The candidate is responsible for maintaining their DoD 8140 certification throughout the entire contract period
• Applicants must have a current, active in-scope DoD-issued Secret security clearance at the time of application, which is required to start with the ability to obtain Top Secret security clearance
• Willingness to travel 10% of the time for business needs
• This role requires either a CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) or JNCIA (Juniper Networks Certified Associate) certification
• Must be a proven network engineer with hands-on mid-level experience and knowledge of network design, development, and testing methodologies
• Must understand the OSI Model, TCP/IP, and routing protocols BGP and OSPF
• Must have network traffic analysis, diagnostic, and troubleshooting skills
• Must have firewall experience, especially with Juniper, Fortinet, and Palo Alto
• Must have experience in UDP multicast, SONET, MSPP, VLANs, GRE Tunnels, and TCP/IP network designs
• Must have hands-on experience with multi-vendor switching and routing (Juniper, Cisco), WAN optimizer, TACLANEs, and optical transport equipment

Preferred Qualifications:

• Applicants with a current, active in-scope DoD-issued Top Secret security clearance at the time of application are highly preferred.
• CCNP (Cisco Certified Network Professional) or JNCIP (Juniper Networks Certified Internet Professional) Certification
• Foundation, NSX, vSAN, and Aria
• Experience with automating networks using Ansible
• Understand standard DOD security practices, including STIG compliance and system accreditation efforts
• Previous C2BMC experience

What We Can Offer You: Northrop Grumman provides a comprehensive benefits package and a work environment that encourages your growth, supporting both employees and the company's success. The benefits at Northrop Grumman are flexible and tailored, allowing you to choose options that best suit your needs and your family's. Your benefits will include the following:

• Health Plan
• Savings Plan
• Paid Time Off
• Education Assistance
• Training and Development
• Flexible Work Arrangements