Cloud Network Engineer

Cloud Network Engineer - AL

This position supports the US Government and requires US Citizenship and an active Secret Clearance. Location: Redstone Gateway, Huntsville, AL, 35808 (On-Site) Clearance: Secret (must be current and active) Compensation: 110-160K (depending on level, education, and years of experience). Relocation: Will consider candidates that will relocate within 3-4 weeks

Our Client is seeking an experienced Cloud Network Engineer to design, implement, and operate secure, high-performance networks that span on-premise data centers, public cloud environments, and enclave-based domains. The ideal candidate will have deep hands-on experience with cloud networking, software-defined networking (SDN), and container-native networking solutions, particularly within Kubernetes environments. This Cloud Network Engineer will spend the majority of their working at the customer sites in Huntsville, AL.

Must have an active and transferable DoD SECRET security clearance with current investigation at the required level. Must be able to maintain the required clearance

Key Responsibilities

• Design & Deploy Secure Networks
  • Architect and configure restricted computer networks and secure inter-domain routes.
  • Implement network segmentation, access controls, and policy enforcement across cloud and on-premise resources.
• Cloud & Multicast Networking
  • Build and manage cloud networking infrastructure (AWS, Azure, GCP, etc.).
  • Configure and troubleshoot multicast UDP (User Datagram Protocol) and broadcast UDP traffic for high-throughput applications.
• Software-Defined & Hardware-Defined Solutions
  • Deploy and maintain Software Defined Network (SDN) platforms and hardware-based network appliances.
  • Integrate network services with Kubernetes using CNI (container network interface) plugins and container-based networking.
• Hybrid Cloud Integration
  • Connect remote cloud instances to on-premise data centers, ensuring reliable routing and latency optimization.
  • Support hybrid cloud architectures and remote enclave connectivity.
• Automation & Monitoring
  • Automate network provisioning and changes using IaC tools (e.g., Terraform, Ansible).
  • Implement robust monitoring, logging, and alerting for network health and security events.
• Collaboration & Documentation
  • Work closely with security, DevOps, and application teams to define network access protocols and rules.
  • Produce clear documentation, runbooks, and knowledge-base articles for all network solutions.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science , Electrical Engineering, Information Technology, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience).
• 5+ years of professional networking experience, with a focus on cloud and software-defined environments.

Must-Have Qualifications

• Network Design Experience - Proven experience setting up restricted/compliant networks and securing inter-domain/enclave communication.
• Cloud Networking - Hands-on experience with cloud networking services (VPC, VNets, peering, transit gateways).
• Linux Operation Systems - Experience with Linux OS
• Multicast/UDP - Practical knowledge of multicast UDP and broadcast UDP traffic handling.
• SDN / Hardware-Defined Networking - Experience with both software-defined and hardware-defined networking technologies.
• Kubernetes-Based Networking - Direct experience designing, deploying, and troubleshooting networking within Kubernetes clusters.
• Secure Routing Across Domains - Ability to create and manage secure routing paths between isolated domains or enclaves.

Desired Skills & Attributes

• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities; comfortable troubleshooting complex network issues.
• Excellent communication skills – able to translate technical concepts for non-technical stakeholders.
• Proactive mindset with a focus on security, reliability, and scalability.
• Ability to work autonomously and as part of a cross-functional team.
• Relevant certifications (e.g., CCNA/CCNP, AWS Certified Advanced Networking, Certified Kubernetes Administrator) are a plus.

Nice-to-Have Qualifications

• CNI Expertise – Experience with one or more Container Network Interfaces (CNI): Cilium, Calico, Multus, or similar.
• Enterprise Software Hosting – Background deploying and supporting enterprise-grade applications in production environments.
• Network Access Policy Development – Experience defining and governing network access protocols, firewall rules, and zero-trust policies.
• Container-Mesh Architecture – Familiarity with container-based network meshes (e.g., Istio, Linkerd) and service-mesh concepts.
• Cloud-to-Cloud Routing – Experience routing traffic between multiple cloud service provider instances.
• Hybrid Cloud Infrastructure – Proven work with hybrid cloud models linking remote clouds to on-premise resources.