Senior Network Architect and Technical Leader

Job Description Readiness Delivered. At Kratos, we encourage an entrepreneurial spirit balanced with discipline. We work hard, and take care of our customers, employees, and families. Recognized as thought leaders in our industry, we are motivated by creating and delivering innovative solutions to our nation and global customers. Kratos is seeking a highly accomplished Senior Network Architect and Technical Leader with 15+ years of progressive experience designing, implementing, modernizing, and supporting large‑scale, remote manned/unmanned, mission‑critical network environments. The ideal candidate will bring deep expertise across WAN/LAN routing and switching, data center technologies, virtualization, and network security, with a proven ability to lead teams, modernize customer environments, and support complex government customers. This role involves high‑impact, hands‑on troubleshooting and maintenance, maintaining technical documentation, modernization initiatives, proactive consulting, and coaching of engineering staff. Experience supporting DoW and/or Intelligence Community customers is highly preferred. Key Responsibilities Work with Program and Customer Leadership to ensure all Network Engineering requirements are understood and defined, align solutions, and strengthen long‑term technical relationships. Architect, design, implement, and support scalable and secure WAN/LAN network solutions for DoW environments. Lead comprehensive network modernization efforts, including device refreshes, routing changes, software deployments, and security hardening initiatives. Prototype network designs and issues using modeling environments (e.g., Cisco Modeling Labs) to validate and optimize architectures. Serve as a technical lead guiding teams of engineers through design, configuration, and stabilization of complex customer networks. Provide proactive consulting support, issue troubleshooting, root‑cause analysis, and performance optimization. Coach and mentor junior engineers, contribute to knowledge transfer, and support team development. Ensure secure system configuration, risk mitigation, and compliance with DoW and enterprise security standards. Participate in CDRL and technical artifact generation based on internal and customer prescribed schedules. Attend and support highly technical engineering team meetings. Develop and deliver effective customer presentations, demonstrating an ability to communicate comfortably at a system level. Travel as necessary to attend customer meetings and establish/maintain remote system locations. Experience and Skills U.S. citizenship with active DoD Top Secret/SCI clearance BS in STEM degree field Cisco CCNP (Required) or CCIE (Preferred) certification DoDM 8140.03 Certification (Security +, CASP+, CEH, CISM, CISSP, or equivalent) Supporting programs through SRR, PDR, CDR, or equivalent design reviews 10+ years of progressively responsible experience in network architecture, engineering, and technical leadership Extensive experience supporting large‑scale enterprise or Department of War networks, ideally including the U.S. Air Force. Hands‑on experience with network security technologies including ASA firewalls, hardening, and access control systems. Expertise with routing and switching technologies including OSPF, BGP, multicast protocols, LAN switching, and advanced WAN solutions (DMVPN, SD‑WAN, SD‑Routing). Strong data center experience across SAN, storage networking, High Availability (HA), power solutions, and virtualization (VMware, Linux). Demonstrated ability to lead engineering teams through complex network deployments and upgrades. Strong troubleshooting capabilities and ability to simulate, replicate, and resolve complex issues. Ability to articulate technical concepts orally and in written forms for internal team, external customer, and users. Preferred Skills and Experience 15+ years of experience in network architecture, engineering, and technical leadership Experience with network modeling and automation principles (e.g., CML) Experience supporting high availability and multi‑site environments Other advanced certifications and specialization tracks beyond CCIE Experience working alongside or in a network architect role Experience with cloud networking platforms and integrations. This posting will close within 90 days from the Posting Date. Competitive salary based on experience and education Salary Range: $170,000-$185,000 Job Benefits Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance Coverage Life/ADD & Short/Long Term Disability Insurance 401(k) Savings Plan Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) Paid Time‑Off (PTO) Holidays Education Reimbursement Kratos Defense is an Equal Opportunity Affimative Action Employer. EOE, Minorities, Females, Vet, Disabled, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or any other protected class. All qualified job seekers are encouraged to apply. Kratos Defense is committed to America's veterans by providing opportunities for them to continue contributing after service to our nation. We also work to provide reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. EEO Is The Law Disability Accessibility Accommodation If you require an accommodation to navigate or apply to our careers site, please send your request to View email address on click.appcast.io or call View phone number on click.appcast.io. Any inquiries not related to requesting an accommodation will be discarded. Pay Transparency The company will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. Job Applicant Privacy Notice For applicants in the EU and California residents, please review our privacy notice. #J-18808-Ljbffr