Senior Network Engineer

MITRE Senior Network EngineerAt MITRE, your passion fuels work that impacts our nation and improves lives. This is where your skills strengthen national security, cybersecurity, health, transportation, and citizen services. We're a nonprofit engineering, applied research, and advanced technology organization working in the public interest. With objectivity and integrity at our core, we lead federally funded research and development centers for U.S. government agencies – collaborating with industry and academia to deliver integrated, high-impact solutions that advance our nation's health, security, and prosperity. Our people tackle the toughest technical challenges, supported by competitive benefits, meaningful career development, and a culture of innovation, collaboration, and technical excellence. Choose MITRE for a career with purpose — and help shape the future.The L616 – Enterprise and Tactical Networking Department within MITRE Technology and Engineering specializes in complex network challenges vital to national well-being. Our work involves researching, developing, and applying advanced technologies in core areas such as:Network architecture and designSoftware-defined / Virtual networks (SDN/NFV)Network reliability, resilience, mission security and assurance, network data analyticsE2E network MS&A, T&E, AFSIMEmbedded networks (IoT, ICS, SCADA)Tactical and threat-informed networkingBy integrating deep technical expertise across these networking domains, we provide our federal sponsors with comprehensive solutions that enable their mission outcomes.MITRE's Enterprise and Tactical Networking department is seeking talented Senior Network Engineers to join our team and leverage expertise in enterprise networking, network security, automation, and infrastructure architecture to address complex technical challenges for a wide range of sponsor organizations. Candidates will contribute to:Network Design: Defining validated designs for networks with details required for implementationSoftware-Defined / Virtual Networks: Configuring, deploying, testing and validating the latest technologies in software-defined and virtualized networks as well as "traditional" networkingMission Security and Assurance: Conducting cybersecurity risk assessments of proposed and existing designs to evaluate security posture, identify threats and vulnerabilities, and recommend mitigation strategiesNetwork Data Analytics: Designing, implementing, and enhancing network monitoring and data collection capabilities to provide visibility into performance, availability and operational healthNetwork Modeling, Simulation and Analysis: Developing and applying network modeling, simulation, emulation, and test methodologies to validate design assumptions, analyze traffic patterns, assess resiliency, and predict performance and scalability outcomesTactical and Thread-Informed Networking: Developing solutions for coupling non-traditional, external threat feeds into traditional network routing parameters (i.e., bandwidth, delay, throughput) to better influence communications paths in challenging network environmentsMITRE Senior Network Engineers contribute to the design, implementation, testing, validation, and modernization of secure, resilient, and scalable network environments spanning LAN/WAN, data center, and tactical operations use cases. The role requires strong collaboration, technical rigor, and the ability to translate mission needs into practical engineering solutions.Basic Qualifications:Typically requires a minimum of 5 years of related experience with a Bachelor's degree; or 3 years and a Master's degree; or a PhD with relevant experience who can immediately contribute at this job step; or equivalent combination of related education and work experience.Ability to obtain a DoD Secret security clearance.Per the U.S. Government's eligibility requirements, you must be a U.S Citizen to be considered for a security clearance.This position requires a minimum of 4 days a week on-site.The candidate will engage in hands-on, mission-driven work. Responsibilities span the full solution lifecycle - from design and prototyping through testing, implementation, and monitoring - across various networking use cases and solutions. The candidate is expected to have some experience in the followingNetwork Design: Defining designs that enable secure, scalable, resilient, and supportable solutions, including target-state designs, operational processes, and implementation artifacts.Software-Defined / Virtual Networks: Some areas of software-defined and virtualized networks, as well as "traditional" networking protocols and concepts, such as the following: IPv4/IPv6, Interior gateway routing protocols (e.g., OSPF), SD-WAN, Docker Swarm / Kubernetes, Network segmentation.Mission Security and Assurance: Conducting and providing risk assessments, threat and vulnerability identification, and mitigation strategy recommendations.Network Data Analytics: Monitoring, troubleshooting and managing networks using protocols such as SNMP and / or Syslog, NetFlow/IPFIX, APIs and dashboards.Technical Reporting and Communications: Clearly communicate technical findings, methodologies, and project outcomes through written reports, briefings, and demonstrations.Knowledge Sharing: Actively participate in internal MITRE technical exchange events focused on emerging trends in networking and service management.Preferred Qualifications:Master's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Data Science related discipline, or equivalent combination of related education and work experience.Associate level networking certification(s) such as a CCNA or JNCIA.Excellent analytical and problem-solving skillsStrong communication, presentation, and writing skillsThe ability to thrive in collaborative and working relationships with people of different backgrounds.Knowledge of, or hands-on experience in:Network Services: Recent hands-on experience configuring core network services (i.e., DHCP, DNS, NTP) and multiple routing protocols (i.e., OSPF, BGP).Virtualization and Continuous Integration: Experience with DevOps paradigms supported by virtualization, containerization, cloud and serverless architecturesSoftware Development and Automation : Experience using languages like Go, C++, Python, and JavaScript. Strong proficiency in scripting and automation using tools and frameworks like Ansible, Terraform, PowerShell, and Bash. Experience with version control systems, particularly Git, for source code management, collaboration, and CI/CD workflow integration.Network Data Analytics & Monitoring: Experience collecting, process, and analyze large-scale network data (e.g., logs, flows, telemetry, SNMP, etc.) using tools such as Splunk, Elasticsearch, and Wireshark. Develop dashboards and visualizations to monitor network performance, capacity, and anomalies using Grafana, Kibana, and Microsoft Power BI. Implement data pipelines for real-time and batch network analytics using Apache Kafka, Apache Spark, Logstash, and Apache NiFi.Embedded Networks: Experience with Internet of Things (IoT), Industrial Control Systems (ICS), and / or Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, including protocols and regulatory compliance frameworks such as: Modbus, DNP3, OPC, BACnet, NERC CIP, IEC 62443, NIST SP 800-82.Tactical and Thread-Informed Networking: Experience integrating distributed and centralized network control algorithms and / or integrating external inputs to "traditional" network path decision logic to facilitate non-standard (i.e., not "shortest path first") routing.Network Modeling, Simulation and Analysis: Experience with network modeling, simulation, emulation, and test methodologies to validate design assumptions and predict performance.Salary compensation range and midpoint: $118,000 - $147,500 - $177,000 AnnualWork Location Type: OnsiteCommitment to Non-DiscriminationAll qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, local or international law.