Sr. Network Engineer

Sr. Network Engineer

Location: Bedford, MA, US Salary: $165,000 – $210,000 / year

Clearance: Active TS/SCI clearance required

Join the Phalanx Griffon (PG) program, the Air Force's open-architecture aerial node designed to push multi-level-secure data to warfighters in seconds, not minutes. As the Subject Matter Expert (SME) for Network Engineering , you will play a critical role in shaping the tactical and enterprise networking underpinnings of Major Release 2 (FY 25-27). This includes orchestrating SATCOM, SDR, cross-domain solutions, and software-defined networking to seamlessly connect airborne platforms to the Digital Infrastructure (DI) and the broader DAF BATTLE NETWORK.

This is an exceptional opportunity for a seasoned network engineer to lead the architectural design, integration, and security of cutting-edge airborne network solutions in a high-impact national defense program.

Essential Job Functions:

• Architect & Design:
  • Lead the creation of the PG network reference architecture spanning Nomad hardware, Smith software builds, and Watch node-management elements.
  • Define routing schemas (BGP/OSPF/IS-IS), QoS policies, IPSec/crypto overlays, and multi-level security / cross-domain data-flow rulesets that comply with NSA and DISA STIG requirements.
  • Produce SysML/CAMEO artifacts feeding the government-owned digital thread.
• Integration & Lab Leadership:
  • Specify and configure routers, switches, firewalls, SATCOM modems, and SDRs inside the Integration System Integration Laboratory (SIL).
  • Drive interface-control documentation (ICDs) for airborne Platform Interface Modules (PIMs).
  • Develop automated test harnesses (IXIA/TestCenter, Spirent, Ansible) to validate throughput, latency, packet-loss, and Information Assurance (IA) posture before Developmental Test (DT)/Operational Test (OT).
• DevSecOps & Cyber Hygiene:
  • Embed network-security controls into the PG DevSecOps pipeline; champion zero-trust principles and continuous Authority To Operate (ATO) artifacts (Risk Management Framework (RMF) eMASS packages, ACAS/SCAP scans).
  • Guide implementation of Software Defined Networking (SD-WAN, OpenFlow, or comparable) for dynamic airborne/ground path selection.
• Fielding & Operations:
  • Partner with platform System Program Offices (SPOs) and flight-test organizations to translate lab configurations into flight-worthy builds.
  • Draft Interim Authorizations To Test (IATT) and airworthiness network annexes.
  • Support Watch help-desk playbooks, operational runbooks, and remote monitoring dashboards (Elastic, Grafana, Prometheus).
• Leadership & Mentoring:
  • Serve as the chief technical adviser to Government Integrated Product Team (IPT) leads; brief network readiness, risk, and performance metrics at program reviews.
  • Mentor mid-level engineers and ensure knowledge transfer to Government personnel.

Required Skills:

• Due to the sensitivity of customer related requirements, U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field (Master’s preferred) and 20+ years of experience designing, integrating, and securing DoD or Intelligence Community (IC) mission-critical IP networks.
• Active TS/SCI clearance.
• Deep expertise in routing/switching (Layer 2/3), SATCOM backhaul, RF/mesh networking, and transport enclaves in contested or bandwidth-limited environments.
• Demonstrated experience with cross-domain solutions, NSA Type-1 crypto, and multi-level security architectures.
• Hands-on experience with network test/validation tools and scripting/automation (Python, Ansible, Terraform).

Desired Skills:

• CCNP/CCIE, JNCIE, or equivalent expert-level certification.
• Prior work on CJADC2, ABMS, OMS/UCI, tactical data links (Link-16/22, TTNT), or airborne networking programs.
• Familiarity with containerized networking (CNI plugins, Service Mesh) and classified DevSecOps pipelines (Platform One, Iron Bank).
• Experience shepherding RMF packages through eMASS to full ATO.
• Agile/Scrum or SAFe certification