Cisco Network Engineer

Zachary Piper Solutions is seeking a Cisco Engineer to support a long-term Department of Defense program focused on Navy enterprise IT infrastructure, network operations, and cybersecurity support. This position is on-site in Norfolk, VA; Bremerton, WA; Jacksonville, FL; Honolulu, HI; San Diego, CA; or Washington, DC.

The Cisco Engineer will support the reliability and operational integrity of a complex enterprise network environment by developing technically accurate, implementation-ready Cisco network configurations across WAN and BAN environments. This role will focus heavily on Cisco Layer 2/Layer 3 networking, routing, switching, network configuration, configuration validation, documentation, and technical peer review, while also contributing to the standardization, optimization, reliability, and automation of enterprise network capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Develop, modify, and validate implementation-ready Cisco network configurations for complex enterprise WAN/BAN environments based on site-specific requirements and established engineering standards
• Configure and troubleshoot Cisco IOS/IOS-XE Layer 2/Layer 3 environments, including VLANs, trunking, STP/RSTP/MST, EtherChannel/LACP/PAgP, inter-VLAN routing, interfaces, and port-channels
• Apply strong knowledge of IPv4 addressing, subnetting, static/dynamic routing, OSPF, EIGRP, BGP, ACLs, and first-hop redundancy
• Analyze existing network environments and understand the technical impact, dependencies, and functionality of configuration changes rather than relying solely on templates
• Create and maintain network configuration documentation, baselines, and supporting technical documentation
• Perform configuration validation and technical/peer reviews to ensure network changes are accurate, complete, and ready for implementation
• Collaborate with network engineering, SRE, development, automation, and other technical teams to improve network reliability, standardization, optimization, and operational efficiency
• Support the evolution of network automation and configuration management initiatives

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in network engineering, systems engineering, or information technology
• Active Secret clearance
• Active CCNA certification
• Active IAT Level II certification
• Strong hands-on experience with Cisco enterprise networking, IOS/IOS-XE, Layer 2/Layer 3 switching, and routing
• Experience with VLANs, trunking, STP, EtherChannel, inter-VLAN routing, IPv4/subnetting, OSPF, EIGRP, BGP, ACLs, and TCP/IP
• Experience developing, validating, documenting, and reviewing network configurations prior to implementation
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail with the ability to understand how configuration changes impact an enterprise network

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting large-scale enterprise networks
• Experience with Cisco Catalyst switches and routers
• Experience with network configuration standards, baselines, change management, and technical peer review
• Experience with network automation or scripting, including Python, Bash, PowerShell, or Ansible
• Familiarity with IaC, CI/CD, Jenkins, GitLab, Terraform, Linux/Unix, or cloud technologies

Compensation

• Salary: $95,000–$100,000 depending on experience
• Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, 401k Plan, Holidays, PTO, sick leave as required by law