Subject Matter Expert (SME) - Computer Network Support Specialist

About the Role

The Subject Matter Expert (SME) - Computer Network Support Specialist serves as the organization's pinnacle technical authority and chief architect for the enterprise network infrastructure. This role is responsible for setting the strategic direction, defining the architecture, and ensuring the long-term health, security, and scalability of all network services. The SME translates high-level mission and business requirements into a comprehensive network vision and technical roadmap, providing visionary leadership on network technologies, establishing governance and engineering standards, and serving as the ultimate authority for the most complex network challenges.

Responsibilities

• Network Architecture and Strategy
  • Define and own the long-term technical roadmap for the enterprise network, encompassing campus LAN, WAN, data center, and cloud connectivity.
  • Architect the enterprise network topology, including routing schemes, segmentation strategies, and high-availability designs.
  • Lead research and development (R&D) efforts, evaluating emerging technologies (e.g., SD-WAN, Zero Trust Networking) and creating proofs-of-concept and business cases for their adoption.
  • Establish and enforce network engineering standards, configuration management policies, and governance for the entire infrastructure.
• Technology Leadership and Project Execution
  • Serve as the technical lead on all major network infrastructure projects, from initial concept and design through implementation and operational turnover.
  • Direct large-scale migrations, such as data center relocations, major hardware technology refreshes, or transitions to new architectural models.
  • Develop multi-year investment strategies for network infrastructure to ensure it remains current, supportable, and capable of meeting future demands.
• Advanced Troubleshooting and Performance Optimization
  • Serve as the ultimate escalation point for the most catastrophic, persistent, or complex network performance and security issues.
  • Lead root cause analysis for major incidents, using deep-level packet analysis and correlation of data from multiple sources to identify underlying architectural flaws or systemic problems.
  • Analyze complex data flows and application performance across the network to engineer and implement Quality of Service (QoS) and traffic-shaping solutions.
• Governance, Security, and Mentorship
  • Act as the primary technical liaison to senior leadership, the cybersecurity team, and auditors, articulating network design, security posture, and risk.
  • Architect the network security posture, including firewall architectures, intrusion prevention system (IPS) deployment strategies, and network access control (NAC) policies.
  • Provide expert mentorship and technical oversight to all senior and journeyman network specialists, setting the standard for technical excellence and leading design reviews.

Requirements

• Experience
  • A minimum of five (5) years of progressive experience in network engineering and architecture.
  • At least five (3) years of this experience must be in a lead architect or principal engineer role, with responsibility for designing and managing large-scale, complex enterprise networks.
  • Proven experience leading major network transformation projects (e.g., data center build-out, enterprise-wide technology refresh).
• Certifications (Baseline)
  • Must possess a current certification that meets DoD 8140 requirements for IAT Level III or IAM Level III.
  • Acceptable certifications include:
    • CASP+ CE
    • CCNA
    • CISSP (or Associate) - Highly Preferred
    • CISM
• Security Clearance
  • Must be able to acquire and maintain a DoD Security Clearance.
• Technical Skills
  • Mastery of complex IP routing protocols (e.g., BGP, OSPF) and advanced Layer 2/3 switching concepts.
  • Expert-level knowledge of network architecture, including data center design, campus design, and WAN technologies.
  • In-depth knowledge of network security architecture, including next-generation firewalls, VPNs, and Network Access Control (NAC).
  • Ability to perform deep-level network traffic analysis with tools like Wireshark.
  • Exceptional ability to communicate complex technical strategies and risks to a non-technical, executive-level audience.