Network Automation Engineer Security Clearance

Position: Network Automation Engineer with Security Clearance
Zachary Piper Solutions is seeking a Network Automation Engineer (Junior-Mid Level) to support a federal network modernization project in Alexandria, VA. This role is ideal for an early-career network engineer with solid Cisco networking experience and hands-on exposure to Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) tools such as Ansible and Terraform. You will assist in modernizing network infrastructure, improving repeatability, and supporting automation-ready configurations across enterprise environments.

This is an excellent growth opportunity for someone who wants to expand their automation skills while building on strong Cisco networking fundamentals.

Key Responsibilities
* Support day-to-day management of Cisco network devices (routers, switches, firewalls, wireless controllers).

* Assist with implementing Ansible playbooks and Terraform configurations to automate provisioning and configuration tasks.

* Participate in network configuration, change management, and version-controlled workflows.

* Collaborate with senior engineers to translate manual operational tasks into scripted or automated workflows.

* Help maintain documentation, diagrams, and configuration templates.

* Support troubleshooting across LAN/WAN environments (routing, switching, VLANs, ACLs, QoS).

* Contribute to compliance and security initiatives in alignment with federal IT standards.

* Participate in testing, validation, and deployment of network changes.

* Assist with monitoring and reporting on network health, performance, and device inventory.

Required Qualifications
* 3+ years of Cisco networking experience (routing & switching).

* Bachelor's degree in IT, Computer Science, or related field (or equivalent experience).

* Hands-on experience with Ansible (running playbooks, editing templates, basic automation tasks).

* Hands-on exposure to Terraform (network or infrastructure provisioning).

* Strong understanding of networking fundamentals:

* TCP/IP

* VLANs

* ACLs

* OSPF / BGP basics

* Familiarity with version control concepts (Git or similar).

* Strong problem-solving and communication skills.

* Ability to work onsite in Alexandria, VA as required.

Preferred Qualifications
* Any professional networking certification (CCNA, CCNP).

* IAT Level II certification (Security+, CCNA-Security, or similar).

* Experience with scripting languages (Python preferred).

* Exposure to cloud networking (AWS, Azure) or virtualization.

* Experience supporting federal IT environments.
Why This Role Is a Good Fit for You
* Gain hands-on experience with network automation in a federal environment.

* Work alongside senior architects who will help grow your automation skills.

* Be part of a large-scale modernization effort with meaningful career advancement potential.

* Great opportunity for an early-career engineer ready to take the next step into automation and IaC.
Compensation * $70,000 - $85,000

* Benefits: PTO, Paid Holidays, Medical, Dental, Vision, 401(k), Sick Leave (as required by law)
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