Network Engineer SME

We are seeking a highly experienced and technically exceptional Network Engineering Subject Matter Expert (Engineer
4) to serve as a trusted technical advisor in a Systems Engineering and Technical Assistance (SETA) capacity directly supporting the Government Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Next Generation Environment (NGE) leadership in the Missile Defense Agency.

About the Program Join a mission-critical, high-visibility program to architect, build, and secure the Agency’s Next Generation Environment (NGE). This initiative establishes a secure, resilient, and flexible hybrid, multi-cloud ecosystem designed to support national security objectives for years to come.

Within the NGE, the transport network and core enterprise network services, including DNS, DHCP, and IP Address Management (DDI)—serve as the foundational backbone and enforcement fabric of the Agency's Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA). As the Network Engineering SME, you will guide technical decisions, shape transport and core network services roadmaps, and oversee multi-vendor integration efforts across commercial cloud providers (AWS, Azure), on-premises VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) environments, and DISA/DODNET boundaries.

Position Summary In this role, you will provide critical oversight and technical direction for the NGE Network and Transport Design Area. You will ensure that all hybrid networking components—spanning software-defined wide area networks (SD-WAN), software-defined data centers (SDDC), enterprise DDI architectures, multi-cloud transit networks, application delivery controllers, and next-generation firewalls—are designed, integrated, and accredited to form a cohesive, secure, and interoperable system.

Lead the architecture and governance of the enterprise DDI solution using Infoblox as the Authoritative Source of Truth (ASOT) to automate IP address management and name resolution across hybrid enclaves. Simultaneously, oversee the technical integration of NGE enclaves with DODNET boundaries, ensuring strict compliance with DISA Connection Approval Processes (CAP) and Versa-based SD-WAN gateways. Throughout these efforts, serve as the principal technical liaison translating senior Government leadership requirements into actionable engineering solutions delivered by contractors and vendors

Key Responsibilities Serve as a senior technical authority in architectural review boards (ARBs), evaluating and validating vendor-proposed network, boundary, and DDI designs against the NGE Master Architecture and DoD Zero Trust reference mandates.

Design and document holistic, end-to-end transport solutions across AWS, Azure, and on-premises VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF), defining routing topologies, traffic engineering, and resilient transit patterns.

Architect and govern the enterprise Infoblox DDI infrastructure as the centralized Authoritative Source of Truth (ASOT). Design split-horizon DNS, DNSSEC, Anycast routing, and dynamic IPAM synchronizations across multi-cloud and on-prem segments.

Architect and integrate micro-segmentation, software-defined perimeters, and secure access service edge (SASE) capabilities aligned with DISA Thunderdome standards.

Oversee the technical integration of NGE enclaves with DODNET boundaries, ensuring compliance with DISA connection approval processes (CAP) and Versa-based SD-WAN gateways.

Guide the deployment and policy harmonization of F5 BIG-IP (ASG/AWAF) and Palo Alto Networks NGFWs across on-premises and cloud boundaries to enforce Layer 7 inspection and zero-trust controls.

Facilitate technical exchange meetings (TEMs) with integration contractors and software vendors (Cisco, Versa, VMware, Infoblox, F5, Palo Alto). Act as the final escalation authority for complex, cross-domain…