Network Administrator

Agile Defense•Huntsville, AL

9d•Onsite

About The Position

Agile Defense is seeking a highly skilled and experienced network professional to manage, secure, and maintain critical network infrastructure at a U.S. Army installation. The role supports mission-critical network services and requires technical expertise across advanced networking technologies and DoD security protocols. The position focuses on maintaining network stability, integrity, and security; enforcing standards such as STIGs; and using automation to improve efficiency and reliability. The role administers Palo Alto firewalls, Cisco campus switching, Cisco ISE network access control, and Cisco 9800 wireless infrastructure. It also includes security audits and remediation, cybersecurity incident response, network automation, performance monitoring, documentation, and senior-level technical support and mentorship. The posting lists the role as Senior Network Engineer / Admin and describes its work as that of a Senior Network Operator.

Requirements

At least 5 years of experience as a Network Engineer or Senior Network Operator in a DoD or similar high-security environment.
Active DoD Secret or Top Secret security clearance; the posting also specifies an active DoD Secret clearance.
DoD 8570 IAT Level II certification, such as CompTIA Security+ CE.
Hands-on experience with Palo Alto firewalls, PAN-OS, and Panorama.
Advanced knowledge of Cisco Catalyst 9300 and 9400 switching, StackWise Virtual, and high availability.
Experience deploying and managing Cisco ISE for 802.1x and network access control.
Proficiency managing campus mesh Cisco 9800 wireless controllers and associated Wi-Fi 6 access points.
Basic knowledge of F5 BIG-IP load balancers (LTM).
Comprehensive understanding and practical application of DoD STIGs for network devices.
Basic scripting and automation skills with at least one of Python, PowerShell, or Ansible.

Nice To Haves

Experience managing and deploying Zero-Trust Architecture concepts.
Hands-on experience with Cisco Software-Defined Access (SD-Access).
Knowledge of VPN-less network solutions and secure remote access technologies.
Familiarity with Privileged Access Security/Management (PASM/PAM) solutions.
Experience with IPv6 planning, implementation, and management.
Experience using Elasticsearch (Elastic Stack) for log analysis and monitoring.
Advanced industry certifications such as CCNA, CCNP Enterprise/Security, or PCNSE.
Experience with advanced network monitoring, logging, and analysis tools such as SolarWinds, Splunk, or Wireshark.
Advanced scripting capabilities for complex network automation workflows.
Bachelor’s degree in a related technical field.
Linux Bash scripting.

Responsibilities

Administer, configure, and maintain Palo Alto firewalls and security policies.
Manage and troubleshoot Cisco Catalyst 9300 stacked switches and 9400 series chassis.
Implement and manage Cisco ISE network access control policies.
Configure, deploy, and manage Cisco 9800 wireless controllers and associated wireless infrastructure.
Maintain network-device compliance with DoD STIGs and Army cybersecurity directives.
Conduct security audits and vulnerability assessments, and remediate issues in response to ACAS and CTO initiatives.
Respond to and investigate cybersecurity incidents in coordination with the security operations team.
Develop and maintain scripts using Python, PowerShell, or Ansible to automate network administration, configuration, and compliance checks.
Assist in developing a network automation framework.
Monitor network performance, troubleshoot connectivity and performance issues, and ensure high availability of network services.
Maintain documentation of network architecture, device configurations, and standard operating procedures.
Provide senior-level technical support and mentorship to junior team members.