Network Architect

SAIC•Washington, DC

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Network Architect supports the Department of State Bureau of Diplomatic Technology (DT) through the Vanguard Program, providing senior engineering design and architecture for enterprise infrastructure. The role translates business and customer requirements into telecommunications requirements, designs, and orders across voice, data, VoIP, RoIP, LAN, WAN, and video systems. Solutions may use physical and virtual networking technologies, server hosting, and storage for an enterprise serving more than 100,000 users. The position works with government customers on data center and overseas infrastructure initiatives, develops technical roadmaps and white papers, and provides technical direction throughout the systems development life cycle. It also supports solution planning, security and operational readiness, integration, testing, validation, performance analysis, lifecycle cost estimation, and technical decision-making. The role is hybrid, with the number of on-site days determined by the government. The candidate must be a U.S. citizen and hold an active Top Secret clearance, with the ability to obtain TS/SCI. Travel within the Washington, DC metro area is required to support program initiatives; travel within and outside the continental United States may be required, not to exceed 10%. The candidate must also be willing to participate in a rotational after-hours on-call posture.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in systems engineering, information technology, or a related field and 12 years of experience; or a master’s degree in a related technology field and 10 years of experience in network/system management; or 16 or more years of general engineering experience emphasizing LAN/WAN engineering and support.
Knowledge and experience in network/system engineering and security, routers, switches, and VPNs.
Experience with VoIP and Wi-Fi design and implementation.
Experience with global network operations, network/system integration, and network/system hardware.
Strong emotional intelligence and interpersonal and executive-level communication skills.
Ability to work in a multivendor network environment.
Working knowledge of IP subnetting, IP routing, and troubleshooting IP-related issues.
Knowledge of data center architectures and designs for large-scale data centers.
Knowledge of integrated converged stack infrastructure, such as VCE Vblock or FlexPod.
Knowledge and experience with large-scale Storage Area Network systems, including design, build, and operation.
Knowledge and experience with VMware, including design, build, and operation.
Knowledge of IP networking, VPNs, switching, and routing.
Knowledge of Software Defined Data Center concepts and principles.
Knowledge of Microsoft file systems, operating systems, and applications; knowledge and experience with Microsoft OS systems.
Systems engineering background and understanding of Cloud Computing Reference Architecture.
Strong verbal and written communication skills.
U.S. citizenship.
Active Top Secret clearance with the ability to obtain TS/SCI.
Willingness to travel within the Washington, DC metro area and, if required, within and outside the continental United States, not to exceed 10%.
Willingness to support a rotational on-call posture after normal working hours.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Nortel/AVAYA and Cisco PBX products.
Familiarity with setup, configuration, and maintenance of network monitoring tools.
Knowledge of network security and infrastructure protection, and an active CISSP certification.
Familiarity with the Department of State environment, including data and voice networks, IT systems, policies, procedures, the Foreign Affairs Handbook, and the Foreign Affairs Manual.
VMware VCP 5+ certification and working knowledge of SRM, VCOPS, SMVI, and VCAC.
Cisco networking design knowledge and experience, including switches and routers; certifications such as CCNA-DC or CCNP; and Cisco 7000/5000/1000 training.
Design knowledge of Cisco UCS and HP blade technologies, and ability to maintain server/blade hardware, including failed component replacement.
Design knowledge of EMC Storage Area Network arrays and associated systems; working knowledge of Recover Point, Viper, and VCE Vision.
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure design knowledge and experience.
ITIL v4 Foundations certificate.
Current and active PMI PMP certification.
Prior experience working within the Department of State.

Responsibilities

Architect, engineer, and deploy enterprise solutions for more than 100,000 users.
Work with customers to determine functional needs and priorities and develop or update roadmaps.
Translate customer needs into hardware and software requirements.
Provide technical direction to the project team throughout the systems development life cycle.
Assist in developing enterprise policies and directives.
Participate in functional and user acceptance testing to ensure products meet customer needs.
Conduct Technical Exchange Meetings.
Review and document the functionality of existing legacy applications.
Create technical specifications and white papers as required.
Communicate regularly with government points of contact about project activities and status.
Plan, research, evaluate, and recommend new equipment and related technologies.
Develop contingency plans for infrastructure-related software or hardware failures.
Provide senior engineering design and architecture support for enterprise-level networking, server hosting, and storage solutions.
Develop white papers for technical system solutions and incremental roadmaps.
Support government clients on data center and overseas infrastructure initiatives.
Translate business requirements into telecommunications requirements, designs, and orders.
Support planning and execution of IT service enhancements, including integration, security, and operational readiness.