Network Engineer – NMS and Automation (w/ active Secret)

Critical Solutions•Norfolk, VA

2d•$87,000 - $112,000•Onsite

About The Position

Critical Solutions is seeking a Network Engineer - Network Management Systems (NMS) and Automation to support our federal customer. The NMS team member must possess expert command of the monitoring ecosystem, leveraging specific tools to deliver core organizational advantages. This role involves managing fault and performance monitoring, configuration and change control, and traffic analytics and planning. The position requires RHEL 8 Back-End Operations & System Administration, including OS lifecycle management, kernel & performance tuning, patching & vulnerability mitigation, automation & IaC, security & compliance, and storage & file system management. Additionally, the role involves NMS Application & Tool Support, including platform administration, data integration, polling & telemetry management, and fault isolation & alerting.

Requirements

Active Secret clearance
Bachelor's degree in computer science, IT, Network Engineering, or an equivalent technical field.
Hands-on experience administering RHEL 8 environments (RHCSA or RHCE certifications preferred).
Advanced knowledge of systemd, system logging (rsyslog, journald), and native RHEL troubleshooting utilities (top, iotop, netstat, tcpdump).
Deep knowledge of networking protocols including SNMP (v3), Syslog, SSH, ICMP, NetFlow, and TACACS+/RADIUS.
Proficiency in Ansible and scripting languages (Python, Bash) to run configuration infrastructure as code
Functional understanding of advanced multivendor routing and switching network environments. (Cisco, Arista, Brocade, Juniper, McAfee and others)
Functional understanding of enterprise firewalls and robust Access Control Lists (ACLs).
Comprehensive lifecycle management and administration of diverse network nodes.
Proficiency in modern scripting languages like Python, PowerShell and YAML for network task automation.
Proficiency in Ansible playbook development, testing, and deployment.
Hands-on experience with network nodes configuration management and automated provisioning.
Ability to design and deploy automated policy enforcement mechanisms across network infrastructure.
Expert-level administration, configuration, and end-to-end support of complex Network Management Systems like, Cisco Catalyst Center, OpenText Network Automation (NA), OpenText Network Node Manager (NNMi), and Arista CloudVision.
Hands-on RedHat 8 administration, support, and Kubernetes orchestration for modern NMS deployments.
Continuous monitoring and proactive tuning of network nodes for peak performance.
Deep analysis of complex, ambiguous technical situations to drive root-cause resolution.
Synthesis of complex technical data into concise, high-level summaries for executive decision-making.
Proven experience working effectively with distributed, cross-functional teams located across the United States.
Skill in utilizing modern collaboration tools to bridge geographical gaps and maintain project alignment.
Demonstrated reliability and productivity managing a flexible 40-hour workweek schedule.
Must possess an active DoD Secret Clearance.
In addition, selected candidate must undergo background investigation (BI) and finger printing by the federal agency and successfully pass the preceding to qualify for the position.
US CITIZENSHIP IS REQUIRED.

Nice To Haves

RHCSA or RHCE certifications preferred

Responsibilities

Operating System (OS) Lifecycle Management: Provision, configure, and maintain RHEL 8 servers hosting the core NMS applications across physical, virtual, and air-gapped environments.
Kernel & Performance Tuning: Optimize Linux kernel parameters, memory allocation, and storage subsystems to handle massive telemetry and configuration data intake (SNMP, NetFlow, Syslog, SSH, SCP) without data loss.
Patching & Vulnerability Mitigation: Leverage Red Hat Satellite or custom repositories to manage package rollouts, applying routine security errata and OS updates.
Automation & IaC: Write and maintain Ansible playbooks and other language scripts to automate server provisioning, user management, and repetitive operational tasks related to NMS tool objects.
Security & Compliance: Enforce security Linux policies, access rules, and STIG compliance to ensure the monitoring platform resists compromise.
Storage & File System Management: Configure and expand LVM (Logical Volume Manager) structures to manage high-write NMS databases and syslog partition scaling.
Platform Administration: Deploy, upgrade, and troubleshoot enterprise-grade NMS applications (Open Text NNMi, Open Text Network Automation, Cisco Catalyst Center, Arista Cloud Vision, Aruba Airwave and others).
Data Integration: Architect and maintain integrations between NMS engines, CMDB asset databases, and ITSM platforms like ServiceNow via APIs.
Polling & Telemetry Management: Configure polling intervals, customize SNMP MIBs and traps, and set up NetFlow collectors to build clear network matrices.
Fault Isolation & Alerting: Construct alerting logic, thresholds, and notification profiles to minimize alert fatigue while ensuring critical outages surface instantly.