Senior Network Engineer

Forge  Forward Inc.•North Charleston, SC

5d•Onsite

About The Position

Forge Forward is seeking a Senior Network Engineer to support a client in Charleston, South Carolina. The role is on-site and requires U.S. citizenship and an active Secret clearance. The successful candidate must have at least 10 years of networking experience. The Senior Network Engineer provides advanced engineering and operational support for mission-critical Department of Defense networks, with a specialized focus on Navy C4I environments. The role covers the design, integration, testing, troubleshooting, and sustainment of complex enterprise and transport networks using Cisco and Juniper technologies. Working within a SAFe/Agile framework, the engineer collaborates with engineering, sustainment, and external teams, mentors junior staff, and briefs technical leadership on network health, risks, and performance.

Requirements

At least 10 years of networking experience.
Hands-on experience with Cisco and Juniper routing and switching platforms.
Experience supporting operational networks with strict security, availability, and performance requirements.
U.S. citizenship.
Active Secret clearance with a current SSBI/T5 investigation.
CompTIA Security+ certification or equivalent.
An operating system certification, such as Linux+, Windows Server, or CCNA.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related technical field.
Familiarity with Navy and Joint networking architectures.
Knowledge of routing and switching, firewalls, and networking protocols.
Scripting and automation experience using tools such as Ansible.
TS/SCI clearance.

Responsibilities

Design, configure, integrate, and validate enterprise and transport network solutions supporting Navy and DoD programs.
Engineer, maintain, and troubleshoot Cisco- and Juniper-based networks, including routers, switches, firewalls, and transport platforms.
Monitor and maintain inter-organizational and cross-domain network connections, identifying and mitigating risks proactively.
Perform advanced troubleshooting and restore network services quickly to minimize downtime and mission impact.
Conduct lab-based testing, proof-of-concept development, and validation before production deployment.
Ensure network solutions comply with DISA STIGs, RMF controls, and DoD cybersecurity requirements.
Use industry tools to analyze and optimize network performance and reliability.
Develop and maintain network architecture diagrams and schematics, configuration standards and SOPs, test plans, validation reports, and integration procedures.
Participate in SAFe/Agile ceremonies, sprint execution, and cross-team coordination.
Brief senior technical leadership and stakeholders on network status, operational risks, and recommended actions.
Mentor junior engineers and provide technical guidance to support team development.