Senior Network Engineer

F5 Networks • Reston, VA

1d • $137,300 - $205,900

About The Position

F5 is seeking a Senior Network Engineer to own day-to-day reliability, performance, and incident response for network services across global, multi-region data centers, backbone sites, cloud platforms, and FedRAMP-authorized environments. The role is operations-focused and also includes engineering and build work such as evolving routing architectures, maintaining automation pipelines, troubleshooting complex network behavior, and executing initiatives across data centers and cloud platforms.

The engineer will work with Architecture, Product, Security, Compliance, Operations, and Build teams to keep networks secure, resilient, automated, compliant, and documented. The position offers end-to-end ownership of technical problems, influence over design patterns, and opportunities to mentor engineers. F5 emphasizes respectful collaboration and a positive, inclusive culture.

The role includes designing and operating global routing and cloud connectivity; maintaining FedRAMP security controls and continuous-monitoring readiness; automating provisioning, compliance, and validation; leading or supporting incident response and safe network changes; planning capacity and managing vendors and equipment lifecycles; and maintaining operational and audit documentation. The annual base pay range is $137,300 to $205,900. Incentive compensation, bonus, restricted stock units, and benefits may also be offered.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field.
• At least 10 years of network engineering experience, including large-scale, multi-region, and global routing environments.
• Deep hands-on expertise with BGP and OSPF in global IP backbone environments, including traffic engineering and multi-vendor interoperability.
• Strong operational and engineering experience with JunOS.
• Strong troubleshooting skills across routing, switching, TCP/IP, asymmetric paths, latency, packet loss, MTU/fragmentation, and QoS behaviors.
• Experience with hybrid cloud and cloud-native networking across AWS, Azure, and/or GCP.
• Hands-on automation skills using Python, Ansible/AWX, configuration templating, Git workflows, and automated testing and validation pipelines.
• Experience using AI-based toolsets, API/MCP data sources, skills, and agents to develop repeatable workflows, scripting, application tools, observability, and automation that reduce toil and improve efficiency.
• Strong understanding of network security controls, boundary protection, encryption, logging, and segmentation concepts required for FedRAMP.
• Strong incident leadership, including coordinating cross-functional teams under pressure and producing meaningful root-cause analyses and corrective and preventive actions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication across Architecture, Product, Security, Compliance, Operations, and Build teams.
• Ability to mentor and elevate peers and junior engineers.
• Ability to work effectively in fast-paced environments with competing priorities and regulatory constraints.
• Strong analytical thinking, structured problem-solving, and a continuous-improvement mindset.
• Demonstrates F5’s expectation to “be kind” and contributes to a positive, inclusive engineering culture.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree preferred.
• Experience engineering, operating, or supporting FedRAMP Moderate and/or High environments is strongly preferred.
• JunOS experience with MX and QFX platforms preferred.
• Proficiency with additional network and operating-system platforms such as Fortinet, Opengear, BigIP, EOS, NX-OS, or IOS-XE is a plus.
• Familiarity with firewalls, VPNs, DDoS mitigation, IDS/IPS, and NIST 800-53-based security frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Engineer, build, operate, and deliver network solutions for global data centers, cloud platforms, FedRAMP-authorized environments, build environments, and product connectivity.
• Engineer and optimize routing for a global IP backbone, including multi-region anycast and unicast propagation, redundancy, and traffic engineering.
• Build and operate scalable, highly available Layer 3 topologies using BGP, OSPF, and routing policies.
• Design and implement secure network segmentation, boundary controls, and traffic isolation for FedRAMP Moderate and High environments.
• Implement hybrid and cloud-native routing across AWS, Azure, and GCP using cloud connectivity and routing services, aligned with FedRAMP architectures and security controls.
• Develop and maintain automated provisioning, configuration, compliance, and validation pipelines using Python, Ansible/AWX, and Git-driven CI/CD workflows.
• Maintain connectivity, availability, and performance across data centers, backbone sites, cloud platforms, and FedRAMP environments through monitoring, telemetry, and lifecycle management.
• Operate networks according to FedRAMP continuous-monitoring requirements, including configuration-drift detection, vulnerability mitigation, and audit readiness.
• Troubleshoot complex routing, TCP, and connectivity issues using tools such as netcat, ping/ICMP, logs, and packet captures.
• Lead or support major incident response, including FedRAMP-relevant handling, escalation, and reporting.
• Execute changes, upgrades, and migrations using structured procedures, documented approvals, automated workflows, and validated rollback mechanisms.
• Remediate vulnerabilities and maintain compliance across network operating systems, configurations, firmware, and security posture in coordination with Security and Compliance teams.
• Engineer enhancements, new capabilities, and service-driven connectivity features for product and platform evolution and FedRAMP boundary services.
• Automate enforcement of least privilege, segmentation, encryption in transit, logging, and configuration compliance in regulated environments.
• Replace manual operational steps with automated workflows that include checks, compliance gates, evidence collection, and rollback logic.
• Test network OS versions, automation, routing changes, and security controls in controlled environments before production and FedRAMP deployment.
• Partner across Build, Engineering, Architecture, Product, Security, and Compliance teams to ensure reliability, scalability, and alignment with FedRAMP control objectives.
• Translate product, regulatory, and platform requirements into network designs with timelines and dependencies.
• Plan capacity across links, devices, cloud gateways, backbone segments, routing domains, and FedRAMP boundary components.
• Manage procurement, RMA workflows, vendor escalations, and equipment lifecycle; evaluate vendors for performance, resiliency, automation compatibility, FedRAMP eligibility, and cost-effectiveness.
• Create and maintain runbooks, architectural diagrams, troubleshooting guides, FedRAMP boundary diagrams, and network control documentation.
• Maintain documentation required for FedRAMP audits, assessments, and continuous monitoring.
• Define lifecycle standards for network roles, routing constructs, appliances, and platform components; document and continuously improve monitoring, alerting, and operational procedures.
• Mentor engineers through troubleshooting, technical deep dives, FedRAMP design considerations, and post-incident learning sessions.

Benefits

• Incentive compensation may be offered.
• Bonus may be offered.
• Restricted stock units may be offered.
• Benefits are offered; specific benefits are described at the linked F5 careers benefits page.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior