Tier 3 Network Engineer (Top Secret)

ZP Group•Washington, DC

44d•$150,000 - $170,000•Onsite

About The Position

Zachary Piper Solutions is seeking Tier 3 Network Engineers to support a critical program for Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Agency in Washington, D.C. The team is seeking a skilled engineer to design, implement, and maintain secure, high-performance network infrastructures in support of stockpile management, nonproliferation and nuclear security. This job opens for applications on 11/7/2025. Applications for this job will be accepted for at least 30 days from the posting date

Requirements

Active Top Secret and/or DOE Q clearance
Bachelor's degree from an accredited college in a related discipline and 5-8+ years of network engineering experience
Extensive experience configuring Cisco routers and switches (IOS/NX-OS), as well as Palo Alto Next-Generation Firewalls and VPNs.
Hands-on experience with General Dynamics Taclanes and/or GEM One encryption devices.
Proficient in F5 Load Balancer technologies, including GTM and BIG-IP DNS.
Strong technical background in both Windows and Unix/Linux environments, with expertise in network security, traffic analysis, incident response, vulnerability assessment, packet inspection, and system hardening.
In-depth knowledge of Layer 2 and Layer 3 networking protocols, encryption standards, and communication protocols, including but not limited to: TLS/SSL, IPsec, SSH, BGP, VLAN, LLDP, LACP, ARP, 802.1X, DNS, AES, and NTP.
Skilled in network design, implementation, troubleshooting, and performance optimization.

Nice To Haves

Certifications: Sec+, CCNA (highly preferred)

Responsibilities

Work closely with cross-functional teams to diagnose issues, enhance performance, and maintain the scalability and dependability of the network, while overseeing continuous upgrades and strengthening security measures
Deploy, configure, maintain, and enhance LAN and WAN infrastructure, including routers, switches, VPN devices, load balancers, and security systems.
Apply security patches promptly across all network infrastructure components, such as routers, switches, voice/video systems, and security appliances.
Utilize network monitoring tools to assess performance, troubleshoot issues, and implement optimizations aligned with industry best practices.
Maintain a current inventory of network assets, tracking both hardware and software components to support effective asset management and lifecycle planning.
Contribute to network project planning by offering design insights, technical evaluations, and support during engineering discussions.
Oversee data center network infrastructure, assist with storage and virtualization platforms, and collaborate with cross-functional teams on infrastructure scaling and enhancements.
Diagnose and resolve network issues and outages impacting voice, video, and data services; coordinate and schedule necessary upgrades and performance enhancements.
Exhibit skills in routing, switching, and firewall configuration, supporting the deployment and maintenance of secure, high-performance LAN/WAN environments.