Network Engineer (Senior)

About the role

Computer World Services, Corp. (CWS) seeks a Senior Network Engineer to support data-center networking, software-defined networking, enterprise connectivity, infrastructure modernization, and outage restoration for the USMEPCOM ENLIST program.

The Network Engineer provides hands-on engineering support for Cisco Nexus and Application Centric Infrastructure environments, top-of-rack switching, and data-center connectivity, supporting installations, technology refreshes, maintenance, outages, and equipment-relocation cutovers. The successful candidate works with network leadership, infrastructure and cybersecurity teams, Government stakeholders, vendors, and the Outage Response Team to maintain secure, reliable, and resilient network services.

Key Tasks & Responsibilities

• Engineer, configure, maintain, and troubleshoot Cisco Nexus data-center switching environments and Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) fabrics, including APICs, tenants, VRFs, bridge domains, endpoint groups, contracts, and external connectivity.
• Install, configure, refresh, and troubleshoot top-of-rack and data-center switches, network appliances, and software-defined networking configurations.
• Configure and troubleshoot VLANs, trunks, port channels, virtual port channels, routing, access controls, and redundant paths supporting servers, storage, virtualization, cloud, and enterprise networks.
• Support network architecture planning, integration, testing, and performance analysis; gather requirements and develop implementation procedures, cutover plans, validation steps, rollback procedures, and outage contingencies.
• Execute approved installations, refreshes, configuration changes, and equipment replacements, and lead relocation cutovers at USMEPCOM and MEPS locations from staging through post-cutover verification.
• Coordinate with cabling personnel on rack layouts, patching, fiber, copper, and network drops; support site surveys and maintain network diagrams, as-built documentation, and equipment inventories.
• Test devices before production deployment and apply approved firmware, OS, and security updates in accordance with DISA STIGs.
• Monitor network availability, performance, and capacity; diagnose and resolve complex Layer 2/Layer 3, fabric, routing, latency, and packet-loss issues, including WAN, SD-WAN, firewall, VPN, wireless, and cloud connectivity.
• Participate in Outage Response Team activities, providing diagnosis, workarounds, restoration support, and root-cause input; coordinate escalation with Cisco, DISA, carriers, cloud providers, and vendors.
• Identify recurring problems, capacity constraints, points of failure, and modernization opportunities, and recommend corrective actions.
• Follow approved ITSM processes, maintain configurations and technical documentation, and provide technical guidance to network administrators and support personnel.

Education & Experience

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Networking, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum of eight (8) years of relevant network engineering, network administration, data-center networking, or enterprise infrastructure experience.
• Ability to work a hybrid schedule in N. Chicago, IL.

Preferred

• Hands-on experience with Cisco Nexus, ACI, software-defined networking, and policy-based data-center network architectures.
• Experience with Cisco routing and switching technologies, including EIGRP, OSPF, BGP, VLAN routing, and Quality of Service.
• Experience developing method-of-procedure documents, implementation and test plans, rollback procedures, and cutover checklists for refreshes, migrations, and relocations.
• Experience with network-monitoring, configuration-management, and observability platforms.
• Experience applying DISA STIGs and supporting DoD RMF, ATO, IAVA, CND Directive, and POA&M requirements in a federal or DoD environment.
• Strong troubleshooting, documentation, change-management, and stakeholder-coordination skills.

Certifications

• Required: Current Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) certification.
• Preferred: CCNP Data Center, CCNP Enterprise, CCNP Security, Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE), CompTIA Security+, ITIL Foundation, or equivalent credentials.

Security Clearance

• Active Secret clearance or higher is required.

Other (Travel, Work Environment, DoD 8570 Requirements, Administrative Notes, etc.)

Work Environment / Travel

• Hybrid position based in N. Chicago, IL.
• After-hours availability may be required during outages, maintenance windows, installations, equipment refreshes, and relocation cutovers.

Administrative Notes: Period of Performance: March 1, 2027 - February 28, 2033

Contract Start Date: March 1, 2027

Note: By applying to this position, the candidate acknowledges and consents to having their resume included in an active competitive Government contract bid.