Principal/Sr Principal Network Engineer

About this role

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes

CLEARANCE TYPE: Top Secret

TRAVEL: Yes, 25% of the Time Description

At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work — and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.

We are seeking an experienced Network Engineer to join our dynamic team of technical professionals. The qualified applicant will become part of Northrop Grumman’s Mission Systems support team in San Antonio, TX .

Please Note: Due to the classified nature of the work being performed, this position does not offer any virtual or telecommute working options. Applicants are encouraged to apply, only if they are willing to work on-site.

What You’ll get to Do:

Help architect and build a launch execution network, building and sustaining high‑availability launch and missile test networks that span classified and unclassified enclaves. As a network‑strong engineer with meaningful cyber depth, you will lead network design, implementation, and performance tuning while partnering with cyber teams to embed RMF‑aligned protections and secure baselines into the infrastructure. This role is on‑site full‑time in San Antonio, TX and requires an active TS and SCI eligibility. • Serve as a network engineer on a multi‑disciplinary team, designing and sustaining complex, multi‑node launch and test networks spanning classified and unclassified enclaves. • Work with customer ISSMs/ISSOs and cyber engineering teams to develop and implement network changes in environments operating under, or seeking, an ATO/IATT, ensuring network designs align with RMF/ATO requirements. • Design, plan, configure, and maintain enterprise‑scale network communications systems, delivering and maintaining detailed schematics and specifications for routers, switches, firewalls, multiplexers, bridges, gateways, and related hardware/software. • Lead end‑to‑end testing of network designs, validate configurations, and monitor hardware and link performance to ensure proper settings, reliability, availability, and compliance with security policies and control objectives. • Develop and execute implementation plans for network enhancements, upgrades, and migrations, coordinating with stakeholders to minimize service disruption and thoroughly documenting all changes and rollback plans. • Engineer and operate core network services (e.g., DNS, DHCP, NTP, AAA) and segmented architectures that enforce well‑defined trust boundaries and enable controlled information sharing between multiple enclaves. • Support the architecture and design of baked‑in cybersecurity protections by implementing and tuning network‑level security controls (e.g., firewalls, VPNs, ACLs, IDS/IPS, NAC) in close coordination with cyber/security teams. • Participate in network operations activities (fault/performance monitoring, incident response support, change management), using NMS/monitoring tools and log/SIEM platforms as part of an integrated NOC/SOC construct. • Perform physical‑layer installation tasks (e.g., fiber, patch panels, encryption devices) and ensure accurate as‑built documentation and configuration baselines are maintained. • Produce periodic status reports, engineering change documentation, and network design artifacts; communicate technical options, trade‑offs, risks, and recommendations to internal and external stakeholders.

This position may be filled at the Principal Network Engineer level or the Sr. Principal Network Engineer level based on the qualifications listed.

Basic Qualifications for a Principal Network Systems Engineer: • Bachelor’s degree in STEM from an accredited institution and 5 years of related professional/military experience in engineering; or a Master’s degree in a STEM discipline and 3 years of related experience; or a Ph.D. in a STEM discipline and 1 year of related experience. • US Citizenship is required • An active US Government Top Secret security clearance and SCI eligibility • DoD 8570 IAT Level II certification (e.g., Security+ CE) and a current Cisco CCNA certification (or equivalent) prior to start. • Hands on experience planning, implementing, operating, and troubleshooting routed and switched IP networks (e.g., IPv4, OSPF, VLANs, VPNs, firewalls) in mission critical or real time environments. • Administration of Microsoft and Linux networked systems and applying foundational cybersecurity practices (e.g., hardening, secure configuration, access control) in collaboration with cyber/security teams. • A solid understanding of cyber requirements and experience collaborating with cyber system engineers

   Basic Qualifications for a Senior Principal Network Systems Engineer: • Bachelor’s degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) discipline from an accredited institution and 8 years of related professional/military experience in engineering; or a Master’s degree in a STEM discipline and 6 years of related experience; or a Ph.D. in a STEM discipline and 4 years of related experience. • US Citizenship is required • An active US Government Top Secret security clearance and SCI eligibility • DoD 8570 IAT Level II certification (e.g., Security+ CE) and a current Cisco CCNA certification (or equivalent) prior to start. • Hands on experience planning, implementing,

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