Sr. Network Security Engineer with Security Clearance

Job DescriptionVAE, Inc. designs, deploys, and sustains mission-critical enterprise IT environments supporting federal customers. We’re seeking an experienced Senior Network Engineer who enjoys hands-on technical work, takes ownership of complex environments, and can operate independently while collaborating with a small, high-performing engineering team. This role is ideal for a seasoned engineer who prefers deep technical responsibility over people management and values long-term stability in a secure environment. What You’ll Do Design, implement, and sustain enterprise network infrastructures supporting high availability and mission operationsServe as a senior technical resource for network troubleshooting, outage resolution, and performance optimizationPerform root-cause analysis on complex network issues and drive permanent fixesConfigure, maintain, and troubleshoot Cisco and Juniper routing and switching platformsConfigure, administer, and troubleshoot Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE), including policy sets and authentication/authorization workflowsConfigure and support next-generation firewalls, including Juniper SRX and Cisco Firepower platformsSupport firewall rule management, policy validation, and traffic-flow troubleshooting across secured boundariesMaintain accurate technical documentation, diagrams, and standard operating proceduresParticipate in planning and implementation of network upgrades and architectural improvementsEnsure compliance with DoD security and configuration standards Why This Role Own and influence a mission-critical enterprise network, not just ticketsWork in a stable, security-focused environment with long-term programsBe part of a small, senior engineering team where expertise is valuedOpportunity to deepen skills in network security, access control, and boundary protection Qualifications8+ years of hands-on network engineering experience in enterprise or government environmentsStrong understanding of TCP/IP, IPv4, routing, switching, and network troubleshootingProven experience with Cisco and/or Juniper network devicesHands-on experience configuring and administering Cisco ISEExperience supporting Juniper SRX firewalls and Cisco Firepower (FMC-managed)Strong understanding of firewall policies, security zones, and traffic inspectionFamiliarity with DoD STIGs and operating in compliance-driven environmentsCCNA, CCNP, JNCIS, or JNCIP certification (active or previously held)Ability to work on-site in Washington, DC (5 days per week)Active Top Secret clearance (required to start)DoD 8570 IAT Level II certification (Security+ or equivalent) Desired (Nice-to-Have) Skills Experience integrating Cisco ISE with 802.1X, TACACS+, or network access control workflowsExposure to advanced firewall features such as IDS/IPS, URL filtering, or application-layer inspectionFamiliarity with vulnerability scanning tools (e.g., Nessus)Basic scripting or automation exposure (PowerShell, Ansible, etc.) Clearance LevelTop Secret CertificationsCCNA, CCNP, JNCIS, or JNCIP certification (active or previously held) and DoD 8570 IAT Level II