Network Engineer

Position- Network Engineer Location- Silver Spring, MD (Hybrid- 3 days onsite / week) Type- 6 months contract to hire Clearance- Public Trust JD- · Ten (10) years related experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience. Experience working in managed service environment desired. · Extensive knowledge of Fortinet, Fortimanager, and other related systems · Knowledge of fault-tolerance and high-availability including physical configurations, logical configurations, stateful failover, fast failover, hardware dependent solutions, open standards solutions, electrical power, system performance and equivalency, and Continuity of Operations (COOP} · Demonstrated ability to lead, mentor, and guide a team of network engineers, ensuring project alignment and team skill development. · Experience overseeing complex network projects from inception to completion, managing timelines, resources, and stakeholder communications. · Proven track record of developing and implementing network strategies, aligning with organizational goals to ensure network scalability, security, and performance. · Skilled in working with cross-functional teams (e.g., IT security, infrastructure, and business units) to ensure network design supports broader IT objectives. · Experience in making critical decisions under pressure, particularly in troubleshooting network outages, performance issues, or security breaches. · Experience managing relationships with vendors, negotiating contracts, and overseeing budgets to optimize costs while maintaining network performance and security. · Led initiatives to improve operational processes, implement automation, and ensure ongoing education and certification for network engineering teams. · Detailed knowledge of Next-generation firewalls (NGFW}, security zones, and defense-in-depth · Ability to configure, optimize, and troubleshoot routing protocols including OSPF and BGP · Ability to configure, optimize, and troubleshoot network protocols including VRRP (or HSRP), STP, LACP, MLAG (or vPC}, Dotlq, and others · Knowledge and familiarity with high-end network devices including modular chassis switches and routers, 40 or 100 Gb/s interfaces, and redundant supervisors and route processors · Knowledge and familiarity with cabling standards such as TIA/EIA, ISO/IEC, IEEE, and others · Experience with switching protocols to include: MLAG, vPC, LACP, VLAN trunking, aggregation, LLDP, CDP · Experience completing software/firmware upgrades for routers/switches/firewalls Job Type: Full-time Pay: $80.00 - $90.00 per hour Benefits: 401(k) Dental insurance Health insurance Paid time off Vision insurance Schedule: 8 hour shift Security clearance: Confidential (Required) Work Location: In person