Senior Network Enginer

VetRamp is hiring a full-time Senior Network Engineer (Tier 3) to support a mission-critical federal program at its Silver Spring, Montgomery County location.

About the Role

This is a hands-on, individual-contributor position embedded within the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Office of the CIO. As the senior-most network escalation point on the team, you will own the design, daily operation, and ongoing modernization of enterprise network infrastructure that federal scientists and staff across the country depend on. If you're a seasoned network engineer who thrives on solving hard problems in a structured government environment, this role was built for you.

What You'll Do

• Serve as the Tier 3 escalation authority for complex network incidents, outages, and performance degradation across the NMFS enterprise environment
• Design, configure, and maintain routing, switching, and security infrastructure including routers, multilayer switches, and next-generation firewalls
• Lead network modernization initiatives — evaluating emerging technologies and driving upgrades that improve reliability, capacity, and security posture
• Implement and enforce network security controls aligned with FISMA requirements and NIST 800-series frameworks
• Develop and maintain accurate network architecture diagrams, runbooks, and standard operating procedures
• Collaborate with systems engineers, security teams, and agency stakeholders to support infrastructure change management
• Monitor network health through enterprise tools, proactively identifying and resolving bottlenecks before they affect operations
• Provide technical mentorship and guidance to junior network staff and Tier 1/2 support personnel

What We're Looking For

• Substantial hands-on experience as a senior or lead network engineer, ideally within a federal agency or government contractor environment
• Deep expertise in routing protocols (BGP, OSPF), switching, VLANs, and WAN technologies
• Proficiency with network security tools and concepts — ACLs, VPNs, IDS/IPS, zero-trust principles
• Familiarity with federal IT compliance frameworks, particularly FISMA and NIST guidelines
• Experience leading infrastructure modernization projects end-to-end, from requirements gathering through implementation
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to present technical findings to non-technical stakeholders
• Ability to obtain and maintain the security clearance level required for this federal program
• Industry certifications such as CCNP, CCIE, or equivalent are a strong plus

About VetRamp

VetRamp is a service-disabled veteran-owned small business dedicated to placing skilled technology professionals in meaningful federal IT roles. The company has a strong track record supporting government agencies with network engineering, cybersecurity, and IT modernization talent — connecting mission-focused engineers with programs where their work has lasting impact.

How to Apply

Ready to bring your Senior Network Engineer expertise to a high-visibility federal program in Silver Spring? Submit your application directly through this listing to be considered for this full-time opportunity with VetRamp.