Nakupuna Consulting is seeking to hire a Network Architect to work as a member of the DARPA Information Technology Directorate (ITD) Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) Tech Refresh Team. A successful candidate will be responsive, have excellent communication skills (verbal, written, and listening), be a team player, promote consensus, embrace learning, and be a consummate problem solver. The Network Architect is a crucial role in supporting ITD by managing and overseeing the asset inventory and network architecture within ITD's various classified network domains. The individual will be entrusted with ensuring that all IT assets and existing inventory are accurately accounted for and that network architecture diagrams are current and precise.

The following reflects management's definition of essential functions for this job but does not restrict the tasks that may be assigned. Management may assign additional duties and responsibilities to this job at any time due to reasonable accommodation or other reasons.

Network Architect Responsibilities:

Work with Nakupuna and ITD Technicians to accurately document the current and future state network architectures changes
• Create and templatize network architecture artifacts based on DoD and Federal Architecture frameworks and standards
• Partner with key stakeholders and technical experts to perform legacy environment discovery, assessing current capabilities, configurations, and unique requirements to document and design new SD-WAN architecture patterns
• Document secure wide area connectivity inclusive of underlay, overlay, and COI transport design that supports performance, quality of service, security, and mission requirements
• Provide secure access solutions leveraging wired and wireless technologies, integrating standards, use cases/scenarios, and develop associated implementation and transition plans
• Integrate capacity planning and scaling of network and security stack environments into the overall design of solutions
• Collect, investigate, and identify network optimization strategies and techniques to meet capacity and performance standards
• Identify legacy service paths (i.e. dataflow, firewall rulesets, and ACLs) and develop strategies and designs for the to-be enterprise service capability to meet requirements while balancing security, sustainability, and maintainability
• Support development of IP addressing schemes across IPv4 and IPv6 networks
• Work with information assurance teams to ensure compliance to DoD standards to assist with providing accreditation artifacts
• Work within Nakupuna's PMO team to oversee and manage the inventory and asset management support for ITD's Unclassified, Secret, Secret/SAR, TS/SCI, and TS/SCI/SAR network areas, ensuring all assets are accurately accounted for
• Support PM by creating and delivering validated asset inventory reports by site to ITD monthly as part of the Project Status Reviews
• Update and provide network architecture diagrams that encompass areas such as WAN Transport, Transport Boundary, Security, Crypto, Tactical, Comm System, and Local Area Transport data
• Support the PM to ensure all reports and diagrams are readily available in both Visio and PDF formats for ITD's review and reference during the monthly Project Status Reviews

Education and Experience: This position requires a minimum of a Bachelor's degree with 8 years' experience or Master's degree with 6 years of experience (additional years of directly applicable experience may be accepted in lieu of a degree).

• Requires an active DoD IAT Level I certification or equivalent prior to start.
• Experience documenting logical or physical designs using drawing tools (e.g. Visio, PowerPoint, or CAD software) to depict systems, subsystems, interfaces, components, and communications of I/T applications and infrastructure.
• Must have broad exposure to common I/T infrastructure networking in the areas of LAN, WAN, TCP/UDP, IPSec, VPN, Proxies, Routing(L2/L3), and Firewalls.
• Must have experience in working with two or more of the following vender network technologies: Cisco, Juniper, F5, Aruba, Palo Alto, Dell, Brocade, and Fortinet.
• Certified Cisco Network Professional (CCNP) or equivalent.
• Demonstrate experience in one or more of the following enterprise network management tools such as SolarWinds, Cisco Prime, Cisco DNA.
• Hands on experience with SD-WAN.
• Demonstrate expertise in design and improvement of complex and geographically enterprise networks.
• Expert knowledge of DoD security requirements for network infrastructure.
• Demonstrate experience in designing and implementing medium to large network infrastructure and producing corresponding technical documentation.
• Must be able to work as part of a team to troubleshoot and resolve complex network issues.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. This shall include drafting SOPs and technical documentation.
• Must be able to present designs and plans to technical leadership personnel and boards for approvals.

Clearance Requirements: Applicant must possess an active Top Secret security clearance and be eligible for immediate SCI nomination and indoctrination. Must be a U.S. Citizen.

Travel Requirements: Travel for this position is minimal, however the ability and willingness to travel to Government Installations as required is preferred. The place of performance can consist of 347 sites across 39 CONUS states plus one OCONUS state (Hawaii).

Work Location: Work is performed in a hybrid support manner at the DARPA research facility in Oakton, VA, DARPA HQ at Founders Square in Arlington VA, as well as occasionally at Nakupuna Offices in Arlington VA. Core work hours are 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, arriving no earlier than 6:30 AM and departing no later than 6:30 PM Monday thru Friday except Federal holidays or when the Government facility is closed.

Physical Requirements:

• Frequently lift and/or move parts up to 40lbs, and occasionally lift and/or move parts up to 50lbs
• Stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl for many continuous working hours
• Frequently use arms, hands, and fingers to grasp and move network equipment
• Frequently bend, stretch, twist, orreach overhead when moving network equipment