Demo

VPN/ Firewall Network Engineer (w/ active Secret)

criticalsolutionsit
Norfolk, VA Full Time
POSTED ON 10/27/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 11/20/2026

VPN/ Firewall Network Engineer (w/ active Secret)

Location: Norfolk, VA
Clearance: Secret
Type: Full-time, Onsite
Schedule: 8AM - 5PM (M-F) and on call on weekends as needed
Salary Range: $112,000 - $144,000. Salary range may vary depending on location.

 

JOB DESCRIPTION

Critical Solutions is seeking a VPN/Fire Network Engineer to support our federal customer.

We are seeking a skilled Firewall & VPN Network Engineer proficient in network engineering appliances and technologies (i.e. Firewalls, DMZ, VPN) to join our Transport Operations team. In this role, you will be responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining robust & mature global network security solutions.

Your expertise in configuring enterprise-grade Juniper firewalls, managing DMZ environments, engineering secure Firewall/VPN solutions, and administering Cisco network appliances will be crucial. You will collaborate closely with cross-functional engineering and project management teams to safeguard our network infrastructure against threats and vulnerabilities ensuring the highest levels of operational integrity. You will be a member of a technical team, managing customer relationships and overseeing key resources for Incident Response, Change Management, Problem Management, Operations and Maintenance (O&M), and ITSM and DevSecOps initiatives.

PRIMARY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Support Current Operations for the Agency by providing VPN, DMZ, and Firewall Network Engineering Subject Matter Expertise (SME) for the largest Intranet in the world. A qualified candidate for this position would be responsible for network modification, operation, integration, maintenance, security, and implementation of services for the as-fielded Agency network.
  • Collaborates with the Network Operations Center, Network Administrators, and the Network Engineering Team to define and/or continuously improve:
  • Network Security Appliances (i.e. DMZ, VPN, Firewalls)
  • Test and Validate Automation and best practice insertion opportunities.
  • Leads development of Network SOPs/TTPs
  • Continuous Service Improvements (CSI)
  • System performance tuning and enhancements
  • Create and maintain Engineering Implementation Plans (EIP)
  • Plans and executes network upgrades and maintenance activities with the Operations Manager, NOC Lead, Release Management team and other key stakeholders.
  • Tier III escalation support and vendor engagement supporting Incident Management activities.
  • Active participation in Root Cause Analysis for Problem Management activities.

 

 

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

  • U.S. Citizen with an active DoD Secret security clearance.
  • Requires B.S. Degree with prior relevant experience. Work experience may be substituted for degree at Hiring Manager's discretion.
  • Must currently possess an active DoD 8570.01 IAT Level III Certification i.e. CCNP Security, CISSP, or CASP .
  • Must currently possess an active Associate level Network Vendor Certification (from one of the following Vendors): Cisco, Juniper, Palo, F5 Networks.
  • Ability to work or be called in to work during off-hours to meet customer mission support requirements.
  • Participate in on-call rotation for Incident Management responsibilities among the Transport Operations team.
  • Network Subject Matter Expert for operations providing Tier-III support to the NOC watch staff.
  • Perform highly technical maintenance and configuration to firewalls, VPNs, and DMZ appliances.
  • Extensive experience engineering and troubleshooting networks, including routing, switching, MPLS, VPNs, routing protocols (i.e. BGP, OSPF, IS-IS), switching protocols (i.e. Spanning Tree Protocol, VLANs, LLDP, VoIP) Multicast protocols and emerging network technologies.
  • Strong understanding and in-depth knowledge of IP network/subnet addressing.
  • Extensive knowledge of defense-in-depth principles, Network architecture, Modern Network Topologies, Network appliance integrity, and common networking security elements.
  • Ansible, Python, IaC network automation experience.

 

CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENT:

  • Must currently possess an active DoD 8570.01 IAT Level III Certification i.e. CCNP Security, CISSP, or CASP .
  • Must currently possess an active Associate level Network Vendor Certification (from one of the following Vendors): Cisco, Juniper, Palo, F5 Networks.

 

SCHEDULE:

  • 8AM - 5PM (M-F) and on call on weekends as needed

 

LOCATION:

  • Onsite 100% Norfolk, VA,
  • Other acceptable work location: Pearl Harbor, HI/ San Diego, CA/ Washington, DC/ or Pensacola, FL

 

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

CLEARANCE REQUIREMENT: Must possess an active DoD Secret Clearance. In addition, selected candidate must undergo background investigation (BI) and finger printing by the federal agency and successfully pass the preceding to qualify for the position. US CITIZENSHIP IS REQUIRED.

 

CRITICAL SOLUTIONS PAY AND BENEFITS:

Salary range $112,000 - $144,000. The salary range for this position represent the typical salary range for this job level and this does not guarantee a specific salary. Compensation is based upon multiple factors such as responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, certifications, and other requirements.

BENEFIT SNAPSHOT: 100% premium coverage for Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance, Supplemental Insurance, 401K matching, Flexible Time Off (PTO/Holidays), Higher Education/Training Reimbursement, and more.

Salary : $112,000 - $144,000

If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution. Compensation Planning
Enhance your organization's compensation strategy with salary data sets that HR and team managers can use to pay your staff right. Surveys & Data Sets

What is the career path for a VPN/ Firewall Network Engineer (w/ active Secret)?

Sign up to receive alerts about other jobs on the VPN/ Firewall Network Engineer (w/ active Secret) career path by checking the boxes next to the positions that interest you.
Income Estimation: 
$87,720 - $106,708
Income Estimation: 
$108,098 - $130,480
Income Estimation: 
$108,098 - $130,480
Income Estimation: 
$131,611 - $156,576
Employees: Get a Salary Increase
View Core, Job Family, and Industry Job Skills and Competency Data for more than 15,000 Job Titles Skills Library

Job openings at criticalsolutionsit

  • criticalsolutionsit Norfolk, VA
  • Data Engineer (w/ active Secret) Location: Norfolk, VA Clearance: Secret Type: Full-time, Onsite Salary Range: $87,000 - $112,000 JOB DESCRIPTION Critical ... more
  • 1 Day Ago

  • criticalsolutionsit Norfolk, VA
  • Network Engineer – NMS and Automation (w/ active Secret) Location: Norfolk, VA Clearance: Secret Type: Full-time, Onsite Salary Range: $87,000 - $112,000. ... more
  • 1 Day Ago

  • criticalsolutionsit Norfolk, VA
  • SRE Splunk Enterprise Administrator – (w/ active Secret) Location: Norfolk, VA Clearance: Secret Type: Full-time, Onsite Salary Range: $68,000 - $87,000 JO... more
  • 3 Days Ago

  • criticalsolutionsit Norfolk, VA
  • Network Automation Engineer – Configuration Management (w/ active Secret) Location: Norfolk, VA Clearance: Secret Type: Full-time, Onsite Salary Range: $87... more
  • 4 Days Ago


Not the job you're looking for? Here are some other VPN/ Firewall Network Engineer (w/ active Secret) jobs in the Norfolk, VA area that may be a better fit.

  • Zachary Piper Solutions Norfolk, VA
  • Zachary Piper Solutions is seeking a VPN/Firewall Engineer to support the U.S. Navy. This role is 100% onsite in Norfolk, VA; Pearl Harbor, HI; San Diego, ... more
  • 17 Days Ago

  • People Technology & Processes LLC Norfolk, VA
  • PWS Title: Network Engineer Location : Hampton Roads, VA Clearance Type: Top Secret *Contingent upon award* Responsibilities: Oversee daily operations of b... more
  • 1 Month Ago

AI Assistant is available now!

Feel free to start your new journey!