Network Engineer

DataStaff, Inc. is in need of a Network Engineer for a long-term contract opportunity with one of our direct clients in Richmond, VA

*This position is on-site. *LOCAL CANDIDATES ONLY*

* Limited travel between office locations may be required

Responsibilities:

• Support hybrid infrastructure
• Manages routing, switching, firewalls, VPN, SD-WAN, and network security; supports monitoring, troubleshooting, resiliency, and secure connectivity.
• Support and maintain a secure, stable, and high-performing enterprise network environment.
• Administering and troubleshooting core networking infrastructure across multiple office locations, data centers, and remote access environments.
• Hands-on technical role responsible for routing, switching, firewalls, VPN connectivity, wireless infrastructure, and network resiliency.
• works under the direction of the Director of Infrastructure & Operations and collaborates with Infrastructure, Information Security, End User Services, Application/Data Services, vendors, and service providers.
• This role emphasizes operational discipline, secure network design, structured change management, and reliable service delivery within a government environment.
• Supports the agency’s core network infrastructure and plays a critical role in ensuring secure and reliable connectivity for agency operations.
• Operates within established governance and operational processes to support stability, resiliency, and risk reduction across the enterprise environment.

Network Infrastructure Administration

• Administer enterprise routing and switching infrastructure
• Configure and maintain LAN, WAN, wireless, and remote access environments
• Support hybrid MPLS and SD-WAN connectivity across multiple locations
• Maintain network availability, resiliency, and performance

Firewall & Secure Connectivity Management

• Administer firewalls, VPN solutions, and secure remote connectivity
• Implement and maintain network segmentation and access controls
• Support secure connectivity for cloud and hybrid environments
• Coordinate firewall rule changes and network security updates

Monitoring & Troubleshooting

• Monitor network health, utilization, and performance
• Respond to outages, connectivity issues, and infrastructure incidents
• Perform network troubleshooting across routing, switching, wireless, and VPN environments
• Conduct root cause analysis and implement corrective actions

Security & Compliance Support

• Support the implementation of network security controls and standards
• Collaborate with the Information Security Office on vulnerability remediation and risk reduction
• Assist with logging, monitoring, and audit activities
• Support secure configuration and hardening practices

Change Management & Operations

• Execute network changes through defined change management processes
• Validate planned changes and maintain rollback procedures
• Participate in maintenance windows and operational planning
• Maintain network documentation and diagrams

Vendor & Carrier Coordination

• Coordinate with telecommunications providers and vendors
• Support circuit provisioning, troubleshooting, and escalations
• Assist with hardware lifecycle and support renewals

Cross-Team Collaboration

• Partner with Systems Administration on infrastructure dependencies
• Coordinate with End User Services regarding user-impacting network issues
• Support Application/Data teams with connectivity and performance needs
• Communicate operational risks and system impacts to leadership

Required Qualifications

• Experience administering enterprise network environments
• Strong knowledge of routing and switching concepts
• Experience with firewalls, VPNs, and secure remote access
• Experience troubleshooting network connectivity and performance issues
• Familiarity with wireless networking technologies
• Understanding of structured operational and change management processes

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Cisco networking technologies
• Experience with SD-WAN and hybrid network environments
• Experience in government or regulated environments
• Familiarity with network monitoring and logging tools
• Knowledge of security frameworks such as NIST
• Relevant certifications such as CCNA or CCNP

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong troubleshooting and analytical skills
• Ability to manage multiple operational priorities
• Effective written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work collaboratively across technical teams
• Focus on reliability, security, and operational consistency

Required Skills:

• 5 Years - Routing and switching
• 5 Years - TCP/IP networking
• 3 Years - VLAN configuration
• 3 Years - VPN administration
• 4 Years - Firewall administration
• 3 Years - Wireless networking administration
• 5 Years - Network troubleshooting
• 4 Years - LAN/WAN support
• 2 Years - SD-WAN support
• 3 Years - Network monitoring tools
• 3 Years - DNS fundamentals
• 3 Years - Network performance analysis
• 4 Years - Cisco networking technologies
• 3 Years - Remote access technologies
• 3 Years - Circuit troubleshooting
• 2 Years - Carrier/vendor coordination
• 2 Years - Network resiliency concepts
• 2 Years - High availability concepts
• 2 Years - Network documentation/diagramming
• 2 Years - Network segmentation
• 3 Years - Firewall rule management
• 3 Years - Secure remote connectivity
• 2 Years - Access control concepts
• 2 Years - Vulnerability remediation support
• 1 Year - Security incident support
• 2 Years - Change management execution
• 2 Years - Maintenance window coordination
• 2 Years - Incident response participation
• 2 Years - Root cause analysis
• 4 Years - Structured troubleshooting methodology
• 3 Years - Communication and collaboration
• 3 Years - Operational discipline
• 3 Years - Independent work capability
• 3 Years - Prioritization under pressure

Desired Skills:

• 2 Years - BGP
• 3 Years - Dynamic routing protocols
• 3 Years - Advanced firewall administration
• 2 Years - Cisco ASA or NGFW experience
• 2 Years - SD-WAN design/optimization
• 2 Years - QoS configuration
• 1 Year - Azure networking
• 1 Year - Hybrid cloud networking
• 1 Year - Zero Trust networking concepts
• 1 Year - SIEM/network logging integration
• 1 Year - IDS/IPS familiarity
• 2 Years - Government IT experience
• 3 Years - Multi-site enterprise experience

This opportunity is available on a corp-to-corp basis or as a W2 position with a competitive benefits package. DataStaff, Inc. offers medical, dental, and vision coverage options as well as paid vacation, sick, and holiday leave. As many of our opportunities are long-term, we also have a 401k program available for employees after 6 months.