Wireless Network Engineer

Wireless Network Engineer | Squadra Solutions

Washington, D.C. Metro

About Squadra Solutions

Squadra Solutions is an engineering-led cybersecurity and network infrastructure firm serving higher education institutions, Federal Civilian agencies, and SLED clients. We are a certified minority-owned small business generating $57M in annual revenue with a lean, practitioner-led team. On every engagement, we deploy engineers who own the technical outcomes across the full stack — wired, wireless, and everything in between.

Our clients include major research universities and large institutions operating complex, high-expectation IT environments. We are growing, and the pipeline demands engineers who can move fluidly between the RF domain and the routing table without losing altitude.

The Role

We are hiring a Wireless Network Engineer to serve as a cross-domain specialist across our wired and wireless infrastructure practice. This is a hybrid delivery role: you will lead wireless design, site survey, and validation engagements while maintaining full-stack competency in LAN switching, routing, and NAC. Our clients expect a single engineer who can own the problem regardless of whether it lives in the RF domain, the switching fabric, or the WAN.

The ideal candidate brings CCNP-level routing and switching depth alongside hands-on wireless design experience with Cisco and Meraki platforms. You are comfortable with Ekahau, you have deployed 802.1X in production, and you can troubleshoot a user complaint from the radio up through the routing table. The primary initial engagement is a large-scale campus network refresh at a flagship Washington, D.C. university, running on Meraki-managed Cisco Catalyst infrastructure with Wi-Fi 7 indoor and Wi-Fi 6E outdoor access points.

This is not a role for candidates with theoretical or design-only wireless experience. Squadra engineers are hands-on keyboard in live production environments, directly accountable to clients across every phase of delivery. If your experience is certification-track, internal IT, or design-without-deployment, this role is not the right fit.

What You Will Do

• Design and deploy enterprise wireless networks using Cisco Meraki and Cisco Catalyst cloud-managed wireless platforms
• Conduct Ekahau predictive designs, active surveys, and post-deployment validation across campus and complex indoor environments
• Architect SSID/VLAN/policy structures that align RF design with LAN segmentation and security policy
• Implement 802.1X authentication (wired and wireless), WPA3, and captive portal solutions integrated with Cisco ISE and Aruba ClearPass
• Deploy and configure LAN switching environments including VLANs, trunking, STP/RSTP, and EtherChannel as part of full-stack delivery
• Configure OSPF, BGP, and MPLS in multi-site enterprise environments where wireless is one layer of a broader solution
• Operate Cisco Catalyst Center for network-wide visibility, policy automation, and wireless assurance
• Perform cross-domain troubleshooting spanning RF interference, L2 switching behavior, L3 routing, and WAN edge
• Produce client-ready documentation including wireless design reports, RF heatmaps, survey results, and as-built network diagrams
• Interface directly with client stakeholders including IT directors, facilities teams, and project managers throughout delivery

Required Qualifications

• 5 years of enterprise network and wireless engineering experience in a client-facing or professional services context
• Hands-on professional services, consulting, or implementation delivery experience is required. Candidates whose background is limited to internal IT, lab environments, or design-without-deployment will not be considered
• Customer-facing delivery experience is required. You must have worked directly with enterprise clients in project delivery or professional services engagements — internal-only roles do not qualify
• Demonstrated ability to deploy, implement, and troubleshoot wireless and wired infrastructure in live enterprise environments — certifications must be supported by verifiable hands-on project history
• Certification-only profiles (CCNP or CWNA without real deployment evidence) will not advance
• Hands-on wireless design and deployment experience across Cisco Meraki or Cisco Catalyst cloud-managed wireless platforms
• Practical Ekahau experience including predictive design and validation surveys in complex environments
• 802.1X deployment experience (wired and wireless) with Cisco ISE or Aruba ClearPass integration
• Strong LAN switching and IP routing foundation including OSPF, BGP, VLANs, and spanning tree
• Demonstrated cross-domain troubleshooting ability spanning RF, switching, routing, and WAN
• CCNP Enterprise certification — active or within 6 months of completion

Preferred Qualifications

• CCIE Enterprise or Enterprise Wireless certification
• CWNA (Certified Wireless Network Administrator)
• CWDP (Certified Wireless Design Professional)
• CWSP (Certified Wireless Security Professional)
• Familiarity with WPA3 and advanced wireless security architecture
• Prior experience at a VAR, systems integrator, Cisco Professional Services, or professional services firm
• Exposure to Higher Education or large enterprise campus environments with high-density wireless requirements

Compensation and Benefits

Compensation is competitive and commensurate with experience and certification level. Specific ranges are discussed during the interview process.

Benefits include performance-based incentive tied to delivery metrics, medical/dental/vision, 401(k), and a professional development budget supporting certification maintenance and training.

Why Squadra

High-complexity, high-impact work — university campuses and large institutions with demanding RF environments and real infrastructure scale. This is a culture that values deep technical skill and rewards engineers who can operate across domains. You will have direct access to leadership and real ownership over your delivery outcomes from day one.

To apply, contact Squadra Solutions Talent Acquisition directly.

Squadra Solutions is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are a minority-owned business and actively support diverse, inclusive hiring.