Network Engineer II

OVERVIEW

Must be a US Citizen

Location - Edwards, CA (Fully onsite)

W2 position with full benefits

Estimated Duration: Ongoing

Offer contingent on ability to successfully pass a background check and drug screen.

The US base pay range for this full-time position is $40-60/hr + benefits. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position across all US locations. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

JOB DESCRIPTION

• Provide dedicated network administration for mission network infrastructure, ensuring mission requirements are effectively communicated, prioritized, and implemented.
• Monitor, maintain, and troubleshoot LAN/WAN environments, including configuration and management of VLANs, subnets, DNS, DHCP, routing, firewalls, and hardware-based VPN tunnels in support of mission operations.
• Install, configure, and maintain network hardware (switches, routers, firewalls, and related infrastructure devices).
• Configure and manage network-connected appliances (e.g., Smart PDUs, NTP servers, printers, display clocks), ensuring proper integration and compliance with cybersecurity standards—digital certificate management and Data in Transit (DIT) encryption included.
• Monitor system utilization, identify potential issues, and implement solutions to optimize network reliability and throughput.
• Troubleshoot and resolve day-to-day IT system issues in a timely manner to minimize impact to mission operations.
• Maintain accurate documentation (network diagrams, IP address management records, device configurations, appliance inventories, certificate expiration tracking) in the centralized Configuration Management Database (CMDB).
• Coordinate network requirements, issues, and concerns with IT disciplines across the Center and Agency to ensure consistent, interoperable services.
• Provide weekly status updates on assigned tasks, including outstanding requests and appliance compliance status.

REQUIRED SKILLS

• Bachelor's degree and 5+ years of experience in Network Engineering OR an associate's degree (AA/AS) and 8+ years of experience in Network Engineering.
• Industry-level knowledge and skills equivalent to Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) or CompTIA Network+ (active certification strongly preferred).
• Experience administering enterprise networks (LAN/WAN), including VLANs, routing, firewalls, VPN tunnels, DNS/DHCP.
• Experience integrating and managing network-connected appliances (PDUs, NTP, printers, clocks) in regulated environments.
• Demonstrated proficiency with certificate lifecycle management (issuance, renewal, revocation) and Data in Transit (DIT) encryption standards.
• Strong troubleshooting skills with a track record of timely issue resolution in mission-critical settings.
• Proficiency in network documentation, IP address management (IPAM), and maintaining artifacts in a CMDB.
• Excellent communication skills and cross-functional collaboration with cybersecurity, systems, and operations teams.
• Must be able to obtain 'Secret' level clearance.

DESIRED SKILLS

• Experience supporting NASA, federal, or defense mission networks.
• Familiarity with Armstrong/Agency IT configuration management processes (CCRs/DRs/STRs) and presenting to technical control boards.
• Experience with enterprise monitoring and logging tools for capacity and performance management.
• Knowledge of Agency/Center cybersecurity baselines, policies, and compliance reporting.

Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action

Columbus is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, marital status, age, national origin, veteran status, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. As a federal contractor, Columbus participates in the E-Verify Program to confirm eligibility to work in the United States.