Lead Network Automation Engineer
General Dynamics Information Technology14 hours ago
Arlington, VA, USAStaff+
Base Salary
$145k - $196k/yr
Responsibilities
- Design, develop, test, deploy, and maintain Python and Ansible network automation solutions.
- Create reusable playbooks, scripts, modules, workflows, and configuration-management components for provisioning, patching, maintenance, backups, compliance, and validation.
- Automate configuration changes, software updates, monitoring, reporting, inventory management, operational data collection, and configuration-drift detection across multivendor networks.
- Implement error handling, logging, validation, rollback, testing, and operational safeguards for automated network changes.
- Troubleshoot automation failures and integration issues involving network devices, APIs, and automation systems.
- Translate network engineering requirements into functional automation solutions and validate them with engineering stakeholders before production deployment.
- Provide technical leadership, mentorship, task coordination, code reviews, and hands-on support to a small automation engineering team.
- Establish standards for source-code management, testing, documentation, deployment, and maintainable automation practices.
- Document workflows, dependencies, operating procedures, and troubleshooting guidance, and measure improvements in execution time, consistency, manual effort, and reliability.
Requirements
- Active TS/SCI security clearance and ability to work onsite in a secure customer environment.
- Advanced proficiency developing Python scripts, modules, and applications for network infrastructure automation.
- Advanced hands-on experience developing, troubleshooting, and maintaining Ansible playbooks and automation workflows.
- At least 8 years of related experience delivering network automation or comparable enterprise networking solutions.
- Experience automating network configuration deployments, device administration, software patching, or other network operational activities.
- Working knowledge of enterprise routing and switching, including TCP/IP, VLANs, routing protocols, and network device configuration.
- Practical experience administering, troubleshooting, or automating enterprise network infrastructure in multivendor environments.
- Experience with Cisco, Juniper, Arista, or Aruba networking technologies and Git or comparable version-control tools.
- Ability to translate technical requirements into functional automation solutions and troubleshoot complex workflows.
- Experience with testing, error handling, logging, change validation, operational safeguards, technical documentation, and communication with engineering stakeholders.
- Demonstrated technical leadership, mentoring, or direction of other engineers.
- Preferred experience includes Cisco IOS XE, IOS XR, Juniper JunOS, Arista EOS, ArubaOS, BGP, OSPF, MPLS, EVPN, Python networking libraries, APIs, SSH automation, Jinja2, Nornir, Netmiko, NAPALM, Ansible Automation Platform, AWX, REST APIs, NETCONF, RESTCONF, CI/CD, automated testing, compliance and drift-detection solutions, and federal or Department of Defense environments.
- Relevant certifications such as Cisco CCNP, Cisco DevNet, Juniper certifications, Red Hat Ansible certifications, or CompTIA Security+ are preferred.
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Network Engineering, Cybersecurity, or a related discipline, or equivalent relevant experience.
Benefits
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plan options, including plans with Health Savings Accounts.
- 401(k) plan with company matching and pre-tax and post-tax contribution options.
- Paid vacation, sick, personal, holiday, parental, military, bereavement, and jury-duty leave.
- Short- and long-term disability, life, accidental death and dismemberment, personal accident, critical illness, and business travel and accident insurance.
- AI-powered career development tools, internal mobility support, wellness packages, and a military-friendly workplace.
- Hybrid work arrangement requiring three days onsite at the Pentagon and two days remote; 40 scheduled hours per week and no travel required.
About General Dynamics Information Technology
General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT) delivers enterprise IT, systems integration, cybersecurity, cloud, and software engineering services to U.S. federal agencies, including defense and intelligence organizations. It provides contract-based professional and managed services ranging from network operations and unified communications to training and simulation. GDIT is a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD) and is headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia.