Network/Systems Engineer 3 (Implementation/Activation Network Systems Engineer)

The Implementation / Activation Network Systems Engineer - Logistics & Data Center serves as a member of the Implementation team providing enterprise-level technical support for network equipment logistics, data center infrastructure readiness, hardware lifecycle management, site activation, and Tier IV support across the VA enterprise network. The engineer supports the movement, staging, installation, validation, maintenance, and disposition of network and security equipment used in enterprise deployments, with emphasis on data center and network edge infrastructure.

Working under the Technical Coordinator - Activation, the engineer performs equipment readiness validation, asset and inventory control, rack-and-stack activities, cabling and power validation, hardware installation and replacement, lifecycle maintenance, RMA support, technical documentation, and post-installation verification. The role applies engineering baselines and implementation standards while supporting reliable deployment and sustainment of enterprise network infrastructure. Regular quarterly travel to the four designated Co-Lo facilities is expected for maintenance activities, with additional ad-hoc travel required as operational needs arise.

Responsibilities

Company / Position Overview

• Perform technical logistics and data center support for enterprise network and security equipment throughout receiving, staging, installation, activation, maintenance, replacement, and disposition activities.
• Inspect and validate network hardware, components, accessories, software/firmware requirements, and deployment materials before installation.
• Install, rack, cable, label, power, and validate network and security equipment in data center, communications room, and enterprise site environments.
• Support hardware configuration, testing, activation, and transition of new or refreshed technologies in a large government enterprise network.
• Validate rack space, power, cabling, port assignments, network connectivity, environmental prerequisites, and remote management access before deployment.
• Maintain accurate technical and asset records supporting equipment location, serial numbers, lifecycle status, installation status, maintenance history, and disposition.
• Perform hardware lifecycle activities including upgrades, replacements, preventative maintenance, sparing, RMA processing, and post-maintenance validation.
• Develop and maintain installation records, rack elevations, port maps, cable records, asset documentation, SOPs, runbooks, and validation artifacts.
• Provide Tier IV technical troubleshooting for hardware, cabling, connectivity, power, interface, and network infrastructure issues associated with activation and data center environments.
• Track assigned technical work, incidents, changes, asset actions, validation results, and implementation activities in applicable VA systems.
• Provide recommendations for improving logistics, staging, installation, data center, lifecycle, and troubleshooting procedures based on lessons learned.

Key Responsibilities

Equipment Logistics, Receiving & Staging

• Validate incoming network and security equipment against deployment requirements, bills of material, configuration packets, and assigned implementation records.
• Inspect equipment for completeness, damage, correct model, required modules, optics, cables, power supplies, mounting hardware, and other installation dependencies.
• Prepare, stage, label, and organize equipment and deployment kits for installation and activation activities.
• Maintain accurate equipment identification, serial number, location, status, and chain-of-custody records for assigned assets.
• Perform technical validation of spare equipment and replacement hardware before field or data center deployment.
• Support equipment return, replacement, RMA, excess, and disposition activities and document technical status and final asset location.
• Identify equipment, material, or readiness deficiencies and document findings for resolution before scheduled installation.

Data Center Infrastructure & Installation

• Perform rack-and-stack installation of routers, switches, firewalls, F5 platforms, management appliances, and other assigned network infrastructure.
• Validate rack space, rack elevations, mounting requirements, power availability, power redundancy, cable pathways, patching, and physical installation prerequisites.
• Install and validate copper, fiber, console, management, and power connections in accordance with engineering standards and site requirements.
• Apply enterprise standards for equipment mounting, cable management, labeling, port identification, grounding, and technical documentation.
• Validate physical connectivity from device interfaces through patch panels, switches, upstream/downstream devices, and remote management paths.
• Perform post-installation hardware checks, interface validation, link verification, remote access testing, and baseline confirmation.
• Document rack elevations, port maps, cable assignments, equipment locations, power connections, and other infrastructure records required for sustainment.

Activation Readiness & Technical Validation

• Review assigned implementation plans, configuration packets, activation bundles, and technical requirements for hardware and infrastructure readiness.
• Validate IP addressing, VLAN assignments, management connectivity, routing prerequisites, port assignments, and device reachability associated with installed equipment.
• Perform configuration and baseline checks for Palo Alto firewalls, F5 application delivery/load-balancing platforms, routing/switching devices, and other assigned technologies.
• Execute installation test plans, verification procedures, connectivity checks, and acceptance steps for newly installed or replaced equipment.
• Validate monitoring visibility, telemetry, device health, alerting, and remote management access following installation or maintenance.
• Support scheduled maintenance windows, after-hours installations, activations, hardware replacements, testing, back-out activities, and stabilization as required.

Asset, Lifecycle & Maintenance Management

• Perform scheduled lifecycle activities for network and security hardware, including refreshes, upgrades, replacements, preventative maintenance, and validation.
• Maintain accurate records for installed assets, spare equipment, lifecycle status, warranty/RMA actions, and hardware replacements.
• Perform hardware health checks and identify failed, degraded, unsupported, or end-of-life components requiring replacement or remediation.
• Execute approved hardware swaps and validate configuration, connectivity, redundancy, monitoring, and service restoration after replacement.
• Perform quarterly or scheduled maintenance activities as assigned and validate compliance with engineering baselines and installation standards.
• Travel to the four designated Co-Location (Co-Lo) facilities on a quarterly basis is required to perform scheduled maintenance, infrastructure validation, hardware lifecycle activities, and other assigned technical support.
• Additional ad-hoc travel to Co-Lo, data center, or other supported VA locations may be required based on implementation, maintenance, lifecycle, troubleshooting, or operational support needs.
• Support reconciliation of physical equipment against technical and asset records and document discrepancies for correction.
• Maintain technical documentation supporting equipment lifecycle history and operational sustainment.

Tier IV Support, Documentation & Continuous Improvement

• Provide Tier IV troubleshooting for hardware, interface, cabling, power, optics, connectivity, routing, firewall, load-balancing, and data center infrastructure issues.
• Use packet analysis, device logs, interface statistics, monitoring platforms, and hardware diagnostics to isolate complex implementation and infrastructure problems.
• Perform root cause analysis for recurring hardware or infrastructure issues and document findings, corrective actions, and lessons learned.
• Develop and maintain SOPs, runbooks, installation procedures, rack diagrams, port maps, validation checklists, troubleshooting guides, and maintenance procedures.
• Support change-control activities by developing or executing MOPs, test plans, validation steps, rollback procedures, and after-action documentation.
• Provide technical knowledge transfer to Implementation, Field Services, and Operations personnel regarding equipment installation, maintenance, lifecycle, and troubleshooting procedures.
• Identify recurring technical, logistics, asset, or data center issues and recommend improvements to staging, installation, maintenance, documentation, and sustainment practices.

Qualifications

Mandatory Qualifications

• Bachelor's with 5 - 8 years (or commensurate experience)
• Demonstrated network engineering experience supporting enterprise network hardware installation, activation, maintenance, lifecycle, or data center infrastructure.
• Thorough understanding of the OSI model, Ethernet, TCP/IP, IP addressing, VLANs, routing, switching, network interfaces, optics, copper/fiber cabling, and enterprise network concepts.
• Experience installing, rack-mounting, cabling, labeling, validating, troubleshooting, and replacing network and security equipment in production environments.
• Experience with enterprise network technologies such as Palo Alto firewalls, F5 load balancing/application delivery, routing, switching, or related network edge platforms.
• Ability to read and maintain rack elevations, port maps, cable records, topology diagrams, implementation plans, and hardware/asset documentation.
• Experience troubleshooting hardware, interface, cabling, power, connectivity, high availability, and network infrastructure issues.
• Proficiency analyzing packet captures using Wireshark or comparable packet-analysis tools.
• Ability to develop and execute installation, validation, testing, maintenance, and back-out procedures and produce clear technical documentation.
• Education / Experience: Bachelor's Degree in computer science, electronics engineering, or another engineering or technical discipline is required. 5-8 years of relevant experience is required. Eight years of additional relevant experience may be substituted for education on a case-by-case basis.
• Clearance required: Must be able to pass a government Tier 4 High Background Investigation.

Desired Qualifications

• Logistics / Asset Experience: Experience with enterprise technology receiving, staging, inventory, asset reconciliation, sparing, RMA, replacement, and disposition processes.
• Data Center Experience: Experience supporting network infrastructure in data centers, communications rooms, or comparable enterprise facilities, including rack space, power, structured cabling, labeling, and physical connectivity.
• Network Technologies: Experience with Palo Alto firewalls, F5 BIG-IP or comparable application delivery/load-balancing platforms, enterprise routing/switching, high availability, and network monitoring.
• Lifecycle Management: Experience performing network hardware refreshes, preventative maintenance, upgrades, replacements, hardware health validation, and post-maintenance testing.
• Government Environment: Experience providing government contracting services or supporting large federal enterprise environments.
• Cybersecurity: Knowledge of cybersecurity network architecture, security baselines, physical/technical controls, segmentation, and related compliance functions.
• Problem Solving: Ability to independently troubleshoot complex hardware and infrastructure issues and execute assigned technical work under the direction of the Technical Coordinator.
• Tools: Experience with ticketing, change-control, asset/inventory, network monitoring, Palo Alto Panorama, F5 management tools, or comparable enterprise platforms.
• Certifications: CCNA, CCNA Security or current equivalent, CompTIA Network+, CompTIA Security+, F5, Palo Alto, or other relevant networking/data center certifications.
• Communication / Travel: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, strong technical documentation skills, and ability to support scheduled after-hours installations and maintenance. Quarterly travel to the four designated Co-Lo facilities is required, and additional ad-hoc travel may be required as mission requirements dictate.

Posted Salary Range

USD $81,850.00 - USD $106,400.00 /Yr.