Job Overview Job Title: Network Systems Subject Matter Expert (SME) Job Location: Fort Meade, MD Job Responsibilities Trace Systems is seeking a highly experienced Network Systems Subject Matter Expert (SME) to support a mission-critical IP voice transport network at Fort Meade, MD. This role requires a senior-level engineer with a strong background in designing, optimizing, securing, and maintaining complex enterprise networks with a focus on high availability and performance. The SME will serve as a Tier 3 escalation point and lead continuous service improvements, technical documentation, and mentorship efforts. Primary Responsibilities: Provide Tier 3 escalation support for complex network and security issues. Design, implement, optimize, and maintain secure enterprise network infrastructure. Conduct comprehensive network assessments and vulnerability analysis; develop mitigation strategies. Develop and maintain network documentation including Engineering Implementation Plans (EIPs), standard operating procedures, and diagrams. Lead root cause analysis efforts as part of problem management activities. Coordinate and execute network upgrades, migrations, and deployments with cross-functional teams. Manage vendor relationships and facilitate timely resolution of incident support issues. Perform network monitoring, capacity planning, and recovery processes. Evaluate new technologies to enhance service delivery. Mentor junior engineers and support team training initiatives. Support infrastructure testing, installation, and transition to operations. Provide configuration and sustainment support to JITC lab components. Serve as the primary support engineer for Continuity of Operations (COOP) capabilities. Review and address ACAS scan results and collaborate with ISSM/ISSO on security compliance. Support lifecycle sustainment and technology refresh planning. Utilize the designated ticketing system for documentation and knowledge management. Coordinate with OEM and government engineering resources to ensure support alignment. Minimum Qualifications Active, in-scope US government issued Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility. Due to the nature of the work and US Government required, US Citizenship is required. Security+ Certification or other DoD 8570 IAT Level II certification. Deep understanding of network security principles, architectures, and IT infrastructure. 10+ years of hands-on network engineering experience, including: Routing and switching (e.g., BGP, OSPF, IS-IS, VLANs, STP). MPLS, VPNs, VoIP, multicast protocols. Subnetting and IP address planning. Strong technical writing and presentation skills, including to senior leadership. Desired Qualification Experience with Juniper MX, EX, and SRX platforms. Familiarity with SIP architecture and implementation. Experience with Ribbon Session Border Controllers (SBC). Proficiency in SolarWinds and Splunk tools. Knowledge of NetOps principles including change, configuration, and performance management. IAT Level III Certification (e.g., CISSP or equivalent). Education 12–15 years of relevant experience with a Bachelor’s degree. 10–13 years of relevant experience with a Master’s degree. Additional years of experience may be substituted for education at the hiring manager’s discretion. Trace Systems Trace Systems Inc. was founded to support and defend our nation's security interests at home and abroad–– whenever and wherever. We provide enterprise IT, engineering, full life-cycle communications, cybersecurity, cloud and virtualization services and solutions to the United States Department of Defense and other federal agencies. To Apply: We invite you to put your talents to work by joining a growing team of dynamic professionals here at Trace Systems! Be part of a culture at our leading-edge company where you can achieve great things while fostering a satisfying and rewarding career progression. To learn more about our current openings, text ‘tracejobs’ to 97211 or apply directly through our website at: www.tracesystems.com. #jointracesystems Trace Systems is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified candidates will be considered without regard to legally protected characteristics.