Network Engineer III

Job Details

New ideas are all around us, but only a few will change the world. That's our focus at JPL. We ask the biggest questions, then search the universe for answers-literally. We build upon ideas that have guided generations, then share our discoveries to inspire generations to come. Your mission-your opportunity-is to seek out the answers that bring us one step closer. If you're driven to discover, create, and inspire something that lasts a lifetime and beyond, you're ready for JPL.

Located in Pasadena, California, JPL has a campus-like environment situated on 177 acres in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and offers a work environment unlike any other: we inspire passion, foster innovation, build collaboration, and reward excellence.

As a Network Engineer III, you will be a member of JPL's Network Technologies group, which provides critical network infrastructure and services to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. You will work with a team leading the development of advanced networking solutions for institutional work and for spaceflight operations.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Design, implement, and manage wide-scale networks and ensure their resilience.
• Perform network systems engineering including performance analysis, maintainability analysis, capacity analysis, and reliability analysis.
• Develop documentation and procedures and deliver training to enable operations teams to maintain and support networks.
• Establish contingency plans and anomaly resolution plans for complex networks.
• Performs complex and wide-ranging job functions and activities across disciplines.
• Work with internal customers to generate and negotiate system requirements, and to develop scalable architectures and solutions.
• Provides advanced knowledge in field in all customer interactions including receipt of specifications, design, test, and response to service requests.
• Debugs and tests networks, plans projects, and performs need assessments.
• Prepares and oversees cost/benefit estimates, presentations, negotiations, installation, problem resolution, and multi-vendor product integration.
• May provide initial implementation support of networks to assure proper execution and provides resolution for system failures or degradations.
• Forecasts network needs and works with other information systems areas to develop policies and procedures to resolve the most complex and unique technical problems.
• Responsible for the implementation of networks; ensures that project timelines and budgets are met.
• Resolves highly complex system failures and degradations; performs highly complex root cause analyses.
• Implements networks and/or network applications; applies highly complex network tools and performs analysis of various network technologies and network research.
• Partners with other personnel to provide project management and documentation as required.
• Works independently on key projects and assignments with only limited direction, typically receiving few or no instructions.
• As a team leader, accountable for team results on such projects and assignments, including performance standards, budget and schedule.
• Leads a team for a project or task activity, or function within scope of assigned responsibility.
• Recommends modifications or expansion to the network.
• Mentors and coaches others internal and external to organization.
• Frequent interaction with industry partners and other NASA centers.

Required Qualifications:

• Typically requires a Bachelors degree in a related field with 6 or more years of experience in routing, switching, and firewall solutions.
• Extensive experience in designing robust Juniper routing and switching topologies, with a focus on redundancy and performance.
• Extensive experience in wide-scale, highly-available Palo Alto firewall installation, configuration, maintenance and troubleshooting.
• Extensive experience in Cisco routing and switching platforms
• Advanced knowledge of technologies: OSPF, BGP, VRF, IPsec, QoS, DNS, STP, broadcast, multicast.
• Advanced knowledge of network security best practices, including device hardening and administrative security such as TACACS
• Advanced knowledge of applicable industry and/or academic practices and standards of LANs and telecommunication interfaces; familiarity with network services applications. Ability to perform problem identification, reporting, and resolution of tasks
• Extensive knowledge of applicable industry and/or academic practices and standards of Virtual Private Network
• Experience with engineering high traffic networks and security practices for data center and campus network, which includes load balancing (global and internal), firewall (perimeter and interior) design, wireless (surveys, site assessment and controller and AP management), traffic engineering, network redundancy, and disaster recovery
• Working knowledge of SNMP and network monitoring practices
• Working knowledge of Linux and scripting to enable configuration changes or information gathering
• Working knowledge of application protocols and traffic analysis tools like Wireshark
• Multidisciplinary knowledge regularly used in the application and development of advanced principles, theories, and concepts in network engineering and operations
• Excellent customer service skills

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced knowledge of applicable Laboratory policies and procedures, NASA policies and procedures, and government regulations.
• Demonstrated experience supporting space missions.
• Extensive experience gathering requirements from different business units, stakeholders, and engineering teams.
• Recent experience in systems engineering applied to computing or network architectures.
• Achievement in developing breakthrough solutions to challenging technical problems.
• Network certification in Cisco or Junos, such as CCNA, CCNP, JNCIA or JNCIP.
• Demonstrated ability to juggle multiple responsibilities effectively.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.

JPL has a catalog of benefits and perks that span from the traditional to the unique. This includes a variety of health, dental, vision, wellbeing, and retirement plans, paid time off, learning, rideshare, childcare, flexible schedule, parental leave and many more. Our focus is on work-life balance, and living healthy, fulfilling lives as we Dare Mighty Things Together. For benefits eligible positions, benefits are effective the first day of the month coincident with or immediately following the employee's start date.

For further benefits information click Benefits and Perks

The hiring range displayed below is specifically for those who will work in or reside in the location listed. In extending an offer, Jet Propulsion Laboratory considers factors including, but not limited to, the candidate's job related skills, experience, knowledge, and relevant education/training. Hiring range for this job may be adjusted based on primary work location outside of Pasadena, California. This adjusted range will be provided to candidates by the Recruiter when applicable.

The typical full time equivalent annual hiring range for this job in Pasadena, California.

$121,264 - $148,408

JPL is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, age, marital status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy or perceived pregnancy, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, protected military or veteran status or any other characteristic or condition protected by Federal, state or local law.

In addition, JPL is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor.

EEO is the Law.

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Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is a federal facility. Due to rules imposed by NASA, JPL will not accept applications from citizens of designated countries or those born in a designated country unless they are U.S. Citizens, Legal Permanent Residents of the U.S or have other protected status under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3). The Designated Countries List is available here.