Assistant Steering Engineer Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

The Defense Sector at Leidos is seeking a motivated TS/SCI cleared Network Engineer to support the installation, configuration, and day-to-day management of enterprise network infrastructure. This role is an excellent opportunity for an early-career network professional to gain hands-on experience with routing and switching platforms, including Session Smart Router (SSR) / 128 Technology SD-WAN solutions, in a structured and security-conscious environment. The ideal candidate demonstrates a solid foundation in networking fundamentals, a willingness to learn vendor-specific technologies, and the discipline to operate within DoD network standards. The job duties will be performed daily on site at Langley Air Force Base, VA.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Assist in the configuration, deployment, and ongoing management of routers, switches, and Session Smart Router (SSR) appliances across enterprise and edge network environments.
• Support the design and implementation of routing policies, service policies, and traffic steering configurations on SSR/128 Technology platforms under senior engineer guidance.
• Perform LAN switching administration — including VLAN configuration, spanning tree, trunking, and port security — on Juniper EX Series and/or Cisco Catalyst platforms.
• Assist with the configuration and troubleshooting of routing protocols including OSPF and BGP (eBGP and iBGP) across enterprise WAN and data center environments.
• Monitor network health, availability, latency, and throughput using network management tools; expedite anomalies and assist in root cause analysis.
• Support configuration and maintenance of firewall rules, access control lists (ACLs), IPsec VPN tunnels, and other network security controls.
• Execute software and firmware upgrades, patch management, and lifecycle maintenance activities for network devices in accordance with change management procedures.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date network diagrams, device inventories, and standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Coordinate with senior network engineers, system administrators, and security personnel to resolve network incidents and support planned infrastructure changes.
• Participate in on-call rotation and assist with troubleshooting during network outages or degraded service events.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with 4+ years of experience or a Master’s degree with 2+ years of experience. Additional years of experience may be considered in lieu of degree.
• Must have active and current DoD TS/SCI Clearance.
• DoD 8570/8140-compliant certification at IAT Level II - CompTIA Security+ CE required at minimum.
• Demonstrated understanding of OSI model, TCP/IP, subnetting, VLANs, routing protocols (BGP, OSPF, static routing), and WAN technologies.
• Practical experience with LAN switching concepts on Juniper EX Series or Cisco Catalyst platforms, including VLANs, STP, and trunking.
• Strong analytical and troubleshooting mindset, clear written and verbal communication, and the ability to work effectively in a team environment under supervision.

Preferred Qualifications

• Juniper Networks Certified Associate (JNCIA-Junos) or progress toward JNCIS-ENT; Juniper SSR-specific training or certification a strong plus or Cisco CCNA.
• Familiarity with Border Gateway Protocol — including eBGP and iBGP concepts, peer configuration, route policies, and basic troubleshooting in a multi-site or service provider‑adjacent environment.
• Exposure to Juniper Session Smart Router (formerly 128 Technology) platforms, including familiarity with session‑based routing, service and tenant models, or WAN traffic steering concepts.
• Hands‑on experience with advanced switching features such as RSTP/MSTP, LACP/LAG, Q‑in‑Q, or Layer 3 switching on either Juniper EX Series or Cisco Catalyst hardware.
• Working knowledge of IPsec VPN configuration, zone‑based firewall policies, or experience with Juniper SRX Series security platforms.
• Basic familiarity with network automation tools or scripting (Python, Ansible, or Junos) for configuration management or compliance checks.
• CompTIA Network+, or other vendor‑neutral networking credentials demonstrating a broad networking foundation.

Pay Range

Pay Range: Pay Range $73,450.00 - $132,775.00

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.

Original Posting: September 1, 2026. For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above.

Pay and Benefits

Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision. That's why we craft compensation packages that reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers.

Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement. More details are available here.

Securing Your Data

Leidos will never ask you to provide payment‑related information at any part of the employment application process. And Leidos will communicate with you only through emails that are sent from a Leidos.com email address. If you receive an email purporting to be from Leidos that asks for payment‑related information or any other personal information, please report the email to spam.leidos@leidos.com.

Commitment and Diversity

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, age, national origin, citizenship, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, family structure, marital status, ancestry, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Leidos will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with relevant laws.

Company Overview

Leidos Leidos is an industry and technology leader serving government and commercial customers with smarter, more efficient digital and mission innovations. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with 47,000 global employees, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $17.2 billion for the fiscal year ended January 2, 2026. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.