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Lead Network Engineer Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

Network Engineer - Expert

Herndon, VA · On-site

$170K - $210K/yr

Lead Network Infrastructure Engineer * Principal Network Engineer * Network Solutions Architect * Network Systems Engineer - Senior Level Keywords: * Network Architecture * Routing and Switching

Network Engineer - Expert

Herndon, VA · On-site

$170K - $210K/yr

Lead Network Infrastructure Engineer * Principal Network Engineer * Network Solutions Architect * Network Systems Engineer - Senior Level Keywords: * Network Architecture * Routing and Switching

Network Engineer SME

Herndon, VA · On-site

$170K - $210K/yr

Lead Network Engineer Keywords: * Network Design & Optimization * Cisco Technologies * BGP/OSPF/EIGRP Protocols * Enterprise Network Security * Infrastructure Automation Legal Disclaimer: All ...

Network Engineer SME

Herndon, VA · On-site

$170K - $210K/yr

Lead Network Engineer Keywords: * Network Design & Optimization * Cisco Technologies * BGP/OSPF/EIGRP Protocols * Enterprise Network Security * Infrastructure Automation Legal Disclaimer: All ...

Working on teams responsible for engineering and packaging releases ... Plan and lead network projects for network installation and upgrade * Responsible for all network ...

Network Engineer

Chantilly, VA · On-site

$120K - $140K/yr

Working on teams responsible for engineering and packaging releases ... Plan and lead network projects for network installation and upgrade * Responsible for all network ...

The Expert Network Engineer is responsible for the design, implementation, maintenance, security ... Lead network architecture initiatives to support technology modernization. * Configure and support ...

Applies advanced engineering and network principles, theories, concepts, technologies to solve unusually complex problems and issues. Interacts and drives vendor requirements, resolution of bug fixes ...

Showing results 41-60

Lead Network Engineer information

See Virginia salary details

$45.1K

$118.6K

$165.1K

How much do lead network engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 14, 2026, the average yearly pay for lead network engineer in Virginia is $118,635.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $100,600.00 and $138,800.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Lead Network Engineer vs Network Administrator?

AspectLead Network EngineerNetwork Administrator
CertificationsCCNP, CCIE, Cisco certificationsCompTIA Network+, Cisco CCNA
Work EnvironmentDesign, implement, and oversee network infrastructureMaintain and support existing networks
ResponsibilitiesLead network projects, troubleshoot complex issues, plan network upgradesConfigure devices, monitor network performance, perform routine maintenance

The Lead Network Engineer typically has advanced certifications and focuses on designing and leading network projects, while the Network Administrator manages daily network operations and maintenance. Both roles require networking knowledge but differ in scope and seniority.

What is a lead network engineer?

A Lead Network Engineer is a senior-level IT professional responsible for designing, implementing, and managing complex computer networks within an organization. They oversee network infrastructure, troubleshoot high-level issues, and often lead a team of network engineers or administrators. Their duties also include ensuring network security, optimizing performance, and planning for future network growth. Lead Network Engineers play a key role in maintaining reliable and secure connectivity for businesses. They typically collaborate with other IT staff and management to align network solutions with organizational goals.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a lead network engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Lead Network Engineer, you need deep expertise in network design, troubleshooting, and security, typically supported by a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field and relevant certifications like CCNP or CCIE. Familiarity with tools such as Cisco IOS, network monitoring systems (e.g., SolarWinds), and virtualization platforms is crucial. Strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills help you manage teams and coordinate complex projects effectively. These skills and qualities ensure reliable, secure, and scalable network infrastructure, which is vital for organizational operations.

How does a lead network engineer typically collaborate with other IT teams during large-scale network projects?

A Lead Network Engineer often acts as a bridge between network engineering and other IT teams, such as security, systems administration, and application development. During large-scale network projects, you will regularly coordinate with these groups to align technical requirements, resolve dependencies, and ensure seamless integration. Effective communication and project management skills are essential, as you may lead meetings, delegate tasks, and provide guidance to both network engineers and cross-functional team members. This collaborative environment fosters innovation, reduces downtime, and ensures the network infrastructure supports overall business objectives.
Infographic showing various Lead Network Engineer job openings in Virginia as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 89% Full Time, 9% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 91% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $118,635 per year, or $57 per hour.

Lead Network Engineer - Backbone Engineering

Salesforce, Inc.

Mclean, VA

$102K - $141K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement

Re-posted 18 days ago


Salesforce rating

8.1

Company rating: 8.1 out of 10

Based on 58 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

112th of 244 rated software companies


Job description

To get the best candidate experience, please consider applying for a maximum of 3 roles within 12 months to ensure you are not duplicating efforts.

Job Category

Enterprise Technology & Infrastructure

Job Details

About Salesforce

Salesforce is the #1 AI CRM, where humans with agents drive customer success together. Here, ambition meets action. Tech meets trust. And innovation isn't a buzzword - it's a way of life. The world of work as we know it is changing and we're looking for Trailblazers who are passionate about bettering business and the world through AI, driving innovation, and keeping Salesforce's core values at the heart of it all.

Ready to level-up your career at the company leading workforce transformation in the agentic era? You're in the right place! Agentforce is the future of AI, and you are the future of Salesforce.

As a Lead Network Engineer at Salesforce, you will be part of the Infrastructure Strategy and Data Center Operations team, a dynamic, global team delivering and supporting technology infrastructure in the Salesforce Global Network to meet the substantial growth needs of the business. In this role, you will collaborate with field teams, vendor sourcing teams, Global Network Operations teams, and application owners who are delivering innovative solutions in an agile, and dynamic environment. A successful candidate will have the ability to communicate and demonstrate both deep and broad knowledge across multiple areas of information technology in support of a SaaS infrastructure. We are looking for enthusiastic technologists who thrive on efficiency by contributing to the development of standards, processes, and automation requirements that lead to operational excellence

The Backbone Engineering team is responsible for network capacity and connectivity strategy for the Salesforce core network, including peering relationships, capacity planning, decision making for new PoP builds. The team is also responsible for the design and maintenance of backbone routing architecture including any automation to make configuration changes easier and more predictable. The Salesforce Backbone is the architecture over which Salesforce customers transit to have access to their Salesforce applications and data. Customer success and trust are beacons for how the team approaches engineering on the Salesforce core network.


Responsibilities Include:

  • Act as a liaison with the vendor sourcing team

  • Helping to develop and maintain metrics on our capacity vendors

  • Project managing new capacity installs with various teams including sourcing and field engineering

  • Updating the network and associated datastores for capacity additions and decommissions

  • Work with various teams to provide feedback, document, and implement various new network designs

  • Developing in Python, Ansible for network configuration automation

  • Work with our connectivity partners and customer engagement teams for any customer troubleshooting issues

  • Help with BGP peering relationship management and peering network design

  • Backbone router migrations/grooms/decoms

  • Network design life cycles including documentation and collaborative approvals

  • Maintaining Network Data SoTs

Required Experience and Competencies

  • Minimum 7 years in production network environments, or comparable experience

  • Proven project management skills

  • Experience working with telecommunications vendors

  • Experience with Cisco and Juniper carrier-class routers (ex: ASR9K, CRS, MX960, PTX, MX2K)

  • Experience with Cisco Nexus-based switches

  • Knowledge of routing protocols such as BGP and IS-IS

  • Fundamental understanding of WDM technologies

  • Strong Python coding skills

  • Good understanding of Unix/Linux-based operating systems

  • Experience developing and maintaining network automation tools (e.g. Ansible)

  • Experience with Git, or other version control systems

  • The ability to self-manage multiple projects at one time

  • A good understanding of the current state of AI, machine learning, LLMs, MCP, etc.

  • A related technical degree required.


Preferred Experience:

  • Experience managing co-located infrastructure

  • Experience with DWDM platforms, preferably Ciena and Cisco DCI

  • Experience with MACSec encryption

  • Extensive network troubleshooting and network monitoring skills

  • Hands-on experience with production hardware life-cycle management

  • Experience with Puppet, Terraform, Containers, and/or K8S

  • Familiarity with CI/CD principles

  • Previous experience with lift and shift backbone router migrations

  • Experience administering global, web-scale IP Address allocations

  • Solid understanding of the transit, public peering and SFI spaces

  • Experience writing prompts against public AI chatbots (ex. ChatGPT, Gemini)

  • Experience with AI-assisted coding (ex. Cursor, VSCode with AI plugins)

  • Prior experience with the Salesforce core application, either in a developer or support role

Unleash Your Potential

When you join Salesforce, you'll be limitless in all areas of your life. Our benefits and resources support you to find balance andbe your best, and our AI agents accelerate your impact so you cando your best. Together, we'll bring the power of Agentforce to organizations of all sizes and deliver amazing experiences that customers love. Apply today to not only shape the future - but to redefine what's possible - for yourself, for AI, and the world.

Accommodations

If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or the recruiting process, please submit a request via this Accommodations Request Form.

Please note that Salesforce uses artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help our recruiters assess and evaluate candidates' resumes and qualifications throughout the recruiting process. Humans will always make any candidate selection and hiring decisions. Please see our Candidate Privacy Statement for more information about how we use your personal data and your rights, including with regard to use of AI tools and opt out options.

Posting Statement

Salesforce is an equal opportunity employer and maintains a policy of non-discrimination with all employees and applicants for employment. What does that mean exactly? It means that at Salesforce, we believe in equality for all. And we believe we can lead the path to equality in part by creating a workplace that's inclusive, and free from discrimination. Know your rights: workplace discrimination is illegal. Any employee or potential employee will be assessed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications - without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, transgender status, age, disability, veteran or marital status, political viewpoint, or other classifications protected by law. This policy applies to current and prospective employees, no matter where they are in their Salesforce employment journey. It also applies to recruiting, hiring, job assignment, compensation, promotion, benefits, training, assessment of job performance, discipline, termination, and everything in between. Recruiting, hiring, and promotion decisions at Salesforce are fair and based on merit. The same goes for compensation, benefits, promotions, transfers, reduction in workforce, recall, training, and education.

In the United States, compensation offered will be determined by factors such as location, job level, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Certain roles may be eligible for incentive compensation, equity, and benefits. Salesforce offers a variety of benefits to help you live well including: time off programs, medical, dental, vision, mental health support, paid parental leave, life and disability insurance, 401(k), and an employee stock purchasing program. More details about company benefits can be found at the following link: https://www.salesforcebenefits.com.Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance and the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring, Salesforce will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.At Salesforce, we believe in equitable compensation practices that reflect the dynamic nature of labor markets across various regions. The typical base salary range for this position is $172,500 - $260,100 annually. In select cities within the San Francisco and New York City metropolitan area, the base salary range for this role is $207,800 - $285,800 annually. The range represents base salary only, and does not include company bonus, incentive for sales roles, equity or benefits, as applicable.

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