Junior Network Engineer

Overview

The Junior Network Engineer supports the design, operation, monitoring, and troubleshooting of enterprise network infrastructure in a secure, compliance-driven environment. This role assists with routers, switches, firewalls, VPNs, DNS, DHCP, routing, segmentation, and network monitoring while following strict change-control and documentation standards. This is not a helpdesk-only position. The ideal candidate has a strong foundation in networking, understands how to research technical issues independently, and can contribute to real infrastructure operations under the guidance of senior engineers.

Responsibilities

• Assist with administration and troubleshooting of routers, switches, firewalls, VPNs, and network services.
• Support network connectivity across cloud, datacenter, office, and remote-access environments.
• Help maintain VLANs, subnets, routing tables, firewall policies, access control lists, DNS records, and DHCP scopes.
• Monitor network health, availability, latency, throughput, packet loss, and device status.
• Collect logs, packet captures, configuration data, and diagnostic evidence during troubleshooting.
• Assist with implementation of approved network changes following formal change-control procedures.
• Document network configurations, diagrams, operational procedures, and troubleshooting steps.
• Support security and compliance requirements including logging, access control, configuration management, and evidence collection.
• Escalate complex issues with clear technical findings, not vague problem statements.
• Work with DevOps, Security, Systems, and Platform Engineering teams to support secure infrastructure operations.

Requirements

• CompTIA Security+ CE or ability to obtain within a defined onboarding period.
• Network+ or equivalent networking knowledge; CCNA in progress or equivalent hands-on experience preferred.
• Basic understanding of TCP/IP, subnetting, routing, switching, VLANs, DNS, DHCP, NAT, VPNs, and firewalls.
• Ability to read and understand network diagrams, firewall rules, routing tables, and device configurations.
• Familiarity with Windows, Linux, and cloud-connected enterprise environments.
• Strong troubleshooting mindset with the ability to isolate client-side, network-side, and server-side issues.
• Self-starter with no constant management required.
• Research-capable using vendor documentation, technical references, logs, packet captures, and real diagnostic data — not just AI-generated answers.
• Able to follow change-control processes and document work accurately.
• Strong written communication skills for tickets, incident notes, and technical documentation.
• Willingness to work in a security-conscious, compliance-driven environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• CCNA or active progress toward CCNA.
• Experience with Cisco, Palo Alto, Fortinet, Juniper, or similar enterprise network platforms.
• Exposure to AWS or Azure networking concepts such as VPCs, subnets, route tables, security groups, VPNs, and transit routing.
• Familiarity with SIEM/logging platforms, network monitoring tools, and configuration backup tools.
• Experience in government, defense contractor, FedRAMP, CMMC, NIST, or similarly controlled environments.
• Someone who can use AI as a support tool when appropriate, but does not need AI to perform core networking, troubleshooting, research, or documentation duties.