Senior Network Engineer
Blackwatch International
Skills
About the Role
Blackwatch International Corporation (Blackwatch) is a small business founded in 2010 and dedicated to supporting Federal business and national security objectives. Our headquarters are in McLean, VA, with satellite offices in Sacramento, CA.
Blackwatch invests in innovation and quality for our customers and staff, holding corporate-level ISO 9001:2015, ISO/IEC 27001:2013, and ISO/IEC 20000-1:2018, CMMC Level 2, and CMMI Level 3 certifications. We are a leading provider of information technology (IT) infrastructure, cybersecurity, DevSecOps, data exploitation, and engineering services, specializing in large and complex projects. Blackwatch is dedicated to growth and offers a dynamic working environment with multiple opportunities for advancement.
Position Location: Alexandria (On-site, Virtual, and Telework support)
Position Type: Full-Time
Years of Experience: 8+ years
Security Clearance: Ability to obtain Public Trust (or higher if required)
US Citizenship Required: Yes, with Real ID
Position Description
The Senior Network Engineer positions will be part of 70-person End User Services and Audio Visual (AV) Collaboration Support team supporting the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), an agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, responsible for granting U.S. patents and registering trademarks, playing a vital role in fostering innovation, protecting intellectual property, and supporting economic growth. To carry out this mission, USPTO depends on a modern, secure, and highly available information technology environment that supports a geographically dispersed workforce, extensive telework capabilities, and high-demand public-facing systems. The Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) is central to this effort, delivering reliable, innovative, and secure IT services that enhance productivity, communication, and collaboration for leadership, employees, and external stakeholders.
The Senior Network Engineer positions support the USPTO OCIO mission by providing comprehensive End User Services and Audio Visual (AV) Collaboration Support across enterprise environments, ensuring seamless IT service delivery while advancing modernization and improving the overall user experience. The scope includes support for desktop services across headquarters, regional, and satellite offices, warehouse operations, telework services, and AV and collaboration capabilities, creating a cohesive and resilient IT ecosystem for both on-site and remote users. This project is focused on maintaining reliable operations through the sustainment and enhancement of legacy systems while also enabling modernization through the introduction of innovative technologies and solutions that align with evolving mission needs. The End User Services and Audio Visual (AV) Collaboration Support project supports 12,895 teleworkers in which 96.14% of USPTO employees are teleworking at least one day a week with 11,405 of those teleworkers working from home five days per week. USPTO maintains over 17,800 laptop/desktop computers for employees and on-site support contractors, and over 26,800 printers. The warehouse contains over 190 different IT items with approximately 11,000 serialized items and a total of 20,000 items currently stored.
The Senior Network Engineer is responsible for the design, configuration, installation, testing, maintenance, and troubleshooting of enterprise network infrastructure supporting USPTO end-user services, including LAN, WAN, wireless connectivity, and Voice and Video Teleconferencing (VTC) systems. This role ensures reliable, secure, and high-performing network connectivity across headquarters, regional offices, telework environments, and field locations in support of mission-critical operations. The Senior Network Engineer works within a service-oriented, Agile delivery environment and may operate in a supervisory capacity as needed to support field technicians and coordinate network support activities.
In alignment with the broader End User Services and Operations Support (EUSOS) program, the Senior Network Engineer plays a key role in enabling seamless connectivity between servers, end-user devices, collaboration platforms, and cloud-based services. This position supports both proactive network optimization and reactive incident resolution, ensuring minimal downtime and rapid restoration of services in accordance with established service level agreements (SLAs). The Network Engineer collaborates closely with field engineers, desktop support teams, and enterprise stakeholders to deliver integrated IT and communications solutions that enhance productivity, reliability, and user experience.
The Senior Network Engineer is responsible for configuring and testing network devices such as routers, switches, hubs, gateways, and related infrastructure components to ensure proper operation and interoperability across systems. This includes staging and validating SOHO routers and other network equipment for deployment, supporting equipment swaps, and ensuring successful integration into existing environments. The role also involves troubleshooting complex network issues, including connectivity problems related to Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, and other core services, while applying structured diagnostic methods and root cause analysis to identify and resolve issues efficiently.
This position provides technical assistance and end-user support via phone, email, remote tools, or in-person interaction, responding to network-related incidents and service requests. The Senior Network Engineer gathers detailed user input, asks targeted diagnostic questions, and applies technical expertise to quickly identify and resolve problems. In addition, the role generates operational reports, documents service activities, and provides recommendations for network improvements and infrastructure enhancements to management for review and planning purposes.
Responsibilities
- Install, configure, test, and maintain network infrastructure including routers, switches, hubs, gateways, and related devices
- Support LAN, WAN, wireless, and Voice/Video Teleconferencing (VTC) connectivity across enterprise environments
- Configure and validate network components to ensure secure and reliable connectivity between servers, endpoints, and cloud services
- Stage, test, and deploy SOHO routers and other network equipment for installation, replacement, and troubleshooting activities
- Troubleshoot complex network issues, including connectivity problems involving Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, and related services
- Analyze network performance and traffic to identify root causes of outages, latency, or connectivity degradation
- Provide technical support to end users via phone, email, remote tools, and in-person assistance for network-related issues
- Gather and analyze user-reported issues, ask diagnostic questions, and implement effective resolution strategies
- Coordinate with field engineers, desktop support teams, and infrastructure teams to resolve incidents and implement changes
- Perform network testing, validation, and quality assurance on installed or replaced equipment
- Maintain accurate documentation of network configurations, procedures, troubleshooting steps, and incident resolutions
- Generate reports and service request documentation for management review, analysis, and operational tracking
- Monitor, respond to, and resolve network-related incidents and service requests in accordance with SLAs
- Support network equipment lifecycle management, including installation, upgrades, replacements, and decommissioning
- Participate in root cause analysis (RCA) for network outages and recurring issues, implementing corrective actions
- Recommend improvements to network architecture, performance, and reliability based on analysis and operational trends
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams and vendors to support deployments, upgrades, and issue resolution
- Promote knowledge sharing and maintain technical documentation and best practices across support teams
- Support Agile team operations and participate in continuous improvement initiatives
- Provide leadership or supervisory support for network-related tasks and field operations as needed
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, or related technical field required (Master’s degree preferred)
- Minimum of 8+ years of progressive experience in network engineering, infrastructure support, or enterprise IT environments (or 6+ years with a Master’s degree)
- Demonstrated experience providing technical leadership on major network engineering tasks and mission-critical infrastructure initiatives
- Expert-level knowledge of enterprise network architecture, including LAN, WAN, routing, switching, and wireless technologies
- Advanced experience configuring, installing, and maintaining network devices such as routers, switches, gateways, and firewalls
- Strong experience supporting enterprise services including DNS, DHCP, Active Directory integration, and authentication services
- Proven ability to troubleshoot complex, high-impact network issues in large-scale enterprise environments
- Experience supporting Voice over IP (VoIP) and Video Teleconferencing (VTC) systems and related infrastructure
- Experience staging, testing, deploying, and validating network equipment, including SOHO and enterprise-grade devices
- Ability to analyze network performance, identify root causes of outages, and implement corrective and preventive solutions
- Experience leading or overseeing junior and mid-level engineers in operational or project-based work
- Strong experience working in IT service management environments using ticketing systems (e.g., SMP, ServiceNow, or equivalent)
- Demonstrated ability to develop technical documentation, network diagrams, reports, and operational procedures
- Experience generating executive-level reports and providing technical recommendations to management
- Strong communication skills with the ability to engage technical and non-technical stakeholders effectively
- Experience participating in or leading root cause analysis (RCA) for critical network incidents and outages
- Proven ability to work independently while establishing goals, priorities, and technical direction aligned to mission objectives
- Experience working in Agile or cross-functional enterprise IT environments
- U.S. Citizenship required
- Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance or higher
Preferred
- Industry certifications such as CCNP, CCIE, Network+, Security+, or equivalent advanced networking certifications
- Experience supporting federal government or highly regulated enterprise environments
- Experience with network monitoring, automation, or performance management tools
- Experience supporting large-scale VTC and collaboration infrastructure in mission-critical environments