Principal Adv Network Tech Support

This position requires office presence of a minimum of 5 days per week and is only located in the location(s) posted.  No relocation is offered. Overall Purpose: Technical Expertise and Support: Serve as a lead technical expert and Subject Matter Expert (SME) within the Service Assurance Tier 3 (GT3) team. Provide specialized support for D2 technologies, including SD-WAN solutions such as Silver Peak SDWAN, VMware/Broadcom/Arista SD-WAN and Cisco SD-WAN, along with virtualized platforms like Flexware and Universal CPE. Act as a recognized routing and connectivity SME across all supported service lines, frequently consulted by peers for technical advice and problem resolution. The position exercises judgment by effectively managing a high volume of complex and critical customer network outages, requiring swift and accurate decision-making to triage and isolate issues. The candidate applies advanced critical thinking skills to analyze problems deeply and prioritize actions that minimize service impact. Additionally, judgment is demonstrated in tailoring communication—translating technical findings into clear, appropriate messages for diverse audiences, including both internal engineers and customers with varying technical expertise—ensuring understanding and maintaining professionalism throughout critical situations. Training and Mentorship : Serve as a mentor for GT3 peers, other Service Assurance teams, and provide guidance to LCM/LE resources. Develop and deliver training materials and documentation for GCSC and GT3 teams, capturing best practices in troubleshooting and sharing lessons learned. Act as a key resource for managing complex, long-duration issues and technical escalations, supporting both peers within the GT3 organization and management. Manage projects from initiation to completion by planning scope, schedule, and resources. Lead cross-functional teams, monitor progress, mitigate risks, and communicate updates to stakeholders. Ensure quality, manage changes, and drive continuous improvement throughout the project lifecycle. Required Technical Expertise (Expert Level) The ideal candidate will possess expert-level experience in enterprise networking, SD-WAN technologies, network security, and advanced troubleshooting within large-scale, mission-critical environments. Core Technical Competencies Advanced knowledge of enterprise routing, switching, and network architecture design Expert-level troubleshooting and root cause analysis across complex WAN, LAN, Wireless, Security, Cloud, and SD-WAN environments Extensive experience with: Cisco Routing and Switching Platforms Cisco Nexus Data Center Switching Cisco Wireless Infrastructure Cisco ASA Firewalls Juniper Networks Routing and Switching Solutions Riverbed WAN Optimization Technologies Aruba EdgeConnect (Silver Peak) SD-WAN VMware VeloCloud SD-WAN Network Technologies & Protocols Routing Protocols: BGP OSPF EIGRP IPSec VPN design, implementation, and troubleshooting LAN/WAN connectivity and optimization Network segmentation, redundancy, and high-availability architectures Performance monitoring, capacity planning, and proactive network optimization Security Solutions & Technologies Deep understanding of enterprise security architectures and best practices Experience implementing and supporting: Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFW) Zero Trust Network Architectures Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Network Access Control (NAC) IDS/IPS Solutions DNS Security DDoS Protection Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) Secure Remote Access Technologies Cloud Security Controls Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) platforms Hands-on experience with: Cisco ASA and Firepower Palo Alto Networks Firewalls Cisco ISE Fortinet Solutions (preferred) Zscaler, Prisma Access, or similar SASE platforms (preferred) Experience supporting compliance and security frameworks including: NIST CIS Controls FedRAMP FISMA DoD Security Requirements Transport & Connectivity Expertise Strong understanding of WAN transport technologies including: MPLS Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) Broadband Ethernet Fiber LTE/5G Wireless Satellite Communications Private and Hybrid Network Solutions Preferred Certifications One or more advanced certifications strongly preferred: Networking Certifications Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert ( CCIE ) Enterprise Infrastructure Cisco Certified Network Professional ( CCNP ) Enterprise Cisco Certified Specialist – SD-WAN Juniper Networks Certified Professional/Expert ( JNCIP/JNCIE ) VMware SD-WAN (VeloCloud) Certification Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Certification Security Certifications Certified Information Systems Security Professional ( CISSP ) Certified Information Security Manager ( CISM ) Cisco Certified CyberOps Professional Palo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Engineer ( PCNSE ) GIAC Security Certifications (preferred) CompTIA Security+ (minimum baseline preferred) Security Clearance Requirements Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance. Active Secret Clearance preferred. Active Top Secret (TS) or Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance highly desirable. Experience supporting Federal Government, Defense, Intelligence Community, or highly regulated environments is strongly preferred. Additional Qualifications Demonstrated ability to lead complex network incidents, escalations, and service restoration efforts. Experience supporting geographically dispersed enterprise and government environments. Strong analytical, documentation, communication, and customer-facing skills. Proven ability to serve as a technical leader and mentor for network engineering and operations teams. I ntegration and Support of New Technologies: Integrate and support new technology platforms into network environments, including developing, testing, training, and creating methods and procedu