Network Engineer SME

Trace3, Linthicum Heights, MD +1

The role

The Principal Network Subject Matter Expert (SME) will serve as the technical authority for enterprise network architecture, modernization, resiliency, security, and performance on a high-priority federal infrastructure program. The SME will set technical direction, establish standards, and advise customer and program leadership across mission-critical environments.

The role combines strategic leadership with hands-on expertise to approve designs, develop target-state architectures and migration plans, resolve complex issues, and serve as the final technical escalation point. The SME will mentor engineering teams, coordinate cross-functional execution, and work primarily onsite at secure customer locations.

All jobs

Network Engineer SME

Trace3, Linthicum Heights, MD +1

Posted pay

$223K–$243K

a year

Compared with similar jobs

This base pay is above the median for infrastructure, platform and SRE jobs in other US places with no level in the job title.

Median: $162K a year
Other jobs in the group: 832

We compare the middle of each posted range. This is base pay as posted. The group does not include this job.

Location: Linthicum Heights, MD +1
Work type: Not given
Level: Not given
Experience: 10+ years
Skills in the job text: Python
AWS
Kubernetes
Ansible
Posted: 24 days ago
Last check: 6 h ago
Job type: Infra, platform & SRE, Inference & ML systems, ML / AI engineering

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Trace3

Open tech jobs: 42
With posted pay: 81%
Median posted base: $170K–$199K

About Trace3: funding, hiring and pay

Trace3

About Trace3: funding, hiring and pay

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The role

What you need

The successful candidate will demonstrate deep network expertise, sound architectural judgment, and the ability to make technical decisions across customer, government, contractor, and engineering organizations.

10+ years of progressively responsible experience designing, modernizing, and supporting complex enterprise networks.
Demonstrated experience serving as a network architect, technical authority, or senior escalation resource in mission-critical environments.
Expertise with Cisco enterprise routing, switching, firewall, VPN, and data-center technologies.
Advanced knowledge of BGP, OSPF, VLANs, VRFs, QoS, multicast, segmentation, high availability, and resilient network design.
Experience developing and approving network architectures, standards, bills of material, migration strategies, implementation plans, test plans, and operational documentation.
Strong knowledge of network security, including firewall policy, micro-segmentation, secure remote access, network access control, and Zero Trust principles.
Expert-level troubleshooting and root-cause analysis across routing, performance, availability, DNS, DHCP, NTP, IP address management, authentication, and application connectivity.
Experience with monitoring and observability technologies, including telemetry, SNMP, syslog, NetFlow/IPFIX, packet capture, alerting, and performance baselining.
Proven ability to assess technical risk, evaluate design trade-offs, and communicate authoritative recommendations to technical and nontechnical stakeholders.
Ability to lead cross-functional technical execution, mentor senior engineers, and work independently onsite in secure, regulated, federal, defense, manufacturing, or comparable environments.
Initial 6‑month contract with strong potential for extension and possible conversion to a long-term full-time role.
No active clearance required at start; however, candidates must be eligible to obtain and maintain a security clearance.
Hybrid environment with on-site requirements still being finalized.
Work may be performed at multiple Baltimore-area customer locations, and candidates should be flexible regarding worksite assignment and on-site frequency.

Network Engineer SME

The role

Network Engineer SME

The role

What you need

Nice to have

Physical demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to

Street-Smart - Thriving in Dynamic Times

Teamwork - Humble, Hungry and Smart

Summary of essential job functions

Estimated Pay Range

The Perks

About Trace3

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