Senior Network Engineer

Aireon deployed the world’s first global space-based air traffic surveillance system, providing real-time aircraft monitoring capabilities around the world, including over the poles, over the oceans and in remote areas.

Aireon data enables safer, more efficient and more environmentally friendly aviation travel, resulting in significant CO2 emission reductions. More than 20 Air Navigation Service Providers representing more than 40 countries – including NAV CANADA, NATS (UK), Air Traffic and Navigation Services (South Africa), Airports Authority of India (AAI), and ASECNA (Africa) -- rely on Aireon data to navigate aircraft in their airspaces.

We are committed to offering an employment experience and benefits package that enables you and your family to grow with us and to share in our success.

The Network Engineer is responsible for helping to set up, maintain and manage Aireon’s on-premises infrastructure as an integral part of the team implementing, and maintaining Aireon’s operational networks for distributing data to customers.  The Senior Network Engineer refines requirements, processes, and solutions to deploy robust networks that meet stringent safety requirements for high availability, redundancy and diversity. 

They install networking systems, configure automation to ease network configuration administration, setup and administer centralized authentication solutions and help roll out and maintain a wide range of IP network security controls.  The Senior Network Engineer works closely with Aireon’s security, software design, systems engineering, test, and subcontractors to validate and improve network designs and implementations. They are a subject matter expert providing Tier III support for responding to escalated incidents. They determine root cause and work quickly with vendors, engineering, and subcontractors to resolve problems when they occur.  The Senior Network Engineer also collects and evaluates performance data to identify potential systemic network problems, help tune the operational network for better performance, and to ensure sufficient network capacity to support Aireon’s operational needs.

Aireon is certified to provide surveillance as a service to global customers in a safety-critical industry. This role is essential to the delivery of this service and will be to reach and maintain an acceptable standard of competency. Aireon will provide initial and ongoing training to support competency standards. This is measured through assessment that is renewable annually. 

What You'll Do

• Responsible for design, implementation, and maintenance of operational, test and development IP networks.
• Review and approve subcontractor IP network hardware and software changes, and implementations.
• Contribute to trade studies for evaluating alternative designs.
• Document, update and maintain detailed network deployments utilizing drawing packages i.e. Visio, Lucid chart.
• Provide operational Tier III support for analyzing and resolving network issues.
• Manage backups, off-site archives, and disaster recovery network readiness.
• Help implement, administer, and maintain centralized user authentication systems.
• Help maintain deployed IP network hardware and system configuration inventory, licenses, and asset data.
• Help develop and refine procedures for identifying and mitigating common IP network issues.
• Support network level testing for resilience, redundancy, and performance.
• Collect and evaluate performance data to identify trends, potential problems, and network capacity issues.
• Deploy and maintain network appliances to include Switches, Routers and Firewalls.
• Help define and implement solutions for network monitoring and monitoring dashboards.

Required Qualifications

• Associate or bachelor’s degree in network engineering or computer science.
• 5+ years of relevant network engineering experience on enterprise environments (i.e. data centers, main/remote office terrestrial network connectivity, satellite networks).
• Experience with network monitoring and configuration capture tools.
• Experience with IP network operations to include network switching/routing (OSI Layer 2/3).
• Experience with network routing protocols, i.e. OSPF, EIGRP, BGP.
• Experience with IPv4 network sub-net addressing.
• Experience with provisioning and maintaining network connections across multiple physical/IP layers to include MPLS, EPL, Point-Point and Public Internet.
• Experience segmenting networks utilizing IP sub-nets, VLANs, and DMZ.
• Experience with network security protocols and encryption standards (i.e. IPSec, AES, 3DES, etc.).
• Experience with Cisco, Meraki and/or Juniper OS.
• Experience with maintaining and updating network architecture drawings utilizing Visio, LucidCharts.
• Familiarity with ticketing systems, issue tracking, and collaboration tools.
• Ability to handle multiple simultaneous assignments.
• Experience with Sharepoint and Atlassian tools such as JIRA and Confluence.
• Demonstrated ability to work with teams to achieve desired results.
• Ability to quickly learn and embrace Aireon’s security and safety culture.
• Flexibility to take on additional roles related to technical system development, testing, and operations to help where needed on network updates.
• Ability to communicate technical information to both technical and non-technical audiences via meetings, presentations, and written documentation.
• Ability to function in a start-up, fast-paced entrepreneurial environment.
• Proactive communicator with strong written and verbal skills.
• Excellent problem-solving skills involving complex and ambiguous issues.
• US Citizen, or Permanent Resident (Green Card), capable of receiving a FAA SF85P public trust

Desired Qualifications

• Networking certifications, i.e. CCNA, CCNP, JNCIA, etc.
• Experience administering centralized authentication services like Cisco ISE.
• Experience with network virtualization and containers is a plus.

About You

You are a self-starter. Sitting and waiting isn’t an option. You take the initiative to make things happen.

You are comfortable in multi-tasking. Managing and juggling priorities across tasks seems to come naturally in your everyday workload.  You have a sense of how to balance priorities and communicate clearly when overloaded for assistance/help.

You love solving problems. You enjoy digging into problems and finding the most efficient ways to solve them.  You have a passion for understanding issues and tackling them in a logical fashion.

You are collaborative. You're a team player who puts the interest of the team above your own. You display a positive attitude, are open and enjoy contributing.

You are a natural leader. No matter where you find yourself, others tend to gather around you, leading to encouragement and mentoring.

Technology is your passion. It doesn’t just provide a paycheck; you are genuinely interested in what you do and the impact that it has on others.

1-3-6-12 Month Plan

In the first month, we'll expect you to...

• Complete HR onboarding and new employee training with your manager.
• Get acclimated into the role and shadow Aireon Network Engineering staff.
• Gain familiarity with Aireon Engineering repositories in Confluence, Jira, SharePoint.

At 3 months, we'll expect you to...

• Understand Aireon’s operational system and network architecture.
• Review and understand Aireon Board Review processes (Technical Review Board, Configuration Change Board, Discrepancy Review Board, etc.) and required documentation.
• Take on assigned network engineering tasks and produce draft documents on updates to existing design documents as well as new documents when required.

At 6 months, we'll expect you to...

• Be the primary interface within Aireon Network Engineering (NE) to Security, Operations and Safety teams on weekly meetings that discuss Incidents and Risks (I.e., Risks, Issues and Opportunity Board)
• Participate in discussions with Aireon Engineering and Vendor SMEs on planned system level releases and communicate with the Security, Operational and Safety Team on potential network impacts.
• Take on new tasking with minimal management oversight.

At 12 months, we'll expect you to...

• Plan and execute improvements to existing network configurations utilizing design and test plans.
• Provide support and mentorship to junior network engineering and operational staff.
• Coordinate Internal and External SME responses to requests for close out of actions and findings for network changes/updates and issues as noted during operations.
• Support EASA and ANSP audits for engineering artifacts regarding network level issues.
• Represent Network Engineering within cross functional teams in supporting root cause analysis on incidents.
• Ensure that any new configuration update will continue to meet or exceed existing system or related network level performance requirements.
• Assist with the investigation of technical issues identified by operational or test events ranging from network performance, outages and impacts to system.

About the Team

The Aireon Network Engineering team is a small team working in a hybrid office environment, that collaborates closely across Security, Operations, Safety and Release activities. Each member of the Network Engineering team draws upon the strengths and skills across the group in both their individual as well as larger projects roles. Information sharing is encouraged as well as updating and maintaining shared document repositories in SharePoint and Confluence. The team currently meets on both a weekly and bi-weekly basis via MS Teams and video calls, with office or lab sessions scheduled as required. Local team members to the Aireon HQ location (McLean, VA) are also available for on-site meetings and activities associated with the Aireon Network Engineering group.

Perks and Benefits

• Premium medical, dental and vision plan

• Life Insurance and AD&D

• Short Term and Long Term Disability

• Health Savings Account (HSA)

• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)

• Retirement 401K plan with Employer Matching

• Education Assistance and Tuition Reimbursement

• Paid Time Off, Sick Leave, Floating Holidays

• Paid Parental Leave

• Company Sponsored Events

• Employee Referral Program

Aireon is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or status as a protected veteran. EOE of Minorities/Females/Vets/Disability and other protected categories.