Network Systems Officer - Entry to Mid Level (Maryland) Job in Fort Meade, MD

Vacancy No. 1261957 Department National Security Agency/Central Security Service
Salary $87,362.00 to $153,082.00 Grade 7 to 12
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 8/24/2026 Close Date 9/1/2026
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Fort Meade, MD


Network Systems Officer - Entry to Mid Level (Maryland)

Department of Defense
National Security Agency/Central Security Service

Summary

The National Security Agency is seeking results driven individuals that strive for excellence, enjoy the challenges of a fast paced environment and the desire to make a difference. We are looking for talented networking professionals to design, develop, deploy, sustain and monitor state-of-the-art network solutions (WAN, CAN, LAN, DCN and Satellite communications networks) that are deployed across NSA worldwide.

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Federal employees - Competitive service

Current federal employees whose agencies follow the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's hiring rules and pay scales.

Veterans

Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces or a spouse, widow, widower or parent of a veteran, who may be eligible for derived preference

Military spouses

Military spouses of active duty service members or whose spouse is 100 percent disabled or died on active duty.

Duties

Network Professionals are hired into positions directly supporting a technical mission office.

We are hiring networking professionals with education and/or experience in several of the following areas:

- Multi-vendor infrastructure platforms (i.e., Cisco, Brocade, Juniper, Arista).
- Network encryption devices and WAN accelerators.
- Multi-vendor Layer 3 routing protocols (i.e., BGP, OSFP, EIGRP, IGRP, HSRP, VRRP).
- Virtual Private Networking (i.e., MPLS, GRE, L2VPN, EVPN, Pseudowire, IPsec, MACSEC).
- Data center architectures and converged networks.
- Current networking trends, including commercial implementations of Software Defined Networks (SDN) for both Data Center Network and WAN applications.
- Load balancing and Application Delivery Controller technologies and implementations.
- WAN architectures (i.e., Carrier Ethernet, Optical Fabrics (OTN), SONET).
- Network monitoring tools (i.e., NetFlow Tracker, HP Network Node Manager, Cisco LMS, Cisco Call Manager, Wireshark, and Splunk).
- Network Modeling (RiverBed/OPNet, NetSim).
- Network Boundary (Next Generation Firewalls (Palo Alto, Cisco FIREPOWER), IPSEC/SSL VPN Concentrators).
- Cross Domain Solutions (SafeNet MDeX System, OWL Cyber Defense Cross Domain Solutions).
- Technical certifications (e.g., CCNA, CCNP, SEC+).

Requirements

Conditions of employment

  • All applicants and employees are subject to random drug testing in accordance with Executive Order 12564.

Qualifications

Relevant experience must include one or more of the following areas: network or system administration; computer or information systems design/development/installation, programming; information analysis, cyber analysis, network security analysis, or vulnerability analysis; penetration testing; computer forensics; information assurance; systems engineering; using specialized test equipment and network analysis tools (for example, ping trace-route, network management software, and loopbacks); developing, designing, or integrating technical systems or subsystems; applying international telecommunication standards and protocols (for example, DWDM, VOIP, Layer 2/3 VPN, ISDN, SONET, or TCP/IP).

Experience may also include network engineering (i.e., design/analysis of networks, routers, switches, firewalls, protocol); installing and configuring networks, routers, and firewalls; managing IT projects; or collaborating across organizations or agencies.

If not credited toward education requirement, completion of military training in a relevant area such as JCAC (Joint Cyber Analysis course), Undergraduate Cyber Training (UCT), Network Warfare Bridge Course (NWBC)/ Intermediate Network Warfare Training (INWT), Cyber Defense Operations will be considered towards the relevant experience requirement (i.e., 20-24 weeks course will count as 6 months of experience, 10-14 weeks will count as 3 months of experience).

Relevant certifications can count for up to one total year of experience (e.g., Security+ Certification, CISCO Certified Network Associate, Network+, Certified Information Systems Security Professional).

ENTRY/DEVELOPMENTAL
Entry is with an Associate's degree plus 2 years of relevant experience; or at least 18 semester hours of military coursework/training plus 2 years of relevant experience; or a Bachelor's degree and no experience.

FULL PERFORMANCE
Entry is with an Associate's degree plus 5 years of relevant experience; or at least 18 semester hours of military coursework/training plus 5 years of relevant experience; or a Bachelor's degree plus 3 years of relevant experience; or a Master's degree plus 1 year of relevant experience; or a Doctoral degree and no experience.

The qualifications listed are the minimum acceptable to be considered for the position.

Education

Degree must be in Network Engineering, Systems Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology or related field (for example, General Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Forensics, Cyber Security, Software Engineering, Information Assurance, or Computer Security).

Military training/coursework must be in networking, computer science, information technology, engineering, or cyber topics.

Additional information

Pay: Salary offers are based on candidates' education level and years of experience relevant to the position and also take into account information provided by the hiring manager/organization regarding the work level for the position.

Salary Range: $87,362 - $153,082 (Entry/Developmental, Full Performance)
Salary range varies by location, work level, and relevant experience to the position.

Training will be provided based on the selectee's needs and experience.

Benefits: NSA offers a comprehensive benefits package.

Work Schedule: This is a full-time position, Monday - Friday, with basic 8hr/day work requirement between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. (flexible).

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

The ideal candidate is someone with excellent problem-solving, communication and interpersonal skills who is/can be:

- Motivated
- Flexible
- Innovative
- Work effectively in different environments
- Well-organized
- Handle multiple assignments

Other desired skills and certifications:

- Network Security
- Network Routing and/or Switching
- Risk Management Framework (RMF)
- Certification (CCNA, CCNP, CCNA Security, CISSP, ISSP)
- Computer Security
- Threat analysis
- Cybersecurity

Required Documents

The National Security Agency (NSA) is part of the DoD Intelligence Community Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS). All positions in the NSA are in the Excepted Services under 10 United States Codes (USC) 1601 appointment authority. DoD Components with DCIPS positions apply Veterans' Preference to eligible candidates as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 USC, in accordance with the procedures provided in DoD Instruction 1400.25, Volume 2005, DCIPS Employment and Placement. If you are a veteran claiming veterans' preference, as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 U.S.C., you may be asked to submit documents verifying your eligibility.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

National Security Agency/Central Security Service

Agency contact information

NSA POC

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