Network Automation Engineer

Zachary Piper Solutions is seeking a Network Automation Engineer to support a long-term Federal network modernization program. The ideal candidate will have expertise in network automation and Federal compliance frameworks, with responsibilities including designing scalable automation solutions and collaborating with network architects.

Responsibilities:

• Design, develop, and maintain Ansible playbooks, roles, and collections to automate configuration and compliance for routers, switches, firewalls, and other network devices
• Create reusable automation frameworks for multi-vendor environments (Cisco, Juniper, Arista, Palo Alto, etc.)
• Build modular automation pipelines integrated with CI/CD tools (GitLab CI, Jenkins, GitHub Actions)
• Develop Python scripts and RESTful API integrations for custom automation and reporting workflows
• Collaborate with network architects to translate manual operations into automated workflows
• Implement Infrastructure-as-Code best practices for repeatable deployments and version-controlled configurations
• Integrate automation into change management, configuration management, and compliance enforcement systems
• Support large-scale configuration rollouts, template-based provisioning, and software image management
• Incorporate DISA STIG, DoD RMF, and Comply-to-Connect (C2C) standards into automation workflows
• Automate compliance verification and reporting against Federal cybersecurity policies
• Provide training, documentation, and code reviews for team adoption of automation practices

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field
• 3+ years of Cisco networking experience, with at least 3 years in a network automation role
• Strong understanding of TCP/IP, routing protocols (BGP, OSPF, EIGRP), VLANs, QoS, and ACLs
• Proficiency with Ansible, YAML, Jinja2, and Git
• Experience automating Cisco IOS-XE, NX-OS, ASA/FTD, and wireless controllers
• Familiarity with Python scripting for REST API integration and data manipulation
• Experience with CI/CD platforms (GitLab, Jenkins, GitHub Actions)
• Understanding of DoD networking standards, DISA STIGs, and RMF documentation requirements
• Ability to work collaboratively and communicate effectively
• Certifications: Cisco DevNet Professional, CCNP Enterprise or Security, Red Hat Ansible Automation
• Experience with Zero Trust and C2C-aligned automation
• Familiarity with SDN technologies (Cisco DNA Center, ACI, NSX)
• Experience with multi-domain integration: cloud networking (AWS, Azure), firewalls, NAC systems