IT Networking Director

Job Description
You don't see it, but it's there. Our employees work on the world's most advanced electronics - from saving emissions in the City of Lights to powering the Mars Rover to protecting the F35 fighter jet. At Electronic Systems, you'll be among the brightest minds, working on the aerospace and defense industry's most difficult problems. Drawing strength from our differences, we're innovating for the future. And you can, too. Our flexible work environment provides you a chance to change the world without giving up your personal life. We put our customers first - exemplified by our missions: "We Protect Those Who Protect Us®" and "We Innovate For Those Who Move The World TM." Sound like a team you want to be a part of? Come build your career with BAE Systems.
SecureIT is the dedicated IT and cybersecurity organization for BAE Systems' Aerospace & Mission Systems (AMS) segment - the team that keeps some of the nation's most sensitive missions connected. We operate ~300 classified and closed-area networks serving 15,000 users across four segment-managed enterprise environments, and we're investing heavily in modernizing how that infrastructure is built, automated, and run.
We're looking for a Director of Networking to lead that charge. This is a true leadership role: you'll own the vision, strategy, and talent development for our networking organization, and stand as a technical peer to our Platform Engineering group as they build out cloud-native internal networking. If you've built great networking teams before - and you still love the deep technical work across Cisco and Juniper environments - this role gives you both.
What You'll Own• Team leadership and growth. Lead, develop, and retain a team of networking professionals. Build the bench: define career paths, grow future leaders, and raise the team's skills into automation, infrastructure-as-code, and cloud-native networking so networking leads modernization rather than follows it.• Networking vision and strategy. Set the multi-year technical direction for network architecture, standards, and lifecycle across 300+ classified networks - moving us from manual operations toward automated, software-defined, network-as-code practices (Ansible Automation Platform and related tooling).• Platform Engineering partnership. Co-own the connectivity architecture with our Platform Engineering group as they build cloud-native services, setting the networking standards their platforms are built on, and bringing deep expertise in overlay networks, container/Kubernetes networking, and hybrid connectivity between traditional and private-cloud environments.• Operational excellence. Own the reliability, security, and compliance posture of networking across closed areas and enterprise environments. Act as the senior escalation point for the most complex incidents, and drive root-cause fixes rather than repeat firefighting.• Executive engagement. Partner with senior IT and Security leadership on investment decisions, modernization roadmaps, and compliance strategy. Represent networking in enterprise architecture and governance forums.
Why This Role• Scale and stakes. Few networking leadership roles offer this combination: hundreds of classified networks, national-security missions across BAE Systems' aerospace and defense portfolio, and a mandate to modernize.• A real seat at the table. You'll be one of the senior leaders in the Infrastructure & Operations organization, with direct influence on enterprise strategy - not a caretaker role.• Investment, not maintenance. We're actively funding automation, private-cloud, and platform engineering initiatives. Your team is central to all of them.
Required Education, Experience, & Skills

• 12+ years of progressive IT/networking experience, including 4+ years leading teams of networking professionals
• CompTIA Security+ (or equivalent certification), or completed within two months of hire
• Deep hands-on expertise with Cisco and Juniper enterprise networking (routing, switching, firewalls, network security)
• 5+ years supporting classified or closed-area networking environments
• Working knowledge of network automation practices (Ansible, scripting, infrastructure-as-code) and a vision for where they take a networking organization
• Familiarity with cloud-native networking concepts (SDN, overlay networks, container networking) or strong motivation to lead in that space
• A track record of developing engineers and empowering teams to make decisions at the right level while retaining accountability
• Executive-level communication skills - you can brief a VP and whiteboard with an engineer in the same afternoon
• Active Secret clearance with ability to obtain Top Secret
• Availability for occasional off-hours incident response

Preferred Education, Experience, & Skills

• Master's degree in Information Technology Management, or similar discipline
• Experience and expertise with Juniper networking equipment
• Physical ability to lift up to 40 lbs. and work in standing or kneeling positions while installing or connecting computing equipment

Pay Information
Full-Time Salary Range: $153377 - $260743
Please note: This range is based on our market pay structures. However, individual salaries are determined by a variety of factors including, but not limited to: business considerations, local market conditions, and internal equity, as well as candidate qualifications, such as skills, education, and experience.
Employee Benefits: At BAE Systems, we support our employees in all aspects of their life, including their health and financial well-being. Regular employees scheduled to work 20+ hours per week are offered: health, dental, and vision insurance; health savings accounts; a 401(k) savings plan; disability coverage; and life and accident insurance. We also have an employee assistance program, a legal plan, and other perks including discounts on things like home, auto, and pet insurance. Our leave programs include paid time off, paid holidays, as well as other types of leave, including paid parental, military, bereavement, and any applicable federal and state sick leave. Employees may participate in the company recognition program to receive monetary or non-monetary recognition awards. Other incentives may be available based on position level and/or job specifics.
About BAE Systems Electronic Systems
BAE Systems, Inc. is a defense, aerospace, and security company headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, with more than 40,000 employees worldwide. We serve, supply, and protect those who protect us. As one of the most geographically diverse international defense companies, we deliver a full range of products and services spanning air, land, maritime, space, and cyber, including advanced electronics, intelligence solutions, and dedicated customer support.
Our culture is performance-driven and values-led, built on curiosity, creativity, and collaboration. Purpose isn't a tagline here. It's what drives us. We're developing breakthrough technologies that defend national security and make a lasting impact on our communities and our planet. When you join BAE Systems, you're not just building a career. You're contributing to a mission that truly matters.
This position will be posted for at least 5 calendar days. The posting will remain active until the position is filled, or a qualified pool of candidates is identified.