Network Engineer

NRAO Headquarters, 520 Edgemont Rd, CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia, United States of America

Posted Friday, February 27, 2026 at 5:00 AM | Expires Saturday, April 18, 2026 at 3:59 AM

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is an exciting and prestigious research facility that plays a vital role in the study of the universe. The Observatory operates a variety of radio telescopes that span the globe, including the famous Very Large Array (VLA) in New Mexico, the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia, and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile.

These telescopes are among the most advanced in the world, allowing astronomers to explore the universe in unprecedented detail.

The National NRAO is seeking a forward‑thinking Network Engineer to join the Observatory’s Network Services Team at our office in Charlottesville, VA.

As a member of the Network Services Team, you will be responsible for:

• Participate in cross training the network support personnel at all the sites to foster collaboration, enhance skill sets and promote knowledge sharing.
• Design processes to maximize network performance by monitoring, troubleshooting network problems, and managing the timely resolution of outages.
• Monitor, measure and improve performance and resilience of the operations communications environment to support the observatory’s science and business needs.
• Collaborate with system architects on network optimization and provide a high‑level network architecture with a view to improving network segmentation and access control.
• Report network operational status and utilization monthly for access by stakeholders.
• In conjunction with the NRAO Cybersecurity Officer, secure network systems by establishing and enforcing policies, and then monitoring access.
• Establish processes to upgrade data network equipment to current stable firmware releases, configure routing and switching equipment, and firewalls.
• Assess and recommend mitigation for network‑based items in a risk register.

Reporting to the Network Services Team Manager, this position plays a critical leadership role in the NRAO’s IT universe. The Network Services Team is responsible for providing the networks that support scientific operations across our distributed facilities, including major observatories, remote antenna sites, multiple data centers, and hybrid cloud systems, as well as support for incoming large‑scale projects.

Work is mission driven, team oriented and typically performed in an office setting within a research or development environment. Ability to safely lift 40lbs on a regular basis.

• You have a bachelor's degree in a related field.
• You have five years or more of Network experience.
• Service‑focused approach to understanding and serving the needs of the end user.
• Strong teamwork skills and the ability to feel comfortable working with geographically distributed and international teams.
• You have Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• You have experience modernizing a large‑scale network environment.

Observatory employees must be authorized to work in the United States. The Observatory presently cannot sponsor H‑1B visas for this position.

Associated Universities Inc. (AUI) offers a comprehensive total rewards package for this position, subject to eligibility requirements. We are committed to serving our employees and their families with an extensive and competitive compensation and benefits package that supports our employees’ overall well‑being and career growth.

AUI strives to attract and retain dedicated, highly qualified, competent, and motivated employees by offering competitive compensation and recognition for performance.

Factors which may affect starting pay may include; education, experience, skills, competencies, other qualifications of the successful candidate, as well as internal equity and labor market conditions.

AUI’s benefits package addresses the needs of employees and their families with most benefits beginning on the first day of employment. AUI provides excellent paid time off (13…