Principal Network Engineer, Catalyst

Principal Network Engineer, Catalyst Orbis Operations United States, Virginia, McLean 6849 Old Dominion Drive (Show on map) May 05, 2026 Orbis is seeking a Principal Network Engineer to set architectural vision across Catalyst - our secure, multi-cluster service mesh platform - and define how teams within the domain build and ship. You will serve as the senior escalation point for architectural decisions spanning the event-driven control plane, proxy data plane, policy-as-code authorization, and multi-cluster federation layers. This is a role for someone who shapes how an organization approaches multi-cluster federation, Zero Trust enforcement, and the evolution of internet-routing-inspired service mesh architectures. Key Responsibilities Set architectural vision across the Catalyst platform domain; serve as the senior technical escalation point for any architectural question
Define platform standards, governance, and the operational philosophy for distributed mesh deployments across cloud, on-premise, and edge
Evaluate and evolve the platform's security architecture: PKI trust models, policy-as-code design patterns, Zero Trust enforcement, and post-quantum encryption strategy
Design and evaluate multi-cluster federation topologies: peer routing, convergence behavior, and scalability tradeoffs
Define the technical knowledge bar that platform engineers must meet; set fluency expectations across networking, transport, authorization, and orchestration domains
Partner with research and product leadership to align architecture evolution with mission needs, threat models, and emerging protocol standards
Grow architects and senior engineers through deliberate coaching; shape team structure and composition in partnership with leadership Required Qualifications 10+ years of experience with domain-level influence over how distributed systems, networking platforms, or security infrastructure are built, shipped, and evolved
Authoritative understanding of a complete service mesh architecture across management and data planes, all subsystems, and their interactions - sufficient to serve as the final technical escalation point
Deep expertise in multi-cluster federation design: peer topology, route propagation, loop prevention, convergence behavior, and the tradeoffs between full-mesh and hierarchical architectures
Ability to evaluate and evolve a platform's security architecture: operator-managed PKI trust models, policy-as-code design patterns (Cedar, OPA, or equivalent), Zero Trust enforcement, and mTLS identity / policy evaluation interaction
Experience with post-quantum encryption strategies (Kyber/ML-KEM, PQ-TLS) and protocol evolution planning for long-lived infrastructure
Defines operational philosophy and reliability culture for distributed platform deployments; establishes platform-level SLOs across cloud, edge, and contested environments Preferred Qualifications Has defined how teams within a platform domain build products - career development, processes, and cultural norms around craft
Track record of leading hiring for senior, staff, and architect-level infrastructure or platform roles
Experience advising leadership on platform capability investments and risk tradeoffs with measurable organizational impact
Deep background in national security, intelligence, or defense environments with direct influence on mission-critical platform delivery
Willingness to travel 10-20% for customer engagement, architecture reviews, or strategic planning Physical Requirements Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
Routine video conference and/or in-person meetings.
Up to 10-20% domestic and international travel required Orbis Operations is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, marital status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Orbis Operations is committed to creating an inclusive and diverse workplace where all employees are valued and respected. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals, including those from underrepresented groups. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Orbis Operations will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities throughout the application and employment process. If you require an accommodation, please contact us at hr@orbisops.com.