DDI Architect

NEEDED: DDI Architect (DNS / DHCP / IPAM) – NASA

About the Role

NASA seeks a seasonedDDI Architect to lead the architecture, design, engineering, and lifecycle management of enterprise-scaleDNS, DHCP, and IP Address Management (IPAM) services across Corporate and Mission networks. The role will drive secure, resilient name resolution aligned to federal requirements—includingNIST SP 800‑53 controls for secure name/address resolution (SC‑20, SC‑21),NIST SP 800‑81r3 DNS security guidance, andCISA encrypted/protective DNS mandates—and support NASA’s mission-critical DNS operations, which include participation as aRoot Server Operator (E‑root).

You will partner closely with Engineering, System Administration, and Operations teams.

Key Responsibilities:

Enterprise DDI Architecture & Compliance

• Design and maintain authoritative and recursive DNS architectures thatimplement NIST SP 800‑53 SC‑20 (authoritative) andSC‑21 (recursive/caching)—includingDNSSEC signing/validation and chain-of-trust with DS records.

• OperationalizeNIST SP 800‑81r3 guidance for secure DNS deployment (protective DNS, encrypted DNS protocols such as DoT/DoH/DoQ, logging/forensics, QNAME minimization) across enterprise DNS roles (authoritative servers, resolvers, zone administration).

• Ensure compliance withCISA’s Encrypted DNS Implementation Guidance and Zero Trust objectives, including routingegress resolution via CISA Protective DNS (PDNS) and blocking unauthorized external resolvers.

• Align withCISA Binding Operational Directives (BODs)—BOD 18‑01 (DMARC/HSTS/STARTTLS),BOD 22‑01 (KEV remediation timelines),BOD 23‑01 (asset visibility/vulnerability detection), andBOD 23‑02 (mitigate internet‑exposed management interfaces).

• DriveIPv6‑first strategy perOMB M‑21‑07 (native IPv6 for public services, IPv6‑only milestones) and maintain dual‑stack transition hygiene for DNS, DHCPv6, and IPAM.

Operations, Risk Reduction & Lifecycle Management

• Serve as technical lead for large‑scale DDI environments, overseeing secure configurations, automation, availability, and performance across centers.(Role scope mirrors enterprise‑class environments consistent with NASA’s operational scale.)

• Implement protective controls and monitoring to detect, log, and investigate DNS misuse; integrate with SIEM/SOAR forforensics and incident response per 800‑81r3.

• Maintain continuous vulnerability management aligned toCISA’s KEV catalog and reporting expectations; coordinate remediation timelines and control validation.

• Secure networkedmanagement interfaces (e.g., DNS appliance UI/API, DHCP consoles, IPAM admin) by removing public exposure or enforcingZero Trust policy enforcement points in accordance withBOD 23‑02.

• Govern DNS email‑related configurations (SPF/DKIM/DMARC) to meetBOD 18‑01 requirements and support NASA Email Architecture.

Root & .gov Domain Stewardship

• Participate in operations forE.root‑servers.org (E‑root) as applicable—supporting authoritative root zone service, anycast deployments, and adherence toRSSAC‑002 metrics and RSO coordination.

• Ensure.gov domain compliance (DNSSEC signing, secure delegation) per federal directives and NIST guidance.

IP Address Governance

• Administer top‑level allocations and growth planning forIPv4/IPv6, consistent withARIN policies and best practices (aggregation, RPKI, reverse DNS hygiene).

Automation & Modernization

• Evaluate and integrate DDI platform capabilities (e.g., encrypted DNS with PDNS, DNSSEC automation, DHCPv6 prefix delegation, IPAM APIs), and champion modernization aligned with Zero Trust and federal CDM initiatives.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree and 10+ years of experience, or an Associate's degree and 15+ years of experience designing and operating enterpriseDNS/DHCP/IPAM (DDI) services, with demonstrated authority in secure DNS architectures (DNSSEC, validating resolvers, signed zones, DS management).(Aligned to NIST SP 800‑53 SC‑20/SC‑21.)

• Hands‑on implementation ofNIST SP 800‑81r3 practices: protective DNS, encrypted DNS (DoT/DoH/DoQ), secure recursive resolvers, authoritative hardening, and comprehensive DNS logging/forensics.

• Practical experience meetingCISA’s Encrypted DNS Guidance andPDNS integration; ability toprevent unauthorized DNS traffic and enforce endpoint, cloud, and SASE/SSE DNS policies.

• Proven track record implementing federalBODs (18‑01, 22‑01, 23‑01, 23‑02) within large environments, including KEV‑driven patch prioritization and Zero Trust controls for management interfaces.

• IPv6 expertise: DNS over IPv6, DHCPv6, IPAM for IPv6, and strategic migration compliant withOMB M‑21‑07 milestones.

• Familiarity with.gov DNSSEC requirements and secure delegation processes for federal domains.

• Knowledge ofARIN policies (NRPM), address planning/aggregation, and registry hygiene (WHOIS/POC validation, RPKI, reverse DNS).

​Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supporting or coordinating withRoot Server Operators; familiarity withE‑root anycast operations andRSSAC‑002 metrics submissions.

• Prior leadership in environments withprotective DNS andencrypted DNS end‑to‑end (endpoint, internal resolvers, egress to PDNS, cloud).

• Demonstrated capability to manageDMARC/SPF/DKIM deployments at scale perBOD 18‑01 (including HSTS/HTTPS and STARTTLS hardening).

• Experience integrating DDI withasset discovery and vulnerability enumeration programs perBOD 23‑01; evidence of KEV remediation workflows.

• Strong understanding ofNIST SP 800‑53 Rev.5 broader control families (SC, SI, AU) and mapping to DNS/Network operations.

• Background withARIN IPv6 allocations, ASN operations, and address governance at federal scale.

Clearance requirements: 

• U.S. Citizenship is required.

• Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust.

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Original Posting:

For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above.

Pay Range:

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.