Senior Architect

Senior Cisco Architect | Squadra Solutions Washington, D.C. Metro About Squadra Solutions Squadra Solutions is an engineering-led cybersecurity and network infrastructure firm serving higher education institutions, SLED clients, and large enterprise organizations. We are a certified minority-owned small business generating $57M+ in annual revenue with a lean, practitioner-led team. On every engagement, we deploy senior architects and engineers — not account managers with technical support behind them. Our clients include major research universities and large institutions operating complex, high-expectation IT environments. We are growing, and the pipeline ahead demands senior technical talent that can own work end-to-end. The Role We are hiring a Senior Architect to lead network and wireless architecture on flagship client engagements. This is the highest-level technical practitioner seat on Squadra's engineering team — a senior individual contributor role, not a management track. You will own solution design from initial discovery through HLD/LLD delivery, validation, cutover, and knowledge transfer. Bill of materials design and validation is a core expectation. You will work directly in Cisco Commerce Workspace and the Cisco Partner Portal. You will be hands-on keyboard throughout delivery. The primary initial engagement is a large-scale higher education network refresh program (Phase 2) at a flagship university in Washington, D.C. Pipeline demand is expanding across higher education and SLED accounts. If you hold CCIE-level credentials, carry an active CMSS, have deployed large-scale wireless across complex campuses, and can own the room in a briefing with a university CIO or IT director, this role is built for you. This is not a role for paper architects. We do not hire candidates whose experience is limited to design-only, theoretical, or certification-track work. Every architect at Squadra is hands-on keyboard in production environments, directly accountable to clients, and expected to deploy, validate, troubleshoot, and hand off real infrastructure. What You Will Do Architect and deliver end-to-end network and wireless solutions across campus and multi-building environments in direct client-facing engagements Lead HLD and LLD production independently, owning documentation from first draft through client sign-off Design and deploy Cisco Catalyst 9300X/9500 switching environments including StackWise, VSS, and 25G uplinks Build and manage cloud-managed wireless deployments (Meraki dashboard, Catalyst CW9176I/CW9163E, Wi‑Fi 6E/Wi‑Fi 7) at scale Operate Cisco Catalyst Center and ThousandEyes for assurance, visibility, and end-to-end path monitoring Design and validate BoMs using Cisco Commerce Workspace (CCW) and the Cisco Partner Portal Serve as primary technical point of contact in client architecture reviews, design workshops, and executive briefings Interface directly with CIOs, IT directors, and facilities stakeholders from discovery through closeout Mentor junior engineers on delivery teams Support pre-sales architecture engagements including scoping, BoM development, and solution validation Required Qualifications 10+ years of enterprise network and wireless architecture experience in complex, multi-site environments Hands‑on professional services, consulting, or implementation delivery experience is required. Candidates with design‑only, theoretical, or certification‑track backgrounds without real deployment history will not be considered Customer‑facing delivery experience is required. You must have worked directly with enterprise clients in project delivery or professional services engagements — not purely in internal IT roles Demonstrated track record of deploying, implementing, and troubleshooting network and wireless infrastructure in live enterprise environments Certifications alone do not qualify — CCIE and CCNP credentials must be backed by verifiable hands‑on production deployment history CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure — active certification required at time of hire Cisco Meraki Solutions Specialist (CMSS) — active certification required at time of hire CCNP Enterprise and CCNP Security — active, at advanced practitioner level CWDP (Certified Wireless Design Professional) with demonstrated Ekahau proficiency Hands‑on experience with Cisco Catalyst Center and Meraki across production deployments Deep fluency in BGP, OSPF, MPLS, SD‑WAN, VSS, and advanced L2/L3 redundancy design Experience delivering network architecture to higher education institutions or large enterprise campus environments Ability to produce client‑ready HLD/LLD independently, with full ownership of validation, configuration management, and knowledge transfer Preferred Qualifications CWNE (Certified Wireless Network Expert) CWNA and CWSP certifications Prior experience delivering through Cisco Professional Services or Cisco Advanced Services; VAR and systems integrator professional services backgrounds are also welcomed Experience supporting Cisco partner engagements and working within partner delivery frameworks Compensation and Benefits Compensation is structured at the senior end of Squadra's engineering band and reflects the CCIE-level credential and client‑facing accountability the role requires. Specific ranges are discussed during the interview process. FTE candidates receive base salary, performance‑based incentive tied to delivery and client satisfaction, medical/dental/vision, 401(k) with company match, and a professional development budget covering certification maintenance and training. Why Squadra You will work on technically complex, high‑visibility engagements — not commodity rollouts. This is a founder‑led company where senior engineers have direct input on how the practice evolves. Your CCIE, CMSS, and wireless expertise are not window dressing here — they drive how we win and deliver work. To apply, contact Squadra Solutions Talent Acquisition directly. Squadra Solutions is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are a minority‑owned business and actively support diverse, inclusive hiring. #J-18808-Ljbffr