Senior Network Architect || Austin, TX (Onsite)

Senior Network Architect

Austin, TX (Onsite)

Phone + Video

Job Description:

We are seeking an experienced Senior Network Architect for an Onsite contract in Austin, TX .

Responsibilities:

The Senior Network Architect will serve as the technical authority for enterprise network architecture, providing strategic planning, solution design, governance, and technical leadership for a statewide network infrastructure supporting hundreds of locations, data centers, cloud environments, and mission-critical transportation systems.

This role develops and maintains enterprise network architecture standards, roadmaps, and reference designs that support business operations, security requirements, cloud adoption, and technology modernization initiatives.

Key duties include leading architecture and design efforts for campus, WAN, SD-WAN, wireless, cloud, security, and data center networking solutions; designing highly available, resilient, and secure network solutions; providing architecture review and approval for major network projects; and evaluating emerging technologies to support the long-term infrastructure strategy. The consultant will develop network modernization strategies and lifecycle management plans, collaborate with cybersecurity teams on Zero Trust, network segmentation, and security architecture, develop hybrid cloud networking architectures supporting Azure and future cloud initiatives, and lead network resiliency, business continuity, and disaster recovery planning.

The role also includes creating and maintaining architecture documentation, technical standards, network diagrams, and implementation guidance; reviewing technical proposals, vendor solutions, Statements of Work, and project deliverables; supporting network monitoring, observability, and automation initiatives; providing technical leadership and mentoring to network engineering, operations, and project teams; and partnering with executive leadership, business stakeholders, vendors, and project teams to align technical solutions with agency objectives.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 10+ years of experience in enterprise network architecture and design
• 10+ years of experience as a Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE)
• 10+ years of experience with Cisco routing and switching technologies
• 8+ years of experience supporting State/Federal government networks
• 8+ years of experience with BGP, OSPF, MPLS, WAN, and data center networking
• 7+ years of experience in network security architecture and firewall design
• 5+ years of experience in SD-WAN architecture and deployment
• 5+ years of experience with Cisco ISE or Network Access Control solutions
• 5+ years of experience with cloud networking and hybrid connectivity solutions
• 5+ years of experience on large-scale enterprise network modernization projects
• 5+ years of experience in technical leadership and architecture governance
• 3+ years of experience with network automation and infrastructure-as-code concepts

Preferred Qualifications:

• 5+ years of previous experience in disaster recovery and business continuity planning
• 5+ years of previous experience in public sector or large enterprise network environments
• 5+ years of previous experience with Thousand Eyes, SolarWinds, or enterprise monitoring platforms
• 3+ years of previous experience with Cisco ACI architecture
• 3+ years of previous experience in vendor management and technical SOW development
• 2+ years of previous experience with Infoblox DDI/IPAM
• 2+ years of previous experience with Zero Trust architecture and segmentation strategies