Senior Lead Network Architect

Lumen is the trusted network for the AI‑powered world, connecting people, data, and applications through our expansive fiber network and connected ecosystem. We enable secure, high‑performance connectivity across cloud, edge, and AI workloads for enterprises, governments, and communities.

At Lumen, you’ll work on infrastructure customers rely on today and build for what’s next, where performance, security, and resilience matter.

This is a high accountability environment where bold ideas drive real innovation for our customers, partners, and industry. The work is challenging, expectations are clear, and trust is built into how we operate. If you’re ready to take ownership, deliver meaningful impact, and help shape the future of AI‑ready connectivity, join us today.

The Role

Join Lumen as a Senior Lead Network Architect and help transform our large-scale network infrastructure. You will design resilient, scalable architectures across Internet and MPLS core networks, VPN edge services, and Metro Ethernet technologies. You will also advance network automation, streaming telemetry, closed-loop assurance, and AI-enabled operations to improve service reliability, performance, security, and operational efficiency.

The Main Responsibilities

• Own the architecture and evolution of resilient, scalable Internet, MPLS core, VPN edge, and Metro Ethernet networks.
• Develop architecture standards and roadmaps for routing, switching, MPLS, multicast, carrier Ethernet, merchant-silicon platforms, optics, and high-speed interfaces.
• Design and govern network automation using model-driven interfaces, open APIs, infrastructure as code, reusable service models, automated testing.
• Design and develop streaming telemetry and observability solutions for network health, performance, capacity, service-level assurance, and compliance.
• Design and develop event-driven and closed-loop workflows for provisioning, validation, anomaly response, and remediation.
• Evaluate and apply AI-enabled capabilities for anomaly detection, predictive analytics, capacity forecasting, incident correlation, root-cause analysis, and guided operations.
• Lead proof-of-concepts, technical and economic evaluations, platform selection, and cross-functional architecture decisions.
• Provide technical leadership across IP, Optical/Transport, operations, security, data, and software engineering teams.

What We Look For in a Candidate

You must be a US Citizen or Permanent Resident/Green Card for consideration.

Education and Certifications

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, or a related discipline
• CCIE and/or JNCIE certifications are highly preferred

Experience

• 10+ years of architecture and engineering experience in large-scale carrier, web-scale, or service-provider networks.
• Deep expertise in IGP, BGP, MPLS, multicast, VPN, and traffic-engineering technologies, including IS-IS, OSPF, Segment Routing, MP-BGP, RSVP-TE, LDP, PIM, IGMP, M-LDP, Layer 3 VPNs, VPLS, and EVPN.
• Demonstrated experience designing and supporting large-scale routing infrastructures, including IGP domains exceeding 1,000 nodes and multi-tier route-reflection architectures.
• Strong knowledge of routing and switching platforms, merchant silicon, optics, SERDES, and MPLS forwarding and control-plane mechanisms.
• Experience with carrier-grade Metro Ethernet technologies and standards, including IEEE 802.3, OAM, QinQ, MEF service profiles, and MPLS-based scaling.
• Hands-on experience with production network automation and telemetry using Python, Ansible, NETCONF/YANG, RESTCONF, gNMI, gRPC, APIs, event-driven workflows, automated testing.
• Strong communication, influence, and negotiation skills, including experience supporting major capital decisions and multi-year vendor agreements.

Compensation

What to Expect Next

Requisition #: 344169

Life at Lumen

Life at Lumen is human and connected, even in a fast moving, AI‑focused organization. We set clear expectations and trust people to meet them. With real support and shared accountability, teams collaborate better, move faster, and deliver meaningful outcomes.

Our Lumen 8 behaviors guide how we interact, make decisions, and work together, shaping a culture built to perform and win.

To learn more about Life at Lumen and how we live the Lumen 8, please visit:

Background Screening

If you are selected for a position, there will be a background screen, which may include checks for criminal records and/or motor vehicle reports and/or drug screening, depending on the position requirements. For more information on these checks, please refer to the Post Offer section of our FAQ page . Job-related concerns identified during the background screening may disqualify you from the new position or your current role. Background results will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Equal Employment Opportunities

We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all persons regardless of race, color, ancestry, citizenship, national origin, religion, veteran status, disability, genetic characteristic or information, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, family status, pregnancy, or other legally protected status (collectively, “protected statuses”). We do not tolerate unlawful discrimination in any employment decisions, including recruiting, hiring, compensation, promotion, benefits, discipline, termination, job assignments or training.

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Disclaimer

The job responsibilities described above indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not intended to include a comprehensive inventory of all duties and responsibilities for this job. Job duties and responsibilities are subject to change based on evolving business needs and conditions.

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Please be advised that Lumen does not require any form of payment from job applicants during the recruitment process. All legitimate job openings will be posted on our official website or communicated through official company email addresses. If you encounter any job offers that request payment in exchange for employment at Lumen, they are not for employment with us, but may relate to another company with a similar name.