Network & DNS Infrastructure Architect

DNS / DDI ArchitectDNS Role (Architect / Strategic)Short-term: stabilize environment following recent outage.Medium-term: improve monitoring, telemetry, automation practices.Long-term: drive DNS future state; evaluate potential new products/projects.Evaluate and recommend improvements; provide oversight, guidance, and governance.Deep DNS knowledge required (RFCs, BIND, DDI), platform knowledge (Blue Cat, Infoblox) preferred but not required.Not focused on day-to-day configuration, but hands-on may be needed for complex production issues.Expected first 90 days: learn Vanguard environment, technologies, layout; identify and begin implementing improvements.Skills & ExperienceDNS: deep expertise in DDI, RFCs, BIND; platform flexibility (Blue Cat or Infoblox).Enterprise-level architecture experience desired.Ability to provide guidance and evaluate improvements across large-scale, complex environments.Strategic, governance-oriented perspective, not purely operational.Environment & ContextVanguard IT is transforming from a small IT shop to an enterprise organization.Complexity: environment rated ~8.5–9/10 for onboarding and architecture considerations.Outage and past underinvestment drive need for strategic oversight.Governance: architecture review board involvement depends on scope of changes; smaller changes may not require board approval.Metrics: no formal DNS uptime/resiliency targets; standard goals for all team members apply.Key Focus AreasStabilization of DNS post-outage.Monitoring, automation, and best practices implementation.Evaluation and strategic roadmap for DNSCross-training and enterprise architecture alignment.Mentorship and guidance for existing engineers and contractors.Core ResponsibilitiesShort-term:Stabilize the DNS environment post-outage.Apply DNS best practices (monitoring, telemetry, automation, resiliency).Long-term:Define the future-state DNS architecture.Evaluate whether to expand functionality or consider alternative vendors/platforms.Provide architectural guidance and governance-level input rather than just execution.Technical RequirementsDeep expertise in DDI fundamentals (DNS, RFCs, BIND-level knowledge).Strong enterprise architecture experience; platform-agnostic mindset.BlueCat experience is a plus, but not required.Infoblox backgrounds are acceptable, with the expectation that BlueCat can be learned.Familiarity with:DNSBlueCatAkamai (limited internal depth today; opportunity to add value here)Enterprise-scale, high-complexity environments (Vanguard described as ~9–9.5/10 in onboarding complexity).Role Scope / ExpectationsNot just a platform SME; expected to design, evaluate, and influence enterprise standards.Some hands-on work may be required during major incidents, but day-to-day is more strategic.No explicit uptime or resiliency metrics were defined, beyond standard organizational goals.PriorityThis is the top priority role, ahead of other open listings.Hiring & Interview LogisticsHiring ModelAll candidates must be hireable as contract or contract-to-hire.Contract onboarding is significantly faster (typically a few weeks once an offer is made).Interview Process (Typical Flow)Initial screening by Andrew (culture fit, relevant experience).Technical interview with the team.Final interviews with Neil and Bill.There is discussion about potentially compressing this to two steps, depending on standardization efforts.Locations:1041 West Valley Road Wayne, Pennsylvania 190877900 Windrose Ave Plano, Texas 750242525 Water Ridge Pkwy, Charlotte, NC 28217 Apex Systems