Senior Network Architect

We are looking for an experienced Senior Network Architect to provide technical and strategic leadership for a large and complex enterprise network environment. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience designing, assessing, and modernizing enterprise network infrastructures. This individual will work closely with engineering teams, business stakeholders, leadership, and technology vendors to define network standards, evaluate new technologies, develop modernization strategies, and guide key architectural decisions. This role requires someone who can balance hands-on technical expertise with strategic thinking and comfortably communicate with both technical teams and executive leadership. Key Responsibilities Network Architecture & Strategic Planning Design and define scalable, secure, resilient, and high-performing enterprise network architectures. Establish and maintain network architecture principles, design standards, configuration guidelines, and best practices. Translate business and technical requirements into practical and sustainable network solutions. Provide architectural guidance across LAN, WAN, wireless, network security, and cloud-connected networking environments. Develop governance and architectural frameworks to ensure consistency across distributed enterprise networks. Provide technical direction and oversight to network engineering and implementation teams. Network Assessment & Modernization Evaluate existing network environments to identify technical gaps, risks, performance issues, and opportunities for improvement. Develop network modernization strategies and long-term technology roadmaps. Research and evaluate emerging networking technologies and determine their value to the organization. Support large-scale network transformation, migration, and infrastructure modernization initiatives. Recommend improvements that enhance network scalability, availability, security, and operational efficiency. Lead or contribute to the development and evaluation of RFPs for network technologies and services. Assess vendor solutions and proposals from technical, architectural, operational, and business perspectives. Compare technologies and provide clear recommendations based on organizational requirements. Work closely with technology vendors and suppliers throughout evaluation, selection, and implementation. Present technology strategies, recommendations, risks, and architectural considerations to senior and executive leadership. Network Standards & Governance Develop and maintain enterprise network standards, technical guidelines, and implementation practices. Establish governance processes to ensure network solutions follow architectural standards and best practices. Ensure network designs meet requirements related to security, scalability, resiliency, availability, and operational support. Review proposed network solutions and provide architectural approval and guidance where required. Complex Problem Resolution Provide senior-level architectural support for complex and escalated network issues. Lead or support root cause analysis for major incidents and recurring network problems. Work with engineering and operations teams to identify long-term solutions rather than temporary fixes. Improve overall network reliability, performance, resiliency, and operational stability. Identify opportunities to improve network operations through automation, analytics, and AI-enabled technologies. Support automation of network configuration, monitoring, troubleshooting, and operational processes. Evaluate and recommend tools such as Ansible, Terraform, Cisco ThousandEyes, and similar automation or analytics platforms. Promote the adoption of modern technologies that improve implementation quality and operational efficiency. Technical Environment The Senior Network Architect should have strong experience across multiple areas of enterprise networking, including: LAN & Campus Networking Enterprise routing and switching WAN & Connectivity MPLS WAN redundancy and diversity High-availability and resilient network designs Wireless Networking Manufacturing and industrial wireless deployments Network Security Zscaler Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Zscaler Internet Access (ZIA) Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) Additional Technologies Network automation and analytics platforms Cloud-connected and cloud-adjacent networking services Experience with equivalent enterprise networking technologies and platforms will also be considered. Required Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Electrical Engineering, or a related field. 10+ years of progressive experience in enterprise network engineering and/or network architecture. Strong technical knowledge across LAN, WAN, wireless, network security, and cloud-connected networking environments. Demonstrated ability to design secure, scalable, highly available, and resilient network solutions. Experience developing enterprise network architecture standards, design principles, and technical guidelines. Experience participating in or leading RFP and technology evaluation processes. Ability to assess and compare technology solutions and provide well-supported recommendations. Experience presenting technical strategies and recommendations to senior leadership and executive stakeholders. Strong communication skills with the ability to work effectively with both technical and non-technical teams. Experience working with and managing relationships with technology vendors and external suppliers. Ability to provide architectural leadership and technical guidance to engineering and operations teams. Preferred Qualifications Experience working in large, distributed enterprise or manufacturing environments. Strong experience with Cisco ACI, Cisco SDA, MPLS, Palo Alto Networks, and Zscaler. Knowledge of network automation, AI-enabled networking, and analytics platforms. Experience with technologies such as Ansible, Terraform, Cisco ThousandEyes, or similar tools. Hands-on experience supporting enterprise network transformation or large-scale migration projects. Experience developing long-term network modernization strategies and technology roadmaps. Advanced networking or security certifications such as CCIE, CCNP, PCNSE, or equivalent certifications. Ideal Candidate The ideal candidate is a senior-level network professional with a strong combination of hands-on technical expertise, enterprise architecture experience, and strategic leadership skills. They should be comfortable working across Cisco enterprise networking, WAN, wireless, Palo Alto firewalls, Zscaler, SASE, network security, resiliency, and enterprise-scale infrastructure. In addition to technical expertise, the successful candidate should have experience leading technology assessments, evaluating vendors, supporting RFP processes, developing modernization roadmaps, and communicating recommendations to executive leadership. This position is best suited for someone who can move seamlessly between high-level architecture and strategy, vendor and stakeholder management, executive discussions, and detailed technical collaboration with network engineering and operations teams. #J-18808-Ljbffr Apt