Network Architect (Enterprise & Cloud Infrastructure)

Position Title: Network Architect (Enterprise & Cloud Infrastructure)
Location: San Jose, CA

About The AES Group

For over 20 years, The AES Group has been a trusted technology staffing and services partner to some of the world's most innovative enterprises. We bring businesses and talent together to deliver impactful cloud, data, AI and digital solutions that transform organizations and create lasting value.

At AES, we believe partnerships are the cornerstone of sustainable growth. By forging strategic alliances with IT staffing firms, MSPs and government prime contractors, we amplify our reach, deliver greater value to clients and accelerate innovation. Our success is built on collaboration, trust and a shared commitment to solving complex workforce challenges together.

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced and strategic Network Architect to design, optimize, and maintain our global network infrastructure. In this role, you will lead the architecture and implementation of enterprise-grade local and wide-area networks, hybrid cloud connectivity, security architectures, and disaster recovery strategies. You will work closely with cross-functional engineering, cloud, and operations teams to deliver high-performing, resilient, and secure network solutions tailored for enterprise client requirements.

Key Responsibilities

1. Architectural Strategy & Network Design

• Design and implement scalable, high-availability, and low-latency enterprise network architectures (LAN, WAN, WLAN, Data Center, and Hybrid Cloud).
• Define long-term networking roadmaps, capacity planning strategies, and technology standards across physical and virtual environments.
• Architect secure interconnectivity between on-premises data centers and cloud service providers (AWS, Azure, GCP) using DirectConnect, ExpressRoute, and VPN tunnels.

2. Network Operations & Routing

• Lead complex routing and switching designs utilizing core protocols, including BGP, OSPF, EIGRP, STP, and VXLAN.
• Oversee SD-WAN (Software-Defined Wide Area Networking) deployments, traffic optimization, and edge routing strategies.
• Optimize load-balancing architectures using F5 BIG-IP, AWS ELB/ALB, or Citrix ADC for traffic distribution and application delivery.

3. Network Security & Compliance

• Define and enforce network perimeter security policies, micro-segmentation, and Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA).
• Configure and architect Next-Generation Firewalls (Palo Alto, Fortinet, Cisco ASA/Firepower) and Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS/IDS).
• Collaborate with security teams to align network infrastructure with enterprise security compliance and auditing frameworks.

4. High Availability & Disaster Recovery

• Architect resilient network redundancy models to ensure continuous business continuity and low RPO/RTO targets.
• Participate in disaster recovery (DR) planning, network failover testing, and automated traffic rerouting.

5. Automation, Monitoring & Performance Optimization

• Drive network automation initiatives using Python , Ansible , and Terraform to streamline provisioning and configuration management.
• Implement robust observability frameworks using tools like NetFlow, SolarWinds, Wireshark, Splunk, Datadog, or ThousandEyes.
• Perform complex network troubleshooting, performance tuning, and root cause analysis (RCA) for high-priority infrastructure issues.

Required Technical Skills & Qualifications

• Core Networking: TCP/IP, BGP, OSPF, MPLS, SD-WAN, VXLAN, VLANs, L2/L3 Switching, QoS, DNS/DHCP.
• Hardware & Vendors: Cisco (Catalyst, Nexus), Palo Alto, Arista, Fortinet, F5 Networks.
• Cloud & Hybrid Networking: AWS VPC, DirectConnect, Transit Gateway, Azure ExpressRoute, Virtual WAN.
• Security: NGFW, IPsec VPN, SSL/TLS, Zero Trust, NAT, NAC (Cisco ISE / ClearPass).
• Automation & Scripting: Python, Ansible, Terraform, Bash.
• Monitoring & Analysis: Wireshark, SolarWinds, ThousandEyes, NetFlow, SNMP, Splunk.
• Certifications (Preferred):
  • CCDE (Cisco Certified Design Expert) or CCIE (Routing & Switching / Enterprise)
  • AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty
  • Palo Alto PCNSE