Senior Network Architect

Job Description and Duties

Telework Is available.

Under the general direction of the Information Technology Manager I (IT Mgr I) of the Network

Engineering Implementation services, the Information Technology Specialist II (IT Spec II) works

independently, or as a part of a team as the recognized technical specialist for the Enterprise

Network Branch. The IT Spec II works with the California Department of Technology’s (CDT)

customers and technical staff in architecting, engineering, implementing, and operating complex

network services, in support of CDT’s service offerings.

The IT Spec II will be responsible for the engineering and architecture of large-scale networks,

evaluating new technologies, designing, maintaining and supporting new/existing infrastructure

environments and providing leadership and guidance for network equipment refreshes, as well as,

helping to resolve network-related problems to ensure that CDT can support customer network

services and other CDT offerings. The IT Spec II will provide expert-level technical support, project

management and mentorship, which will include working incidents that are escalated, providing onthe-

job training, and coordinating and creating documentation.

Telework

This position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule within California based on departmental policy and operational needs. The telework policy is subject to change depending on business needs, and/or reporting to the work site may be required with minimal notification given.

Pursuant to Executive Order, effective July 1, 2025, employees in this position will be required to report to the work site a minimum of two (2) days per week, increasing to four (4) days per week effective July 1, 2026. The specific on-site days will be determined by the department based on operational requirements.

Visa Sponsorship

Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Working Conditions

CA Residency:

Candidates who reside outside of the State of California may be admitted to the job interview. However, upon a job offer, candidates must provide proof of residence in California prior to their appointment becoming effective, or the offer may be rescinded.

• Must pass a fingerprint background criminal record check completed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). This position requires an additional background check for DOJ to protect their interests.
• Periodic overtime, weekends, holidays or on-call status may occasionally be required to meet business needs.
• The position will require some work to be completed after normal core business hours.
• Travel between CDT datacenters, vendor hosted campuses, State of California customers and other state municipality locations may be required.
• Monitor all Department issued communication devices.
• Ability to move up to 50 lbs.

Special Requirements

Do not submit the “Equal Employment Opportunity” questionnaire (page 5) with your completed state application (STD. 678) – For exam use only. 

Please do NOT include your Social Security Number on any of the submitted documents.

All interested applicants are required to submit a Statement of Qualifications (SOQ). 

You must provide direct responses to each of the numbered items listed below. Each individual response must be numbered and include the full text of the numbered items prior to your response. 

The SOQ header should include the Job Control #, your name, “Statement of Qualifications” and your response. Resumes, cover letters and other material will not take the place of the required SOQ. Applications without an SOQ will not be considered. Your response to the SOQ should be no more than three (3) pages in length, formatted in 12pt Arial font, and should have a one-inch margin.

The Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) serves as a key component of the examination and hiring process and will be used to evaluate your qualifications, as well as your written communication skills. The SOQ is considered a writing sample and must clearly reflect your own knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience. While tools such as artificial intelligence (AI) (e.g., ChatGPT), internet resources, or third-party reviewers may assist with research or preparation, by submitting your application you certify that your SOQ is your original work, written in your own words, and accurately represents your background and qualifications. Failure to submit an SOQ that is your own work, including the use of AI-generated or substantially AI-assisted responses that misrepresent your abilities, may result in disqualification from the examination or hiring process. If such misrepresentation is discovered after appointment, it may constitute dishonesty and could result in adverse action, up to and including dismissal from State service.

1. Please describe what makes you qualified as a subject matter expert/lead in Enterprise Networking to include: background, experience, education/training in the design, planning, implementation, and maintenance, of network hardware and software.
2. Describe a challenging network project, in which you managed, including challenges you faced, the goal of the project, and the processes you developed to make it successful.
3. Please describe in detail one of the more challenging technical network issues you have encountered in your career, and the steps you took for its resolution.

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

• Technical certification programs such as: CCNA, CCNP, JNCPIA-Junos, JNCIP-ENT, F5, PaloAlto, and Cloud associate programs from various providers.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology or equivalent network experience.
• Expert knowledge in more than one of the following network platforms Cisco IOSXR, Cisco Nexus, Cisco ASA/Firepower, Arista EOS, Juniper JUNOS, Juniper MIST, F5 LTM, Azure VWAN, Cloud Transit Gateway and Direct Connection technologies,
• Expert knowledge of one or more network protocols such as: EIGRP, BGP, OSPF, IS-IS, MPLS, TCP/IP, SNA, Frame Relay, Spanning Tree, FICON, Ciena, etc.
• Ability to provide excellent customer service and make sound professional judgment.
• Ability to collaborate with others and conflict resolution skills.
• Ambitious, highly motivated, self-starter, reliable, dependable, multi-tasking, team player.
• Ability to effectively communicate verbally and in writing.
• Ability to work productively with technical and non-technical staff, vendors, management and executives independently and in team environments.
• Working knowledge and ability to configure and troubleshoot inter-network services on routers, switches, firewalls, load balancers and sniffers.
• Experience planning, implementing, operating, verifying and troubleshooting data center enterprise networks (virtual and physical).

Knowledge of:

• Information technology systems (software) programming, equipment and its capabilities and interfaces between hardware and software.
• The requirements for the installation and implementation of the most complex information technology software and hardware systems.

Benefits

Benefit information can be found on the CalHR website and the CalPERS website.

Additional Application Instructions

Using the online application system as specified in the announcement is the preferred method of applying for civil service job opportunities; however, applicants may instead apply by way of U.S. mail, parcel delivery or courier service, or in person, as set forth in this announcement.

Applicants who wish to submit hard copy applications shall use the most current version of the State Application (STD. 678) revised 07/2026. The position number and job control number must be identified in the job title line of the STD 678 (these numbers will auto-populate in the job title of the STD 678 if submitting an electronic application through CalCareers Account). The hard copy application MUST be signed. Applicants who fail to submit the most current version of the STD. 678 may be disqualified.

Note: Applications MUST include the “From dates“ and “To” dates, “Hours Per Week”, and “Duties Performed” fields for all jobs listed in the “Employment History” fields and contact names and phone numbers of supervisors. State employees must list the specific departments for which they worked and indicate the specific civil service classification titles held (not working titles). Applications that are submitted blank will be considered incomplete. Reference to a resume in place of a description of the duties will not be accepted. Failure to submit a completed STD 678 may result in you being screened out. Only the most qualified candidates will be invited to an interview.

Please note that the CalCareer system will not allow you to make changes to your application information once it is submitted. For all other questions regarding your CalHR CalCareer account, you may contact the CalCareer Unit at View phone number on us.fitly.work.

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

• Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
• Resume is required and must be included.
• Statement of Qualifications - Required. Please see "Special Requirements" section for further information.