Network Architect

Job description

Overview A Network Architect is responsible for designing and governing network architecture that supports business services. This includes translating requirements into scalable, secure, and resilient designs, and making informed trade-off decisions across cost, risk, and performance. Responsibilities Core Responsibilities • Architecture and Design • Design enterprise network architecture across data center, WAN, cloud, and hybrid environments • Define standards, patterns, and reference architectures • Ensure scalability, resiliency, and security by design • Trade-off and Decision Making • Balance performance, cost, risk, and operability • Evaluate competing approaches (e.g., overlay vs underlay, vendor vs open solutions) • Make design decisions at the system level rather than the device level • This is a key differentiator compared to a technical project manager or engineer • Vendor and Technology Neutrality • Evaluate technologies across multiple vendors (e.g., Cisco, VMware, Juniper) and open source. • Avoid designing around a single vendor’s constraints or bias • Select solutions based on best architectural fit • Complex Programme Delivery • Lead architecture across large, multi-domain programmes • Collaborate with infrastructure, security, cloud, and application teams • Own end-to-end design coherence rather than isolated components • Typically involves large-scale enterprise or highly regulated environments with multi-region and high-resilience requirements • Stakeholder Management (Conflict Handling) • Align stakeholders across security, operations, business, and vendors • Manage conflicting requirements such as: • Security vs usability • Cost vs resiliency • Speed vs governance • Drive decisions to closure through effective communication • Governance and Standards • Define and enforce network standards • Review designs to ensure alignment with architectural principles • Provide guidance to engineering and delivery teams Requirements Required Skills • Technical (Core Expectations) • Strong fundamentals: • Routing and protocols: BGP (mandatory), OSPF, TCP/IP • Data center networking and fabric design • Network security principles (e.g., segmentation, access control) • Modern enterprise stack: • Software-defined networking (e.g., NSX) • VXLAN and overlay networking • Hybrid cloud networking • Network automation (e.g., Python, APIs) • Platform expertise: • Strong Linux and networking integration • Ability to troubleshoot network issues at the operating system level • Y working with containers and infrastructure tooling • Experience • Proven delivery of complex, enterprise-scale projects • Preferably within financial services or similarly regulated environments • Experience with: • High availability and disaster recovery designs • Multi-region and data center interconnects • Secure access models • Soft Skills (Critical for the Role) • Strong ability to articulate trade-offs • Confidence in constructively challenging stakeholders • Clear communication across both technical and non-technical audiences • Ability to drive decisions, not just facilitate discussions • Anti-Patterns (What This Role Is Not) • Not a technical project manager • Not limited to facilitating discussions • Not focused solely on explaining architecture without making decisions Not driven by vendor-led solutions