Network Architect

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 communicationGovernance and StandardsDefine and enforce network standardsReview designs to ensure alignment with architectural principlesProvide 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 integrationAbility to troubleshoot network issues at the operating system levelY working with containers and infrastructure toolingExperience - 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