Network Architect II

Network Architect II

Hybrid - O'Fallon, MO 63366 (4 Days onsite, 1 Day Remote)

The hours for this position are 8:00am - 4:30pm, Monday through Friday.

FTE - Direct Hire role

Summary

The Network Architect II is a senior hands-on architecture position responsible for leading the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of complex enterprise network, multi-cloud, SD-WAN, and SASE environments. This role provides technical leadership, mentors analysts and engineers, and partners across IT and business projects to ensure secure, resilient, and scalable network solutions.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities may include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Lead the architecture, design, implementation, and lifecycle planning of enterprise network solutions across campus, data center, WAN, cloud, and hybrid environments.
• Provide hands-on technical leadership for major projects, including network equipment refreshes, replacements, migrations, integrations, and modernization efforts.
• Partner with network analysts and engineers in all phases of project delivery, including requirements gathering, design review, configuration standards, testing, implementation, and post-implementation support.
• Define, document, and enforce network architecture standards, reference designs, patterns, and best practices.
• Mentor network analysts and engineers through design reviews, troubleshooting sessions, implementation planning, and knowledge transfer.
• Design and optimize multi-cloud network connectivity and segmentation for Azure and AWS environments, including routing, private connectivity, high availability, and secure access.
• Lead SD-WAN architecture, policy design, resiliency planning, performance tuning, vendor coordination, and operational improvement efforts.
• Lead SASE architecture and operational integration, including secure web gateway, CASB, zero trust/private access, and products such as Netskope or Zscaler.
• Collaborate with cybersecurity, cloud, infrastructure, application, and compliance teams to align network architecture with security, governance, regulatory, and business requirements.
• Assess network risk, resiliency, capacity, and performance; recommend and guide remediation or improvement plans.
• Coordinate with vendors and service providers to review designs, resolve escalations, and validate solutions.
• Respond to afterhours emergencies.
• Stay current with network, cloud, SD-WAN, SASE, zero trust, and security technologies and trends.
• The Network Architect II is an office-based role. Regular, predictable on-site attendance is required. Eligibility for up to one (1) remote workday per week may be permitted, subject to business needs and departmental guidelines.
• Perform core job responsibilities through regular in-person collaboration, including participation in meetings, team discussions, and cross-functional coordination.
• Collaborate with fellow team members and leadership in a shared work environment to support innovation and timely decision-making, problem-solving, and operational effectiveness.
• Maintain a consistent on-site presence to support and respond to day-to-day business needs, including attendance of scheduled meetings and real-time collaboration as needed to ensure alignment on department and company priorities.
• Meet regularly with manager in-person to align on workload, priorities, performance, and ongoing professional development.

Qualifications

• Bachelor s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, related field, related certifications, or equivalent work experience required.
• Ten or more years of experience in network engineering, network architecture, cloud networking, or a related role required.
• Expert knowledge of networking technologies and protocols, including routing, switching, wireless, firewalls, load balancing, VPN, DNS, DHCP, IP address management, and network segmentation.
• Proven hands-on experience designing and implementing complex enterprise network architectures.
• Proven experience with multi-cloud networking, preferably including Azure and AWS connectivity, routing, segmentation, resiliency, and secure access.
• Strong experience with cloud computing concepts and cloud security practices.
• Strong experience with SD-WAN design, implementation, operations, and lifecycle management.
• Strong experience with SASE architecture and products such as Netskope or Zscaler is strongly preferred.
• Strong leadership, mentoring, documentation, communication, and project execution skills.
• Ability to translate business requirements into secure, resilient, and supportable network architecture.