Network Architect - WAN & SDWAN Infrastructure

Role – Network Architect - WAN & SDWAN Infrastructure

Location: Northborough, MA

Duration: 6+ Months

Job Description: 
 

Responsible for determining current and future enterprise and OT networking needs. The candidate will oversee and actively drive the development of the architecture and design of WAN (Cisco routers, OSPF, BGP, F5 Load Balancers, Palo Alto Firewalls, Zscaler) and SD-WAN (Cisco SD-WAN, Viptela, VMware NSX) solutions. Requires a bachelor''s degree with at least 10 years of practical experience developing infrastructure architecture. Familiar with operational concepts, practices, and procedures so that architected solutions can be implemented, operated and maintained effectively. Rely on extensive experience and judgment to plan and accomplish goals. Performs a variety of tasks including documenting and presenting the architecture to superiors and peers. May be required to direct the work of partners and suppliers. A wide degree of creativity and latitude is expected. Typically reports to top management.

Key Accountabilities

• Ownership for establishing the governance model to ensure the above requirements are complied with and any residual risks are accepted and recorded.  To run solution architecture reviews on key programs, influence and collaborate with Engineering and Delivery teams on the development of the system.
• In-depth knowledge and working experience in infrastructure, architecture and roadmaps for technology.
• The development of service infrastructure patterns, standards, reference architectures, policies and metrics. The socialization of the above to all solution architects, delivery engineers and operations teams that deliver the services.
• Collaboration with the Solution delivery organizations to build understanding and awareness of operability requirements and to help shape thinking around emerging delivery methodologies to ensure the service design principles are not compromised.
• Responsible for specification, gaining agreement and application of service standards.
• Engage with technical design and project managers, to ensure understanding of service acceptance criteria and agree processes for testing that criteria are met.
• Examines evidence and evaluates the quality of project outputs against the agreed acceptance criteria, to ensure correct products are produced, on schedule and fit for purpose.
• Develops own ideas, or the ideas of others, making all the necessary observations and tests and carrying them through to a full practical demonstration, wherever viable and feasible. Where necessary, designs data collection tools and techniques for both qualitative and quantitative data.
• Identifies and responds to the key business drivers and those areas of business need which are not adequately supported by current and planned IT, within the strategic planning time frame. Develops the strategic response to the business requirement and produces business cases for recommended new applications of information and communications technologies.
• Reviews new business proposals and provides specialist advice on information management, including advice on and promotion of collaborative working and assessment and management of information-related risk.
• Evaluates major options for providing IT/OT services effectively and efficiently and recommends solutions. Develops and presents business cases for high-level initiatives to executive management for approval, funding, and prioritization.
• Develop models and plans for the implementation of the strategy, taking advantage of opportunities to improve business performance.
• Conducts post implementation reviews of information and communications technology applications and products introduced in pursuit of the strategy, to assess the extent to which expected business benefits were realized.
• Ensure that those within reporting line are appropriately developed, motivated, empowered and that they deliver appropriate results.
• Knowledge, Experience & Technical Know How
• Experience developing reference architectures and applying standards and patterns within architecture deliverables.
• Educated to degree level in a relevant discipline or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• Cisco CCNP/CCIE Routing and Switching certification is desirable
• Has thorough knowledge of network infrastructure and software defined networking. 
• Tools for Network Performance Monitoring and End to End Service supporting WAN and SD-WAN.
• The role is technical in nature. The candidate must be well versed in networking technologies such as Cisco, software defined networking, network routing, WAN and Cloud network security and segmentation based on roles and policies, WAN management, automation and monitoring tools and QoS
• Defines the roadmap from the "as-is state" to the “to-be state”.
• Designs a secure, efficient, and adaptable future state model.
• Defines the high-level migration plan to address the gaps between the "as-is" and future state.
• Excellent presentation and communication skills with a high degree of comfort with technical and business audiences.
• Experience working with stakeholders to identify relevant requirements and understand how those requirements fit into the broader enterprise context for the application/platform.
• May provide specific subject matter expertise input into the conceptual and technical architectures for large and complex projects

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level in a relevant discipline or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• In depth knowledge of Cisco LAN, WAN, SD-WAN and data center infrastructure, configuration, and operations
• In depth knowledge of routing protocols, carrier WAN and Internet offerings, cloud network services.
• In depth knowledge of firewalls, Zscaler and load balancer infrastructure, configuration, and operations
• At least 10 years of experience architecting and designing complex networking systems