Senior Network WAN Architect

Your future role at a glance

Location: Remote

Department: Core Tech Network

Schedule: 8 hour shift, Monday-Friday

Salary: $154,946 - $215,985 per year

Eligible for an annual bonus incentive

#LI-REMOTE

Life at Ascension: Where purpose meets opportunity

Ascension is a leading nonprofit Catholic health system with a culture and associate experience grounded in service, growth, care and connection. We empower our 97,000+ associates to bring their skills and expertise every day to reimagining healthcare, together. Recognized as one of the Best 150+ Places to Work in Healthcare and a Military-Friendly Gold Employer, you'll find an inclusive and supportive environment where your contributions truly matter.

Benefits that help you thrive

• Comprehensive health coverage: medical, dental, vision, prescription coverage and HSA/FSA options
• Financial security & retirement: employer-matched 403(b), planning and hardship resources, disability and life insurance
• Time to recharge: pro-rated paid time off (PTO) and holidays
• Career growth: Ascension-paid tuition (Vocare), reimbursement, ongoing professional development and online learning
• Emotional well-being: Employee Assistance Program , counseling and peer support, spiritual care and stress management resources
• Family support: parental leave, adoption assistance and family benefits
• Other benefits: optional legal and pet insurance, transportation savings and more

How you'll make an impact in this role

• Lead the strategy, design, and evolution of the enterprise WAN and SD-WAN ecosystem, delivering resilient, scalable connectivity that supports critical business operations across geographically distributed environments.
• Serve as the technical authority for WAN architecture, driving standards, governance, and modernization initiatives while shaping the future direction of the network platform.
• Partner across infrastructure, security, and cloud teams to deliver transformative network solutions, solve complex technical challenges, and optimize performance, resiliency, and scalability at enterprise scale.

What minimum requirements you'll need

Education:

• High School diploma equivalency with 5 years of applicable cumulative job specific experience required, with 2 of those years being in leadership/management OR Associate's degree/Bachelor's degree with 3 years of applicable cumulative job specific experience required, with 2 of those years being in leadership/management.

What additional preferences we're seeking

• 10+ years of network engineering experience, with at least 5+ years in an architect-level WAN role
• Expert-level experience with:
  • Cisco Meraki SD-WAN
  • Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN (Viptela)
• Deep expertise in:
  • Routing protocols (BGP, OSPF, route redistribution, policy control)
  • WAN design, segmentation, and traffic engineering
  • SD-WAN architecture and deployment at scale
  • Proven experience designing and supporting large, geographically distributed networks
  • Demonstrated ability to operate at both strategic and hands-on technical levels
• Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP)
• Advanced or specialist certifications strongly preferred, such as:
  • Cisco CCNP Enterprise (or equivalent legacy certifications)
  • Cisco SD-WAN Specialist / Concentration exams
  • CCIE (Enterprise Infrastructure or equivalent) - highly preferred

Equal employment opportunity employer

Ascension provides Equal Employment Opportunities (EEO) to all associates and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex/gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions, lactation, breastfeeding, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, all as defined by applicable law, and any other legally protected status or characteristic in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. For further information, view the EEO Know Your Rights (English) poster or EEO Know Your Rights (Spanish) poster.

Fraud prevention notice

Prospective applicants should be vigilant against fraudulent job offers and interview requests. Scammers may use sophisticated tactics to impersonate Ascension employees. To ensure your safety, please remember: Ascension will never ask for payment or to provide banking or financial information as part of the job application or hiring process. Our legitimate email communications will always come from an @ascension.org email address; do not trust other domains, and an official offer will only be extended to candidates who have completed a job application through our authorized applicant tracking system.

E-Verify statement

Employer participates in the Electronic Employment Verification Program. Please click here for more information.

Responsibilities

• Lead the strategy, design, and evolution of the enterprise WAN and SD-WAN ecosystem, delivering resilient, scalable connectivity that supports critical business operations across geographically distributed environments.
• Serve as the technical authority for WAN architecture, driving standards, governance, and modernization initiatives while shaping the future direction of the network platform.
• Partner across infrastructure, security, and cloud teams to deliver transformative network solutions, solve complex technical challenges, and optimize performance, resiliency, and scalability at enterprise scale.

Qualifications

Education:

• High School diploma equivalency with 5 years of applicable cumulative job specific experience required, with 2 of those years being in leadership/management OR Associate's degree/Bachelor's degree with 3 years of applicable cumulative job specific experience required, with 2 of those years being in leadership/management.