Principal Network Architect - Enterprise Networking (REMOTE)

We’re partnering with a growing technology solutions provider looking for a Principal Network Architect to take a lead role across some of its largest and most complex enterprise customer environments.

This is not a pure Pre-Sales position, and it’s not a role where you’ll spend every day buried in the CLI.

The sweet spot is someone who has remained technically strong but has developed into the person customers and engineering teams rely on when multiple complex initiatives are happening at the same time.

You’ll work across large enterprise environments involving Campus, SD-WAN, Cisco ISE, Data Center, cloud and security - helping connect the dots between different architecture and engineering teams while remaining involved through design, implementation and delivery.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Serve as a Lead/Principal Architect across large, complex enterprise customer engagements
• Work across multiple simultaneous network and infrastructure initiatives, understanding how each impacts the broader environment
• Lead architecture discussions, technical workshops and design reviews
• Identify dependencies, potential design conflicts and implementation risks across different technical workstreams
• Develop and review HLDs/LLDs, migration strategies and implementation plans
• Remain engaged through deployment, cutover and complex technical escalations
• Partner closely with senior engineers and other architects across networking, security, Data Center and cloud
• Act as a trusted technical advisor to customers
• Communicate effectively with everyone from deeply technical engineers and architects through IT leadership and executives
• Help ensure complex projects move from architecture through successful delivery

Network Architecture/Engineering, CCIE - Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert, Network Architecture/Engineering, Pre-Sales, Network Operations Center, Cisco Network Systems, Cloud Computing, Wide Area Network (WAN), Environmental Impact, Technical/Engineering Design, * CCIE certification

• Strong Cisco Campus architecture and engineering background
• Significant Cisco SD-WAN architecture and deployment experience
• Strong Cisco ISE / NAC experience
• Deep enterprise routing and switching knowledge
• Experience across Catalyst, enterprise WAN and complex network segmentation
• Strong understanding of BGP, OSPF, MPLS and enterprise routing protocols
• Experience developing and reviewing HLDs/LLDs and complex migration plans
• Strong hands-on engineering foundation and the technical credibility to work alongside senior engineers
• Experience leading complex enterprise customer engagements
• Ability to understand the bigger picture across multiple technical domains rather than operating within a single silo
• Excellent communication, presentation and customer-facing skills
• VAR, Professional Services or technology consulting experience strongly preferred

The Profile That Tends to Work Well

You may currently be a Principal Architect, Lead Architect, Consulting Architect or senior CCIE-level Engineer who has naturally become the technical quarterback on your most difficult customer engagements.

You’re still technical, but your value isn’t just knowing the technology.

You’re the person who can walk into a complicated customer environment, quickly understand what different teams are trying to accomplish, earn credibility with highly technical engineers, identify where initiatives may conflict and help drive the overall architecture forward.

You’re equally comfortable getting into the technical details with an engineer, leading a whiteboard session with a customer, or explaining the strategy and potential risks to executive leadership.

Most importantly, you enjoy being the person customers and technical teams trust when the environment is complex and there are a lot of moving pieces.

**Remote within the U.S. with some travel to customer sites