Enterprise Architect

Remote / On-Site (as needed); 15-25% Travel 
Our client is a fast-growing Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business providing full-service IT solutions to both federal and commercial clients. The Enterprise Architect plays a key leadership role in designing, automating, and implementing secure, scalable, and high-performance enterprise network solutions. This position requires a blend of deep technical expertise, solution design acumen, and hands-on experience in network automation and orchestration.
You’ll work closely with clients to understand business objectives, assess current infrastructures, and design solutions that integrate traditional networking with modern automation frameworks and hybrid cloud architectures.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 
    Engage with clients to understand business requirements, challenges, and objectives, translating them into tailored network architecture solutions. 
    Assess existing infrastructure to identify optimization opportunities, focusing on scalability, resiliency, and security. 
    Design, document, and present end-to-end enterprise network architectures; including on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments. 
    Lead implementation efforts, guiding teams and ensuring deployments align with design specifications and best practices. 
    Drive the adoption of network automation, infrastructure-as-code (IaC), and orchestration frameworks (e.g., Ansible, Terraform, Python-based automation). 
    Develop and maintain automated configuration management and Ci/CD pipelines for network infrastructure deployments. 
    Standardize network architectures and create reusable templates to streamline deployments and improve consistency across environments. 
    Collaborate with internal engineering teams, vendors, and technology partners to deliver integrated solutions that align with client business outcomes. 
    Provide mentorship, technical leadership, and training to engineering and client teams on automation tools and emerging technologies. 
    Research and evaluate emerging technologies such as SDN, SASE, Zero Trust Architectures, Network Function Virtualization (NFV), and cloud-native networking. 
    Serve as a trusted advisor during technical discussions and architecture reviews, ensuring compliance with security, scalability, and performance requirements. 
    Troubleshoot complex network and automation-related issues, driving root cause analysis and resolution. 

QUALIFICATIONS: 
    Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Technology, Engineering, or related field (preferred) 
    Minimum 7 years of experience in network architecture, network engineering, or related disciplines.
    Proven experience designing and implementing enterprise-grade network infrastructures across multiple environments (on-premises, cloud, hybrid).
    Strong knowledge of network protocols and technologies (TCP/IP, BGP, OSPF, MPLS, QoS, VPNs, SD-WAN, etc.).
    Expertise in network security design, including firewalls, segmentation, and access control.
    Hands-on experience with network automation frameworks and tools (e.g., Ansible, Python, Terraform, NetBox, Nornir, REST APIs).
    Experience integrating automation into network provisioning and change management processes (CI/CD).
    Familiarity with cloud networking services (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) and hybrid connectivity solutions.
    Exposure to SDN, SASE, Zero Trust, and microsegmentation principles.
    Strong documentation, presentation, and communication skills, with the ability to convey complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences. 
    Certifications: 
o    Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) or equivalent required 
o    Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) or equivalent preferred
o    Network automation or DevNet certification (e.g., Cisco DevNet Professional, Automation Specialist) a plus 

PREFERRED SKILLS: 
    Experience with infrastructure-as-code and DevOps methodologies
    Familiarity with monitoring and telemetry platforms (e.g., Prometheus, Grafana, Splunk, Cisco ThousandEyes). 
    Understanding of containerized networking (Docker, Kubernetes, CNI plugins).
    Ability to lead architecture discussions and influence technology strategy.
    Excellent analytical, troubleshooting, and project management skills.