Job Description | Network Architect | W2 Only

Job Description | Network Architect | W2 Only

Job Title : Network Architect
Location : Chicago, IL
Work Model: Hybrid
Job Type : Contract
Must-Have Skills
Azure
Cisco
Data Center
Network Automation
Routing
Switches
WAN
Description
Required Education
-Bachelors Degree
Preferred Certification
-CCNP-level knowledge strongly preferred
-Relevant Cisco certifications are a plus (e.g., CCNP, CCIE)
Required Skills
-Data Center Networking: Expert-level, hands-on experience implementing and troubleshooting enterprise routing and switching in Cisco Nexus and Catalyst environments
-Routing/Switching Protocols: Strong understanding of BGP, OSPF, Layer 2/Layer 3 design, resiliency, segmentation, and production change execution
-Industry Experience: 10+ years of hands-on experience deploying, migrating, managing, and supporting complex enterprise and data center networks across on-premises and colocation environments
-SD-WAN & Enterprise WAN: Deep experience with design, deployment, migrations, routing integration, policy, branch connectivity, path selection, and production troubleshooting; Prisma SD-WAN strongly preferred
-Cisco Data Center Platforms: Hands-on experience with Cisco Nexus, Catalyst, and data center fabric management; Cisco NDFC strongly preferred; Catalyst Center a plus
-Cloud Connectivity: Practical experience with Azure ExpressRoute and/or AWS Direct Connect, including BGP routing, route advertisement, redundancy, and collaboration with cloud teams
-Implementation Leadership: Ability to assess environments, develop implementation approaches, execute production work, validate results, and resolve issues with minimal direction
-Complex Migrations: Experience planning and executing high-risk network migrations with dependency management, testing, change control, rollback planning, and post-implementation validation
-Network Security & Adjacent Services (preferred): Enterprise firewalls, DNS/DHCP/IPAM, load balancing; Palo Alto and Infoblox particularly valuable; F5 a plus
-Automation Awareness: Familiarity with Terraform, Ansible, Python, GitHub, GitHub Actions, IaC, and GitOps; must be willing to learn and collaborate with automation-focused engineers (advanced coding not required; creating automation code preferred)
-Observability & Troubleshooting: Deep understanding of packet analysis, telemetry, monitoring, and observability tools across hybrid network environments
-Communication: Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal skills; ability to collaborate across Architecture, Engineering, Operations, Cloud, Security, vendors, and globally distributed teams
Senior hands-on engineer with deep expertise in data center routing and switching, enterprise WAN and SD-WAN, and hybrid cloud connectivity
Key Responsibilities:
-Data Center Routing & Switching: Implement, migrate, optimize, and troubleshoot Cisco Nexus and Catalyst environments, including complex L2/L3 designs, BGP, OSPF, redundancy, segmentation, and high-availability patterns
-Data Center Network Management: Deploy and operate data center network fabrics and management platforms (Cisco NDFC or comparable strongly preferred)
-SD-WAN & Enterprise WAN: Design, deploy, migrate, and support enterprise SD-WAN and WAN services (Prisma SD-WAN strongly preferred)
-Cloud Connectivity: Implement and troubleshoot private connectivity between on-premises and public cloud (Azure ExpressRoute and/or AWS Direct Connect); collaborate with Cloud Engineering on routing, resiliency, and operations
-Global Network Deployments: Lead hands-on deployments and complex migrations across private data centers, colocation facilities, cloud connectivity environments, and enterprise locations, including planning, testing, cutover, rollback, and post-change validation
-Tier 3 Technical Support: Serve as senior escalation point for Network Engineering and Operations; independently diagnose and resolve complex production issues across data center, WAN, SD-WAN, and cloud-connected environments
-Network Services Collaboration: Work across next-gen firewalls, DNS/DHCP/IPAM, and application delivery/load-balancing platforms (Palo Alto, Infoblox, F5 preferred)
-Network Design: Contribute implementation expertise to architecture and design discussions; review solutions for operational readiness, supportability, risk, and execution feasibility
-Automation: Work in an engineering environment using automation and Infrastructure as Code; familiarity with Terraform, Ansible, Python, GitHub, GitHub Actions, IaC, or GitOps desired; creation of automation code preferred
-Documentation & Knowledge Transfer: Develop and maintain designs, implementation plans, methods of procedure, testing and rollback plans, diagrams, configuration standards, and operational handoff documentation
-Primary Focus: Engineering execution — personally implementing, migrating, troubleshooting, and supporting production infrastructure while contributing practical input to network designs and architecture decisions
-Scope: Deliver and support network infrastructure across global private data centers, colocation facilities, cloud connectivity environments, and enterprise sites
-Autonomy: Take ownership of complex tasks with minimal direction; collaborate with Architecture, Cloud, Security, Operations, and application teams; transition completed solutions into stable operational support