Architect Engineer IV (Systems)

GCI Communication Corp • Anchorage, AK

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

GCI's Architect Engineer IV will provide technical leadership and governance across network and product initiatives by establishing standards, approving designs, and guiding solutions through their full lifecycle. Ensure that products and architectures align with long-range planning (LRP), lifecycle standards, and business requirements while maintaining consistency, quality, and operational readiness. Act as a key liaison with internal and external stakeholders, leading design approvals, standards development, ABR activities, and product evolution to support reliable, scalable, and sustainable network solutions.

Requirements

• Strong understanding of enterprise systems architecture, including server platforms, virtualization, storage, operating systems, and data center infrastructure.
• Experience developing technology and business roadmaps for Technology Planning & Engineering, with the ability to align system design decisions to operational, engineering, and project delivery objectives.
• Experience serving as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for complex initiatives involving multiple technical disciplines, stakeholders, vendors, and project resources.
• Working knowledge of systems lifecycle management, including requirements definition, design review, implementation planning, operational handoff, monitoring, and ongoing support.
• Protocols & Standards: SMTP NTP DHCP NFS DNS SNMPv3 SMB LDAP TCP/IP TLS SSH Syslog CISA KEV HTTPS REST API
• Hardware & Software: Data Center Server Hardware Data Center Power Systems Racks & Hardware Network Management Systems Grafana Statseeker Cacti Zenoss NetApp Cisco UCS Adtran AudioCodes Power BI Python / Java / Perl Bash Shell Scripting Kibana BIND Linux / Unix Windows Server VMware / Xen / KVM / QEMU vSphere vCloud vCenter RunDeck AppLogic Oracle Unified Assurance Solarwinds Orion
• Proficient computer skills and MS Office knowledge (e.g., Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel) to complete job duties effectively.
• Demonstrated ability to work with Visio, MS-Project, Adobe Acrobat, Vender Element Managers.
• Demonstrates advanced knowledge and proficiency in areas of responsibility with general working knowledge of multiple engineering disciplines.
• Works under minimal supervision with wide latitude for independent judgment.
• Expert knowledge of engineering principles such as high availability, redundancy, reliability, security, testing, and standards.
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot complex multi-layer network issues.
• Ability to translate business requirements into long-term network strategy, architecture, and technology investments.
• Ability to partner with cross-functional teams to drive enterprise-wide telecom initiatives and architecture adoption.
• A combination of relevant work experience and/or education sufficient to perform the duties of the job may substitute to meet the total years required on a year-for-year basis.
• High School diploma or equivalent.
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Telecommunications, or relevant field.
• Minimum of ten (10) years of progressive engineering experience in information technology, development, and managing moderate to complex technical projects within telecom environments, or related background.

Nice To Haves

• Experience within the telecommunications industry.
• Relevant telecom industry or job specific certifications.
• Preferred Certifications: Red Hat Certified System Administrator, VMware Certified Professional, VMware Advanced Professional, CompTIA Linux+

Responsibilities

• Serve as the technical authority for complex, high-impact initiatives, making independent and collaborative architectural decisions and advising management on architecture, industry standards, and engineering best practices.
• Develop, maintain, and govern system architecture and design standards, ensuring alignment with industry standards, regulatory requirements, and organizational objectives.
• Lead architectural evaluations of manufacturer and vendor solutions, including product assessments, standards compliance reviews, and technical risk analysis.
• Define and oversee test plans and validation activities to ensure new technologies and designs meet performance, reliability, and operational requirements.
• Maintain awareness of advancements across multiple engineering disciplines and incorporate relevant innovations into architecture and standards as appropriate.
• Develop, maintain, and execute detailed 1–2-year capital plans while providing strategic input into 5-year technology roadmaps to ensure alignment with business objectives.
• Lead and execute formal design approval processes to validate architecture, mitigate risk, and ensure deployment and operational readiness.
• Collaborate with senior leadership to develop departmental short- and long-term objectives, budgets, and policies, ensuring alignment with corporate strategies and technology roadmaps.
• Establish and oversee performance measurement frameworks, including Key Performance Indicators (KPI), advanced monitoring, and reporting on network system performance.
• Act as the primary liaison with strategy, program, product, and capacity management teams, providing guidance and alignment across complex company initiatives.
• Lead technical reviews and design discussions, providing authoritative guidance on architecture decisions, trade-offs, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Serve as the primary vendor liaison and ABR host by coordinating technical reviews, facilitating architecture and design discussions, and ensuring vendor solutions align with organizational standards, requirements, and lifecycle strategy.
• Provide technical leadership, define design standards, and guide engineering and operations teams through sanctioned project development and execution phases.
• Coordinate technical deliverables, identify risks and dependencies, and support phase gate recommendations for cross-functional project teams.
• Provide strategic direction and technical expertise across multiple engineering domains, ensuring high availability, scalability, and security of critical communications infrastructure.
• Function as project engineer for highly complex projects, implementing solutions that ensure service level commitments are met across multiple departments.
• Successfully manage multiple large, complex projects and concurrent initiatives on time and within budget.
• Review and approve technical documentation, final engineering designs, and service requirements, providing technical direction for issue resolution.

Benefits

• GCI fosters an environment where the unique perspectives of our employees, customers, and fellow Alaskans are celebrated.
• We add value to our community by nurturing and empowering each member of our workforce, ensuring equal opportunities for every Trailblazer.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior