Director of Network Infrastructure

Dallas Mavericks•Dallas, TX

15h

About The Position

The Director of Network Infrastructure is responsible for the strategic design, security, financial management, and operation of all network infrastructure supporting the organization’s office environments, arena and entertainment complex, broadcast operations, and public-facing services. This role owns switching, routing, firewall platforms, internet and wide-area connectivity, and vendor-managed circuits, with a primary focus on reliability, security, scalability, and fiscal accountability. This position serves as the executive owner of network architecture and budget, ensuring alignment with NIST Zero Trust Architecture (SP 800-207) principles while delivering 100% network and internet availability during live events. The Director supports multiple business verticals with differing risk profiles and operational requirements across a converged, multi-tenant network environment.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or related field (or equivalent experience)
8+ years of experience in network engineering and infrastructure roles
3+ years in a senior or leadership position with architectural responsibility
Deep expertise in enterprise switching, routing, and firewall technologies
Proven experience managing internet circuits, carriers, and vendor relationships
Demonstrated experience implementing zero trust or segmented network architectures

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting arenas, entertainment venues, or event-driven environments
Experience with broadcast, media, or live production networks
Familiarity with IoT and building management system networking
Experience working within NIST-aligned cybersecurity frameworks
Industry certifications (e.g., CCNP/CCIE, Fortinet, Palo Alto, Aruba, Juniper)

Responsibilities

Network Architecture, Reliability & Operations Own the end-to-end design, deployment, and operation of enterprise and arena network infrastructure
Ensure high availability, redundancy, fault tolerance, and performance across all environments
Define and enforce network standards, architectures, configuration baselines, and documentation
Lead network lifecycle planning including refresh, upgrades, and decommissioning
Establish operational maturity metrics aligned to availability, resiliency, and security objectives
Internet, WAN & Circuit Management Own all internet and WAN connectivity including office, arena, broadcast, and event circuits
Design redundant and diverse connectivity paths to meet zero-downtime event requirements
Manage service providers and carriers to ensure SLA adherence and rapid issue resolution
Act as the escalation point during outages, degradation events, or carrier failures
Arena, Entertainment & Event-Critical Networking Architect and operate networks supporting live events with zero tolerance for downtime
Apply modern arena-grade networking technologies supporting ticketing, POS, media, guest Wi-Fi, and operations
Ensure network and internet uptime meets 100% availability expectations during events
Lead post-event technical reviews and continuous improvement initiatives
Zero Trust Architecture & Security Alignment (NIST 800-207) Design, implement, and operate a Zero Trust Network Architecture (ZTNA) aligned with NIST SP 800-207
Apply continuous verification, least-privilege access, and micro-segmentation across all network layers
Architect policy enforcement points (PEPs) and policy decision points (PDPs) within the network
Segment and protect traffic across users, devices, applications, services, and data flows
Maintain maturity roadmaps to evolve zero trust capabilities over time
Multi-Entity & Converged Network Design Design and manage a converged network supporting multiple business entities and partners
Enforce strict isolation while enabling secure shared services and infrastructure
Support private, public, broadcast, IoT, and building management traffic on a common platform
Ensure network design supports scalability for future tenants, events, and technologies
IoT & Building Management Network Security Design and manage zero trust network segments for IoT devices and building management systems
Apply risk-based segmentation, monitoring, and policy enforcement for non-traditional endpoints
Ensure IoT and OT networks align with organizational cybersecurity standards
Firewall Architecture & Cybersecurity Controls Own firewall platform selection, architecture, and rule governance
Ensure network-layer controls align with cybersecurity policies, compliance, and risk frameworks
Partner with cybersecurity leadership on threat modeling, incident response, and audits
Review and approve network security changes impacting risk posture
Broadcast & Media Transport Support broadcast and media workflows across IP, fiber, wireless, and hybrid transport models
Ensure high-bandwidth, low-latency performance for media production and distribution
Collaborate with broadcast engineers and partners on architecture and troubleshooting
Design resilient media transport paths for live and recorded content
Vendor & Partner Management Lead vendor evaluation, selection, and contract negotiation for all network-related technologies
Manage strategic relationships with vendors, integrators, and carriers
Coordinate with third-party partners including Live Nation, Ticketmaster, and food & beverage vendors
Ensure vendor solutions align with zero trust, security, and architectural standards
Budget Ownership & Financial Management Own the network infrastructure CAPEX and OPEX budgets
Develop and manage multi-year network investment roadmaps
Forecast, justify, and prioritize expenditures based on business and risk needs
Optimize vendor contracts and licensing for cost efficiency and performance
Track spend, reconcile invoices, and report financial status to executive leadership
Leadership, Mentorship & Collaboration Serve as a senior technical leader and trusted advisor within the IT organization
Mentor junior network and infrastructure engineers and technicians
Collaborate across IT, cybersecurity, AV, broadcast, facilities, and business teams
Promote operational excellence, documentation, and knowledge sharing