Principal Solutions Architect - Network

SHI International Corp. • US - TX - Home Office, TX

4d • $150,000 - $275,000

About The Position

The Principal Network Solution Architect serves as a senior technical authority and trusted advisor for enterprise networking. The role leads discovery, strategy, architecture, and delivery of complex solutions across campus, branch, data center, cloud, and hybrid environments. It translates business priorities and risk considerations into scalable technical roadmaps, reference architectures, and implementation plans, guiding customers, sales teams, delivery resources, and technology partners toward successful outcomes.

This position combines hands-on technical expertise with consultative leadership. The architect influences executive and technical stakeholders, provides architectural governance, shapes service offerings, mentors consultants, and remains accountable for solution quality throughout the engagement lifecycle.

The role leads architecture assessments, discovery workshops, design sessions, and technical decisions; designs secure, resilient, scalable, and supportable networking solutions; and develops assessments, future-state architectures, roadmaps, standards, reference designs, and implementation strategies. It provides governance during deployment, migration, upgrades, troubleshooting, and optimization, identifies risks and tradeoffs, and acts as an escalation point for complex issues.

The architect advises customer executives and technical teams, connects business, security, operational, and financial requirements to architecture decisions, and leads technical workstreams and multidisciplinary teams. The role also delivers briefings, presentations, workshops, and documentation; partners with sales and presales on opportunity discovery, solution strategy, scoping, estimates, statements of work, and presentations; improves Network service offerings and delivery standards; builds technology-partner relationships; monitors industry trends; and coaches architects, consultants, and engineers.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or technical degree in Network Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related discipline, or equivalent relevant experience.
• 12+ years of progressive experience in enterprise networking, network security, architecture, engineering, consulting, or operations.
• 8+ years leading the design and delivery of complex customer-facing networks or security solutions.
• Deep expertise in enterprise network and cloud architecture across Cisco and at least one additional major networking platform, such as Juniper or HPE Aruba.
• Strong knowledge of AWS, Microsoft Azure, and/or Google Cloud connectivity models.
• Experience designing and architecting solutions across campus, branch, data center, cloud, hybrid connectivity, network security, WAN, SD-WAN, Cloud WAN, and modern frameworks including VXLAN/EVPN.
• Ability to architect solutions across enterprise systems, integration layers, data platforms, and complex network infrastructures, including routing, switching, segmentation, high availability, resiliency, and traffic-flow design.
• Advanced knowledge of cybersecurity principles, network security architecture, data privacy, and regulatory compliance frameworks, including next-generation firewalls, VPNs, NAC, Zero Trust, SSE, and SASE.
• Ability to translate complex technical and architectural concepts into clear, business-focused insights, recommendations, and executive-level presentations.
• Experience leading discovery, architecture development, implementation planning, migration initiatives, technical governance, and delivery standards for complex technology engagements and transformations.
• Strong understanding of modern technology delivery methodologies, including Agile and DevOps practices.
• Exceptional analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills, with deep expertise in one or more strategic domains such as enterprise networking, data center fabrics, SD-WAN, cloud networking, network security, or SASE.
• Experience supporting complex presales engagements.
• Availability to travel to customer sites up to 30% annually.

Nice To Haves

• Industry-recognized networking, cloud, security, and enterprise architecture certifications are strongly preferred, including Cisco CCNP/CCIE, Juniper JNCIP/JNCIE, HPE Aruba professional/expert certifications, AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, SASE/security architecture certifications, and TOGAF.

Responsibilities

• Lead architecture assessments, discovery workshops, design sessions, and technical decision-making for large or complex customer environments.
• Design secure, resilient, scalable, and supportable solutions across routing, switching, wireless, load balancing, segmentation, VXLAN/EVPN, SD-WAN, Cloud WAN, firewalls, VPN, SSE, and SASE.
• Develop current-state assessments, future-state architectures, transition roadmaps, standards, reference designs, and implementation strategies.
• Provide technical governance during deployment, migration, upgrade, troubleshooting, and optimization, including review of high-level and low-level designs.
• Identify architectural risks, dependencies, constraints, and tradeoffs, and present practical recommendations aligned to customer objectives.
• Serve as the escalation point for complex design and delivery issues and guide teams toward timely resolution.
• Advise customer executives, technology leaders, architects, engineers, and operations teams.
• Connect business goals, security requirements, operational needs, and financial considerations to network architecture decisions.
• Lead technical workstreams and multidisciplinary teams while remaining accountable for quality, scope alignment, and customer outcomes.
• Create and deliver executive briefings, architecture presentations, whiteboard sessions, workshops, and written recommendations for technical and non-technical audiences.
• Produce and maintain professional design, deployment, operational, and knowledge-transfer documentation.
• Partner with sales and presales teams on opportunity discovery, qualification, solution strategy, scoping, estimates, statements of work, and customer presentations.
• Shape and continually improve Network service offerings, delivery methods, reusable intellectual property, and quality standards.
• Build relationships with strategic technology partners and represent SHI through webinars, conferences, meetups, and customer events.
• Monitor industry direction, emerging technologies, and market behavior; translate relevant trends into customer and practice recommendations.
• Coach and mentor architects, consultants, and engineers; promote consistent architecture practices and continuous improvement.

Benefits

• Medical insurance
• Vision insurance
• Dental insurance
• 401(k)
• Flexible spending account
• Health, wellness, and financial benefits
• Continuous professional growth and leadership opportunities

What This Job Offers

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