Sr. Network Architect

Pleasant Consulting • Minneapolis, MN

16d

About The Position

The Network Architect is responsible for supporting the development of network architecture enabling the organization to meet business objectives. The position supports designing technology solutions which will support the enterprise infrastructure of the organization. Analyzes business and IT requirements and ensures that systems will be secure and effectively integrated with current infrastructure. Ensures that all systems are working at optimal levels and offers support to Infrastructure Engineering and Application teams regarding new technologies and system requirements. Has thorough knowledge of infrastructure, network architecture, and Application Delivery. The primary duties are: Architect and create roadmaps for all Infrastructure related technology, participates in conversations with vendors and internal business customers on long\-term business goals and objectives, support fiscally reasonable designs and architecture, manages Life Cycle Management (LCM) for Infrastructure technologies, participates in project management efforts including Intake, Preliminary Design, Gather Requirements, architecture review boards and project oversight. Secondarily this position will support interactions for all IT initiatives. Skills: Responsibilities/Job Description Participates in evaluations of technology and sourcing with executive leadership; assess emerging technologies; provide key input on technology investments regarding price vs. performance vs. capabilities. Knowledge of emerging technologies and vendor roadmaps; ability to balance costs against benefits. Participates in the design and documentation of target architecture; evaluate and project capacity growth; ensure scalable and flexible core technologies; stay abreast of industry trends and to quickly assess new products; use KPI’s and effective metrics to improve key processes; bridge knowledge with peers across typically separate areas infrastructure landscape. Builds understanding of business drivers and stakeholder requirements; understanding of documentation and architectural frameworks; experience in capacity and performance management. Effectively integrates core capabilities with new technology to allow successful implementation developed solutions, projects and standards definitions. Supports and participates in architectural reviews and/or audits; defines and maintains documentation of network and technology standards, process, and policies related to core infrastructure areas. Develops and reviews solutions to ensure network systems and associated processes align with IT strategies and roadmaps. Participates in the review and recommendation of infrastructure technologies to meet business needs and priorities as aligned with enterprise strategies. Design the technical network infrastructure for the enterprise; effectively integrate solutions into the existing network; document current state network architecture; consult on key projects; help deploy solutions that meet the business’ needs and meet technical requirements. Provide technical and process expertise to support operations engineers; including involvement in major incidents/outages; ability to help resolve implementation issues, communicate system requirements and resolve system integration issues. Hands\-on experience and expertise with specific technologies relevant to the enterprises’ needs, including varied systems software and multiple hardware platforms; display creative and critical thinking skillsets; deliver an innovative approach to problem solving. Ability to conceptualize business needs and solutions at a high level and then develop technical requirements and recommend solutions. Ability to understand the existing operational environment and drive improvement to existing design and solutions.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Information Technology field or equivalent combination of education/experience
• 8+ years’ IT experience in roles of increasing technical responsibility
• Demonstrated expert level understanding of network technologies. (ACI, SDN, SDWAN, routing, switching, firewalls, wireless, application load balancing, network visibility.)
• Demonstrated expert level understanding of network practices, and protocols. (MPLS/SR, optical networking, LISP, VXLAN, IPv4, IPv6, 802.1X, segmentation, QoS, IPAM.)
• 5+ years of experience designing network infrastructure for a large / complex network
• 5+ years of experience designing highly available infrastructure and services for a 24x7 environment
• Demonstrated understanding of network operations and support methodologies and processes
• Experience with infrastructure and network automation platforms and coding. (Postman, Terraform, Ansible, Python, etc.)
• Experience with Internet policy and design. (ARIN, IRR, IXPs, BGP policy design, RPKI, DDoS mitigation.)
• Demonstrated understanding and experience in cloud networking design for both hybrid and cloud native deployments
• Skills in general architecture, operations, or deployment methodologies and techniques
• 5+ years software development, maintenance and/or technical support experience
• Effective communication skills to interact with all levels of technology and business partners
• Excellent facilitation skills
• Experience delivering concurrent, large information management projects at all phases-from project definition through design and delivery
• Solid understanding and applied expertise in solutions architecture designs and concepts, which include but are not limited to: SDLC Process, Security, high availability, recovery, performance, monitoring and operations design
• Public speaking experience in front of large groups and executives
• Experience working with vague requirements and/or within organizations that are non-structured

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in IT or health informatics
• Healthcare Industry specific knowledge that includes a working knowledge of industry standards and architectures
• TOGAF
• ITIL

Responsibilities

• Architect and create roadmaps for all Infrastructure related technology
• Participates in conversations with vendors and internal business customers on long-term business goals and objectives
• Support fiscally reasonable designs and architecture
• Manages Life Cycle Management (LCM) for Infrastructure technologies
• Participates in project management efforts including Intake, Preliminary Design, Gather Requirements, architecture review boards and project oversight
• Participates in evaluations of technology and sourcing with executive leadership
• Assess emerging technologies
• Provide key input on technology investments regarding price vs. performance vs. capabilities
• Participates in the design and documentation of target architecture
• Evaluate and project capacity growth
• Ensure scalable and flexible core technologies
• Stay abreast of industry trends and to quickly assess new products
• Use KPI’s and effective metrics to improve key processes
• Bridge knowledge with peers across typically separate areas infrastructure landscape
• Effectively integrates core capabilities with new technology to allow successful implementation developed solutions, projects and standards definitions
• Supports and participates in architectural reviews and/or audits
• Defines and maintains documentation of network and technology standards, process, and policies related to core infrastructure areas
• Develops and reviews solutions to ensure network systems and associated processes align with IT strategies and roadmaps
• Participates in the review and recommendation of infrastructure technologies to meet business needs and priorities as aligned with enterprise strategies
• Design the technical network infrastructure for the enterprise
• Effectively integrate solutions into the existing network
• Document current state network architecture
• Consult on key projects
• Help deploy solutions that meet the business’ needs and meet technical requirements
• Provide technical and process expertise to support operations engineers
• Ability to help resolve implementation issues, communicate system requirements and resolve system integration issues
• Deliver an innovative approach to problem solving
• Ability to conceptualize business needs and solutions at a high level and then develop technical requirements and recommend solutions
• Ability to understand the existing operational environment and drive improvement to existing design and solutions

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Mid Level