Infrastructure & Network Security Architect

Gowling WLG International; Ottawa; On-site; CAD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

100% employer-paid health, dental, and

Mental health coverage

Hybrid work flexibility

Vacation days & parental leave

Retirement savings plan with employer

Disability and life insurance

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

Gowling WLG seeks an experienced Infrastructure & Network Security Architect to lead security architecture for enterprise infrastructure, networking, and cloud platforms. You will set security standards, collaborate with the Microsoft Security Architect, and translate risk into actionable designs across on-prem and cloud environments.

This IC role emphasizes secure-by-design outcomes, with guidance delivered to engineering teams and SecOps partners to ensure resilient, compliant infrastructure

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive experience in cybersecurity.
• 5+ years specifically in infrastructure or network security architecture.
• Experience with secure connectivity, the internet edge, remote access, and perimeter defense, including SD-WAN, SASE, and ZTNA strategies.
• Deep, hands-on experience securing enterprise networks, Azure infrastructure, and internet-facing services at scale.
• Practical experience designing and implementing Zero Trust architectures aligned to ISO 27001 and NIST-based frameworks.
• Demonstrated experience with firewall, WAF, IDS/IPS, and secure connectivity technologies in complex, hybrid environments.
• Strong understanding of virtualization, containerization, and modern hosting platform security.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate technical risk into business terms for executive audiences.

Responsibilities

• Develop enterprise network and infrastructure security standards, reference architectures, and multi-year roadmaps.
• Own the architecture for secure connectivity, the internet edge, remote access, and perimeter defense, including SD-WAN, SASE, and ZTNA strategies.
• Design and govern firewalls, IDS/IPS, and WAF architectures across on-premises and cloud environments.
• Define segmentation, micro-segmentation, and Zero Trust network access patterns across the enterprise.
• Own Azure networking and cloud platform security architecture, including Azure Firewall, Front Door, Application Gateway, Private Link, and DDoS Protection.
• Lead security architecture for containers, virtualization, and hybrid infrastructure, including Infrastructure as Code security patterns.
• Establish secure landing zone and network topology standards for new cloud workloads and hosting platforms.
• Guide Active Directory and PKI architecture decisions that intersect with infrastructure and network security.
• Provide governance for enterprise security technologies (CrowdStrike, Proofpoint, Tenable, Carbon Black) and secure hosting platforms.
• Partner with Security Operations on vulnerability management, SIEM integration, incident response readiness, and infrastructure resilience.
• Review and approve architecture designs from infrastructure and cloud engineering teams to ensure alignment with security standards.
• Maintain a current risk register for infrastructure and network security, with clear remediation and mitigation plans.
• Provide technical leadership and architectural direction across infrastructure and cloud engineering teams.
• Influence enterprise architecture decisions, infrastructure security standards, and technology roadmaps.
• Defines security architecture standards for managed services, cloud providers, hosting providers, and third-party connectivity solutions.
• Mentor engineers and architects on secure infrastructure design, Zero Trust principles, and cloud-native security practices.
• Present strategic security recommendations, risk assessments, and roadmap updates to executive leadership and governance forums.
• Partner closely with the Microsoft Security Architect and other domain architects to maintain one coherent enterprise security architecture.
• Provide executive leadership with regular updates on significant cybersecurity risks, trends, and strategic recommendations.

Skills

Cybersecurity experience

Network security architecture

Zero Trust

Azure security

Firewall/WAF/IDS/IPS

Tools

Azure

CrowdStrike

Proofpoint

Tenable

Carbon Black

Job description

At Gowling WLG, our commitment to excellence begins with our people. As an international law firm with offices in Canada, the U.K., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, we’re proud to recruit and retain top talent who bring energy, insight, and a singular focus on delivering exceptional experiences – for our clients and each other.

We’re intentional about building a workplace that’s both high-performing and supportive, ensuring that everyone is empowered to do their best work and reach their full potential. Our culture is grounded in our shared values: Raise the Bar, Embrace Differences, and Thrive Together. These values shape how we collaborate, lead, and succeed – across teams, time zones, and career paths.

Whether you’re pursuing a role in law or business services, explore what’s possible and make your mark with Gowling WLG.

PROFILE

We are seeking a strategic Infrastructure & Network Security Architect to lead the security architecture for our enterprise infrastructure, networking, and cloud platforms. This role defines the security standards that protect the organization's connectivity, hosting platforms, and internet-facing services, and works in close partnership with the Microsoft Security Architect to deliver one cohesive enterprise security architecture. You will operate at the intersection of infrastructure engineering, cloud platform teams, and security operations — translating business and risk requirements into concrete architectural standards, reference designs, and roadmaps that scale with the organization.

This is an experienced individual-contributor architecture role with significant technical influence. You will be expected to lead by expertise and relationships rather than direct authority, guiding infrastructure and cloud engineering teams toward secure-by-design outcomes while balancing operational realities, cost, and business enablement.

While the role is primarily focused on architecture and design, the successful candidate will also be expected to guide implementation by translating architectural intent into practical patterns, decisions, and delivery advice. They should be comfortable working alongside engineering and security teams through implementation to help resolve design questions, manage trade-offs, and ensure solutions are delivered in line with the approved architecture.

Works closely with Cybersecurity and SecOps teams. Translates Cybersecurity team’s policies, standards, guidelines and risk requirements into technical architecture and provides SecOps team with implementation guidance.

This position can be based in any of our Canadian offices.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Network & Perimeter Security Architecture using Cisco Technologies

• Develop enterprise network and infrastructure security standards, reference architectures, and multi-year roadmaps.
• Own the architecture for secure connectivity, the internet edge, remote access, and perimeter defense, including SD-WAN, SASE, and ZTNA strategies.
• Design and govern firewalls, IDS/IPS, and WAF architectures across on-premises and cloud environments.
• Define segmentation, micro-segmentation, and Zero Trust network access patterns across the enterprise.
• Own Azure networking and cloud platform security architecture, including Azure Firewall, Front Door, Application Gateway, Private Link, and DDoS Protection.
• Lead security architecture for containers, virtualization, and hybrid infrastructure, including Infrastructure as Code security patterns.
• Establish secure landing zone and network topology standards for new cloud workloads and hosting platforms.
• Guide Active Directory and PKI architecture decisions that intersect with infrastructure and network security.
• Provide governance for enterprise security technologies (CrowdStrike, Proofpoint, Tenable, Carbon Black) and secure hosting platforms.
• Partner with Security Operations on vulnerability management, SIEM integration, incident response readiness, and infrastructure resilience.
• Review and approve architecture designs from infrastructure and cloud engineering teams to ensure alignment with security standards.
• Maintain a current risk register for infrastructure and network security, with clear remediation and mitigation plans.
• Provide technical leadership and architectural direction across infrastructure and cloud engineering teams.
• Influence enterprise architecture decisions, infrastructure security standards, and technology roadmaps.
• Defines security architecture standards for managed services, cloud providers, hosting providers, and third-party connectivity solutions.
• Mentor engineers and architects on secure infrastructure design, Zero Trust principles, and cloud-native security practices.
• Present strategic security recommendations, risk assessments, and roadmap updates to executive leadership and governance forums.
• Partner closely with the Microsoft Security Architect and other domain architects to maintain one coherent enterprise security architecture.
• Provide executive leadership with regular updates on significant cybersecurity risks, trends, and strategic recommendations.

TECHNOLOGY ENVIRONMENT – CURRENT & FUTURE

QUALIFICATIONS

• 10+ years of progressive experience in cybersecurity, with 5+ years specifically in infrastructure or network security architecture.
• Experience with secure connectivity, the internet edge, remote access, and perimeter defense, including SD-WAN, SASE, and ZTNA strategies.
• Deep, hands-on experience securing enterprise networks, Azure infrastructure, and internet-facing services at scale.
• Practical experience designing and implementing Zero Trust architectures aligned to ISO 27001 and NIST-based frameworks.
• Demonstrated experience with firewall, WAF, IDS/IPS, and secure connectivity technologies in complex, hybrid environments.
• Strong understanding of virtualization, containerization, and modern hosting platform security.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate technical risk into business terms for executive audiences.

Nice To Have — Preferred Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with cloud-native security tooling, and Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, Bicep, or similar).
• Professional certifications such as CISSP, CCSP, CISM, AZ-500, CKS, SC-100 or equivalent.
• Prior experience operating in a regulated industry with formal audit and compliance obligations.

HOW WE'LL MEASURE SUCCESS

• Measurable reduction in infrastructure and network risk exposure over time.
• Improved resilience and availability of cloud and internet-facing platforms.
• Consistent, organization-wide adoption of secure-by-design architecture principles.
• Faster, more predictable delivery of secure infrastructure and cloud projects due to clear standards and reference designs.

BENEFITS/PERKS

Gowling WLG’s total rewards program is designed to foster a culture where high performance and personal well-being go hand-in-hand. We support your career and life with:

• 100% employer-paid health, dental, and mental health coverage, plus an annual lifestyle spending allowance
• Benefits coverage for Firm members and their dependents from day one!
• 15+ vacation days and hybrid work flexibility
• Parental leave top-up for 26 weeks (after 12 months of full-time employment)
• Group Retirement Savings Plan with employer match
• Financial protection through short & long-term disability, life, accident & critical illness insurance
• Employee & Family Assistance Program, guided CBT, and an internal network of 120+ trained Mental Health First Aid responders
• Recognition awards, appreciation events, and a supportive, collaborative work culture
• Perks and preferred pricing programs, referral bonuses and more

The starting range for this role is $110,000 to $140,000. Starting salary will be determined based on an applicant’s individual skills, competencies and unique qualifications. Gowling WLG employees have the potential to exceed this range based on tenure and performance.

This position is currently vacant and is open to both internal and external candidates. Gowling WLG is recruiting for this role to support ongoing firm needs and team operations.

This employer may use tools within our applicant tracking system that include artificial intelligence–supported features, such as automated candidate matching. These tools do not make hiring decisions; all screening, assessments, and selections are reviewed and completed by human recruiters and hiring managers.

Gowling WLG is dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. If you are in need of accommodation or support at any time during the recruitment process, please let us know.