Head Of Network Architecture

Cityfibre; Milton Keynes; Hybrid; GBP 117,000 - 143,000; Full time

Job summary

CityFibre, the UK’s largest independent full fibre network, is seeking a Head of Network Architecture. You’ll translate strategy into target architectures and roadmaps across fibre, transport, and cloud services, ensuring designs meet requirements and governance standards.

You’ll lead architectural governance, drive major network programs, and build a high-performing team while collaborating with engineering and delivery functions to optimise performance and resilience.

Qualifications

• Degree-level qualification or equivalent in telecommunications or network engineering.
• Proven ability translating strategy into target architectures and roadmaps.
• Experience governing architectural principles, standards and governance.

Responsibilities

• Lead network target architectures and transition roadmaps across fibre, optical, core/edge, cloud and services.
• Define and govern architecture principles, standards and reference designs.
• Produce and assure Network High-Level Designs aligned to architectures.
• Collaborate with Network Engineering to keep designs aligned with standards.
• Evaluate technology options and lifecycle decisions for major investments.
• Provide architectural leadership across network transformation and migrations.
• Govern architecture delivery by vendors and partners.
• Build and lead a high-performing Network Architecture team.

Skills

Network Architecture

Telecommunications

Stakeholder Management

Cloud & Network Services

Education

Bachelor's degree in Telecommunications or related field

Job description

Job Description

This hybrid role offers a great balance of home and office working. You’ll join your colleagues in your local office at least two days a week.

As the UK’s largest independent full fibre network and wholesale platform of choice, we’re busy setting new standards for what digital infrastructure can and should be.

Our network is greener, more reliable and designed for the future. The products we run over it lead the way on speed, value and service - helping businesses to innovate, communities to thrive, and people to live more connected digital lives.

At CityFibre, you’ll be part of something bigger, helping to build a better-connected Britain, together.

Joining us as a Head of Network Architecture

As Head of Network Architecture, you’ll lead the development and evolution of CityFibre’s network architecture across fibre and passive infrastructure, optical and transport, core and edge networks, network services and supporting technologies. You’ll translate our technology and network strategy into clear target architectures, standards, roadmaps and High-Level Designs, ensuring our network continues to support our customers and wider business strategy.

You’ll receive a salary of up to £130k DOE a performance related bonus and a flexible benefits package.

This is some of what you can expect to be doing:

• Lead the development and evolution of network target architectures and transition roadmaps across fibre, optical and transport, core and edge, cloud and network services
• Define and govern network architecture principles, standards, reference architectures and design patterns
• Lead the production and assurance of Network High-Level Designs, ensuring requirements, interfaces, constraints and architectural decisions are clearly defined
• Work closely with Network Engineering and Network Implementation to ensure detailed designs remain aligned to approved architectures and standards
• Evaluate network technology options and lifecycle decisions, supporting major investment cases, supplier selection and technology roadmaps
• Provide architectural leadership across network transformation, technology refresh, migration and retirement programmes
• Govern network architecture delivered by vendors and strategic partners while retaining internal design authority
• Build and lead a high-performing Network Architecture team

What you’ll bring to the role

You’ll bring significant senior leadership experience in Network Architecture within a large-scale telecommunications, service-provider or infrastructure environment, with a strong track record of translating network strategy into target architectures, roadmaps and High-Level Designs. You’ll also have:

• Strong architecture and design experience across fibre, optical and transport, IP core and edge, network services and cloud-native network technologies
• Experience developing network strategy, target architectures, transition roadmaps and Network High-Level Designs
• Experience establishing architecture principles, standards, reference designs and technical governance
• Strong understanding of network resilience, availability, performance, capacity, security, operability and technology lifecycle considerations
• Experience leading technology evolution, migration and transformation across complex network environments
• Strong commercial awareness, including experience supporting major investment cases and supplier or technology selection decisions
• Excellent senior stakeholder management and communication skills, alongside experience building and leading Network Architecture teams

Life at CityFibre

Everyone deserves to feel heard, valued and truly included. Working alongside our Employee Communities, we’re committed to creating a workplace where people feel a genuine sense of belonging and pride in what they do. That’s why we’re proud to be a Times Top 50 Employer for Gender Equality, endorsed by WORK180, a Disability Confident Leader, a Care Leaver Friendly Employer, and a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award.

We’ll support you to thrive inside and outside of work, with opportunities to grow your career and a flexible benefits package that adapts to your life – including generous annual leave (with an extra day off on your birthday), private medical insurance, health cash plans and family-friendly policies.

Find out more about our culture, communities and benefits on our careers site.

Qualifications

Essential

• Degree-level qualification or equivalent professional experience in telecommunications, network engineering, technology or a related discipline

Desirable

• Relevant network architecture, engineering, cloud or security certification
• TM Forum or equivalent telecommunications industry certification
• Leadership or management qualification

Additional Information

We want to create a sense of belonging for everyone. We celebrate our differences and work to ensure everyone has the best chance to succeed, starting with our recruitment process. No matter your background, family or carer status, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, gender, or gender identity, we welcome your application. If you need any support or reasonable adjustments throughout the application process, please email us at [e-mail]. We want to help!