Senior Network Architect

Placements24; Greater London; On-site; GBP 54,000 - 81,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Retirement savings plan

Generous paid time off

Professional development & certs

Office-based role

Job summary

Placements24 in East London, ZA is seeking an experienced Senior Network Architect to design, implement, and manage a scalable network infrastructure. This office-based role focuses on high availability, performance, and security across LAN, WAN, and data centers, with collaboration across IT operations and security.

You will lead network standards, mentor junior engineers, assess hardware and software, and stay current with emerging technologies.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field.
• 7+ years of experience in network design and architecture.
• Experience with routing protocols (BGP, OSPF), security (firewalls, VPNs), and WAN/LAN.

Responsibilities

• Design and architect scalable, resilient, and secure network infrastructures (LAN, WAN, Data Center).
• Develop and maintain network standards, documentation, and diagrams.
• Lead the implementation of new network technologies and solutions.
• Ensure network performance, availability, and capacity planning.
• Define and implement network security policies and best practices.
• Collaborate with IT operations and security teams to troubleshoot and resolve network issues.
• Evaluate and recommend network hardware, software, and services.
• Stay current with emerging networking technologies and industry trends.
• Mentor junior network engineers and provide technical guidance.

Skills

Network design

BGP

OSPF

Network security

VPNs & firewalls

Cloud networking

Leadership / mentoring

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field

Tools

Cisco

Juniper

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a rapidly expanding telecommunications company, is seeking an experienced Senior Network Architect to join their dedicated team in East London, Eastern Cape, ZA. This is an office-based role critical for designing, implementing, and managing the company's robust and scalable network infrastructure. You will be responsible for the overall network strategy, ensuring high availability, performance, and security across all network components. This includes designing routing and switching architectures, firewall strategies, VPNs, and WAN/LAN solutions. The ideal candidate possesses a deep understanding of modern networking technologies, protocols, and best practices, along with strong problem-solving and analytical skills. You will collaborate with IT operations, security teams, and external vendors to deliver cutting-edge network solutions that support business growth and ensure seamless connectivity for our customers. This is a key opportunity to shape the network infrastructure of a growing organization.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and architect scalable, resilient, and secure network infrastructures (LAN, WAN, Data Center).
• Develop and maintain network standards, documentation, and diagrams.
• Lead the implementation of new network technologies and solutions.
• Ensure network performance, availability, and capacity planning.
• Define and implement network security policies and best practices.
• Collaborate with IT operations and security teams to troubleshoot and resolve network issues.
• Evaluate and recommend network hardware, software, and services.
• Stay current with emerging networking technologies and industry trends.
• Mentor junior network engineers and provide technical guidance.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• 7+ years of experience in network design and architecture.
• Proven experience designing and managing complex enterprise networks.
• In-depth knowledge of routing protocols (e.g., BGP, OSPF) and switching technologies.
• Expertise in network security concepts, firewalls, VPNs, and intrusion detection/prevention systems.
• Experience with wireless networking, load balancing, and QoS.
• Familiarity with cloud networking concepts (AWS, Azure, GCP).
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Relevant network certifications (e.g., CCIE, CCNP, JNCIE) are highly desirable.
• Ability to lead complex technical projects.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and performance-based bonuses.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Retirement savings plan.
• Generous paid time off and holidays.
• Opportunities for professional development and certifications.
• Office-based role encouraging team synergy.
• Exposure to cutting-edge networking technologies.
• Dynamic and growth-oriented work environment.