Principal Network Architect

Northern Trust; Limerick; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Northern Trust is seeking a Network Architect to lead the design and implementation of the company’s global network infrastructure. The role focuses on architecting scalable, secure networks and mentoring a global team of engineers.

You will engage with application teams and stakeholders to translate requirements into robust solutions. The ideal candidate has 15+ years of IP network experience, strong expertise in routing, switching, security, and data center strategies, and a proven track

Qualifications

• BS in a technical discipline or equivalent.
• 15+ years in IP network design and solutions.
• 10+ years with routing protocols and SD-WAN.
• 10+ years with Layer 2 protocols and data center tech.
• 10+ years in WAN/LAN, transport, and security tech.
• Deep knowledge of core network services (DNS, DHCP, NTP, etc.).
• Experience leading global technical teams and communicating with stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Architect and implement Northern Trust's global network solutions.
• Lead design reviews and mentor engineering staff.
• Collaborate with operations to improve availability and efficiency.
• Evaluate new tools and technologies to modernize the network.
• Provide escalation support for complex network issues.

Skills

IP networking architecture

BGP/OSPF/EIGRP

WAN/LAN networks

Security technologies

Cisco/Nexus/Juniper

Team leadership

Stakeholder comms

Education

BS in Electrical/Telecom/CS

Tools

Cisco Nexus

Check Point/Palo Alto/Tufin

F5/NetScaler

AWS/Azure

Infoblox

Job description

About Northern Trust

As a global leader in innovative wealth management, asset servicing, asset management and banking services, Northern Trust (Nasdaq: NTRS) is proud to guide the world’s most successful individuals, families, corporations and institutions.

About Northern Trust

As a global leader in innovative wealth management, asset servicing, asset management and banking services, Northern Trust (Nasdaq: NTRS) is proud to guide the world’s most successful individuals, families, corporations and institutions.
Since 1889, we have aligned our efforts with our three guiding Principles That Endure: Service, Expertise, and Integrity. Together, they reflect the three cornerstones of business conduct which we strive to instill in our employees, whom we call partners, and to provide to our clients and the communities we serve worldwide.
With more than 135 years of financial experience and over 24,000 partners, we serve the world’s most sophisticated clients using leading technology and exceptional service.
The Network Architect will serve as the subject matter expert for architecting and implementing Northern Trust’s global network, including the applications and services that run on top of it. This role will engage with various stakeholders and application teams in a solution-design capacity to help bring conceptual designs into production. The position also requires the ability to lead and mentor team members in the design, support, and engineering of the network while working with operations teams to improve system availability and efficiency.
The Network Architect will proactively research and evaluate tools, techniques, and technologies appropriate for the network environment while developing solutions to increase performance and availability, lower total cost of ownership, and modernize and transform network and service-delivery functions. This may include not only traditional network technologies, but also hosting strategies, resiliency and recovery strategies, security strategies, and data center and colocation strategies. The individual in this role is expected to stay abreast of industry trends, vendor offerings, technology innovation, and changing customer requirements to provide effective solutions aligned to business outcomes.
The Network Architect will translate logical or conceptual designs into physical designs, accounting for requirements, target environments, processes, performance needs, existing systems and services, and non-functional requirements such as capacity, availability, and performance. These designs should align with modernization and transformation roadmaps and initiatives to move the enterprise in the right direction. The Network Architect provides technical design guidance and strategic leadership to engineering and application teams and acts as the ultimate escalation point for network issues. The Network Architect also serves as the technical escalation point of contact for infrastructure teams, application development teams, and leadership.
This role will provide trouble resolution of the global network for escalated issues and may perform on-call duties and off-hours support when needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, Telecommunication Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Information Systems, or the equivalent of a four-year accredited degree in a technical discipline.
• 15+ years of experience managing and designing solutions within an IP network with a four-year Bachelor of Science degree, or 20+ years of relevant experience with IP networks and network services such as DNS, time services, NAC, security, IPS, load balancing, hosting, and data center strategies for colocation or data center migration.
• 10+ years of experience with routing protocols, including BGP, OSPF, and EIGRP. Experience with SD-WAN.
• 10+ years of experience with Layer 2 protocols, including vPC, data center zones, Spanning Tree, VRF, VTP, VLANs, and physical cabling.
• 10+ years of experience with WAN/LAN and transport technologies, including vendor fabric interconnect technologies such as Ethernet, Frame Relay, MPLS, DWDM, and Equinix Fabric.
• 10+ years of working knowledge of security technologies, including IPsec, IKEv1 and IKEv2, Kerberos, SSH, RADIUS, TACACS+, VPDNs, PKI, AAA, and VPN using IPsec. Strong technical knowledge of network control protocols such as QoS, PoE, NTP, and DHCP; network management protocols such as CDP, FTP, TFTP, and SNMP; and security protocols such as SSH, HTTPS, AAA, IPsec, and TrustSec. Extensive experience with Cisco Catalyst and Nexus switching platforms, as well as Juniper MX routers, Aruba switches, and Arista switches.
• 10+ years of working knowledge of core network services such as DNS, DHCP, load balancing, NTP, NAC, authentication, and application solution design.
• In-depth implementation and troubleshooting experience with IP networks and the ability to think critically in high-pressure, confidential environments.

You will have expert knowledge and experience in several of the following areas:

• NGFW platforms and management tools such as Tufin
• Network Access Control in enterprise environments
• Application delivery and load balancers
• Public and Private cloud security
• Workflow automation
• Cisco Routing & Switching
• WAN Optimization
• DNS, IPAM and DHCP
• Colocation management and fabric designs
• Datacenter migration

It is desirable and advantageous to also have knowledge and experience of the following technology platforms:

• Check Point, Palo Alto, Fortinet, and Tufin
• F5 and NetScaler
• Forescout, Cisco ISE
• Infoblox
• Microsoft Active Directory, CyberArk
• AWS, Azure
• Illumio

Strong interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills, with the ability to work well in a collaborative environment. Strong relationship-building skills conducive to team development. Demonstrated listening and collaboration skills for uncovering technology trends and evolving disruptions. Experience leading and collaborating with global technical teams across many regions. Proven analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to quickly and accurately ascertain risks and form responses.
Ability to engage with technical and non-technical teams across infrastructure and application areas, as well as with management. Ability to explain relevant concepts, issues, and proposals to various levels of the organization in terms appropriate to each audience, and to translate and mediate among them. Strive for consensus and timely decision delivery. Actively participate in the Architecture Review Board.
Written skills to document and propose designs and solutions, both upon request and through personal initiative. Generate position papers on relevant technologies, proposals, and strategies.
Ability to think proactively and solve problems independently.

Work Authorization

Applicants must have the right to work in Ireland at the time of application and for the duration of employment.
Please note that Northern Trust is unable to provide employment permit sponsorship for this role. This includes Critical Skills Employment Permits, General Employment Permits, Intra-Company Transfer Employment Permits, Stamp 1G permissions, and other employment permits under Irish immigration frameworks.

Working with Us

As a Northern Trust partner, you will be part of a flexible and collaborative work culture, which has a strong history of financial strength and stability. Movement within the organization is encouraged, senior leaders are accessible, and you can take pride in working for a company committed to an inclusive workplace and assisting the communities we serve.
Philanthropy is deeply rooted in Northern Trust’s history and is an essential element of our culture. Employees around the world give their time and talent to work for the greater good of their communities.

Reasonable Accommodation

Northern Trust is committed to working with and providing adjustments to individuals with health conditions and disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please email our HR Service Center at [e-mail], or alternatively you can discuss your individual requirements with the recruiter you are working with.