Enterprise Network Architect (IT Architect 3) - Provisional

The City University of New York; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 136,000 - 173,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work schedule

Job summary

The City University of New York (CUNY) is seeking an Enterprise Network Architect to lead design, governance, and evolution of the university-wide network. This senior role translates business needs into scalable, secure, and resilient architectures across on‑premises, hybrid, and cloud environments, guiding standards for LAN/WAN, data centers, Wi‑Fi, and security boundaries.

Reporting to the Deputy Chief Technology Officer for CUNY Network Services, you will mentor engineers, drive IaC and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering or related field
• 5+ years of experience translating business requirements into technical architecture
• 6+ years if using alternative degree path
• 10+ years preferred for senior roles (see notes)
• Certifications such as CCNP/CCIE or cloud/enterprise architecture are beneficial

Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise network architecture across on-prem, hybrid, and cloud environments
• Develop architecture standards and governance frameworks
• Collaborate with cybersecurity, cloud, and application teams to deliver integrated solutions
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to engineering teams
• Review vendor proposals, BOMs, and scopes of work; participate in on-call support as needed

Skills

Enterprise networking

Architecture design

IaC / automation

Leadership / mentoring

Collaboration with cybersecurity

Education

Bachelor’s degree in CS/engineering or related field

Four-to-six years of architecture-focused experience

Tools

BOMs/SOWs review

Networking across LAN/WAN/Wi-Fi

Job description

The Office of Computing and Information Services (CIS) at the City University of New York (CUNY) supports the IT and telecommunications needs of CUNY's 26 colleges. CIS supports enterprise IT and applications, identifies and develops new technologies that advance the University's core mission, operates and maintains the University's network, the enterprise Data Center, and the CUNY Service Desk. Additionally, CIS manages the processes that safeguard the University’s IT assets and maintaining the security posture by operating the CUNY Security Operations Center (SOC), develops disaster recovery plans for business continuity, and supports the CUNYfirst Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution that integrates student administration, financial management, and human resources operations across CUNY’s 26 colleges. Lastly, CIS provides strategic and operational IT leadership to all CUNY campuses.

Reporting to the Deputy Chief Technology Officer of CUNY Network Services, the Enterprise Network Architect serves as a senior technical authority responsible for the design, governance, and evolution of enterprise network architecture across CUNY. This role operates with broad latitude for independent decision-making and is responsible for translating institutional and business requirements into scalable, secure, and resilient network architectures. The Enterprise Network Architect leads the development of architecture standards, ensures alignment with cybersecurity and cloud strategies, and oversees the implementation of highly complex and critical network solutions across on-premises, hybrid, and cloud environments. This role collaborates with the infrastructure, cybersecurity, cloud, and application teams to deliver enterprise-wide networking solutions supporting academic, administrative, and research initiatives.

Key duties include, but are not limited to the following:

• Architects and oversees critical applications consisting of enterprise WAN, metro, and campus connectivity solutions, including routing, redundancy, traffic engineering, and optical transport strategies; defines and maintains enterprise network architecture across LAN, WAN (DWDM and IP), Wi-Fi, data center, and hybrid cloud environments, including current and future state designs.
• Establishes and oversees architecture standards, reference designs, and governance frameworks to ensure alignment with institutional strategy and cybersecurity requirements.
• Designs and ensures highly available, resilient network architectures supporting enterprise data centers, cloud platforms, and mission-critical services.
• Defines and implements network segmentation, trust boundaries, and secures architecture patterns across all network domains.
• Assists in the development and establishes critical enterprise network observability strategies, includes monitoring, alerting, telemetry, and end-to-end service visibility.
• Leads network automation initiatives, promoting Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC), configuration management, and operational efficiency.
• Develops and governs architecture documentation, including high- and low-level designs, diagrams, SOPs, and MOPs.
• Evaluates emerging technologies and leads proof-of-concept (POC) and proof-of-value (POV) initiatives to inform architectural decisions.
• Provides technical leadership, mentorship, and design oversight to engineering teams, ensuring architectural alignment and quality.
• Collaborates with cybersecurity, cloud, infrastructure, and application teams to deliver integrated enterprise solutions and ensures compliance with security standards.
• Reviews vendor proposals, bills of materials (BOMs), and scopes of work (SOWs), and performs special projects and related duties, including travel across campuses and participation in on-call support as required.

NOTES:

• Until further notice, this position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule.
• An appointment to this Competitive title/position in the Classified Civil Service Title Series will be made with a Provisional status. Employees in provisional status must pass a competitive civil service examination and be appointed from a civil service list to remain in the title/position.

FLSA

Non-exempt

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

1. A baccalaureate degree in computer science, engineering or a related field from an accredited college or university and five (5) years of satisfactory full-time experience converting business requirements into a technical architecture and design and implementing IT applications and solutions by working with stakeholders, project managers, analysts, and technical teams; or

2. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university and six (6) years of satisfactory full-time experience as described in “1” above; or

3. A high school diploma or its educational equivalent and ten (10) years of satisfactory full-time experience as described in “1” above; or

4. Education and/or experience which is equivalent to " 1," "2" or "3" above. The following may substitute for some of the required experience required in "1," "2" or "3" above, as follows:

College education (undergraduate credits) may substitute for up to four (4) years of the required experience in "3" above on the following basis:

A. 30 to 59.9 semester credits substitute for 1 year of experience; or

B. 60 to 89.9 semester credits substitute for 2 years of experience; or

C. 90 to 119.9 semester credits substitute for 3 years of experience; or

D. 120 or more semester credits substitute for 4 years of experience.

Graduate credits in information technology, computer science or a related field may substitute for up to two (2) years of experience in "1" or "2" above on the following basis:

A. 15 to 29.9 graduate credits substitute for 1 year of required experience; or

B. 30 or more graduate credits substitute for 2 years of required experience.

Each of the following valid and current certification(s) may substitute for one (1) year of the required experience in "1," "2" or "3" above:

A. Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) issued by ISACA; and/or

B. Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) issued by Infosec; and/or

C. Cisco Certified Architect (CCAr) issued by CISCO; and/or

D. Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert issued by Microsoft; and/or

E. NetApp Certified Data Administrator (NCDA) issued by any authorized organization approved by NetApp; and/or

F. NetApp Certified Implementation Engineer (NCIE)issued by any authorized organization approved by NetApp; and/or

G. NetApp Certified Support Engineer (NCSE)issued by any authorized organization approved by NetApp; and/or

H. Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Architect Professional Certification issued by Oracle; and/or

I. TOGAF 9 Certified issued by The Open Group; and/or

J. TOGAF 9 Foundation issued by The Open Group; and/or

K. TOGAF Business Architecture Foundation issued by The Open Group; and/or

L. TOGAF Enterprise Architecture Foundation issued by The Open Group; and/or

M. TOGAF Enterprise Architecture Practitioner issued by The Open Group; and/or

N. VMware Certified Design Expert – Cloud Management and Automation issued by VMware; and/or

O. VMware Certified Design Expert – Data Center Virtualization issued by VMware; and/or

P. VMware Certified Design Expert – End-User Computing issued by VMware; and/or

Q. VMware Certified Design Expert – Network Virtualization issued by VMware.

However, all candidates must have a high school diploma or its educational equivalent and at least three (3) years of experience as described in “1” above.

OTHER QUALIFICATIONS

Preferred:

• 10+ years of experience in enterprise networking across LAN, WAN, Wi-Fi, data center, and hybrid cloud environments, with demonstrated experience as a network architect or senior design authority.
• Experience designing and supporting large-scale, multi-site or federated environments (higher education or public sector preferred).
• Deep expertise in routing and switching protocols including BGP, OSPF, VLANs, VRFs, and MPLS, with strong knowledge of high-availability and resiliency design.
• Strong experience with data center networking architectures, including spine-leaf design, EVPN/VXLAN, and inter-data center connectivity.
• Experience designing hybrid and multi-cloud network architectures across AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud environments.
• Expertise in network segmentation, security architecture, and defining trust boundaries across complex enterprise environments.
• Experience with enterprise network monitoring, observability, and performance engineering tools (e.g., Splunk, SolarWinds, Datadog, or similar).
• Experience implementing network automation and Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) using Python, Ansible, APIs, or similar tools.
• Relevant certifications such as CCNP Enterprise/Data Center (required), CCIE (preferred), or cloud/enterprise architecture certifications (e.g., AWS, Azure, TOGAF).
• Strong leadership, communication, and collaboration skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders, mentor technical teams, and drive enterprise architecture decisions.

COMPENSATION

Level 3: $136,374- $173,000

BENEFITS

CUNY offers a comprehensive benefits package to employees and eligible dependents based on job title and classification. Employees are also offered pension and Tax-Deferred Savings Plans. Part-time employees must meet a weekly or semester work hour criteria to be eligible for health benefits. Health benefits are also extended to retirees who meet the eligibility criteria.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

CUNY encourages people with disabilities, minorities, veterans and women to apply. At CUNY, Italian Americans are also included among our protected groups. Applicants and employees will not be discriminated against on the basis of any legally protected category, including sexual orientation or gender identity. EEO/AA/Vet/Disability Employer.