Lead Principal Enterprise Network Architect

Capgemini; Irvine (CA); Hybrid; USD 64,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

Dental coverage

Vision care

Job summary

Tundra Technical Solutions is seeking a Lead Principal Enterprise Network Architect (Contract) in Irvine, CA (Hybrid) to define enterprise network strategy, standards, and roadmaps. You will drive modernization across SD-WAN, SASE, cloud networking, and network automation while aligning security and business goals.

The role requires 10+ years in enterprise networking and 5+ years in senior roles, with strong governance experience and collaboration with MSPs and vendors.

Qualifications

• Extensive enterprise networking experience and governance.
• Ability to translate business and security requirements into architecture artifacts.
• Experience with reference architectures and standards governance.
• Strong cross-functional communication and stakeholder engagement.

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain enterprise network architecture strategy, standards, reference architectures, and target-state roadmaps.
• Develop modular network architecture patterns for campus, WAN, cloud, hybrid, data center, SASE, and Zero Trust.
• Establish guardrails for scalability, automation, resiliency, observability, and security.
• Review and approve network designs from MSPs, vendors, and internal teams.
• Participate in governance reviews and evaluate dependencies and risks.

Skills

Architecture governance

Network architecture strategy

Requirements discovery

Enterprise architecture review

Routing & Switching

Network Security

SD-WAN / SASE

Cloud Networking

Data Center Networking

Industrial Networking

Zero Trust Architecture

Network Automation

Infrastructure as Code

AI-Augmented Operations

Knowledge Management

Job description

Lead Principal Enterprise Network Architect (Contract)

Irvine, CA, United States (Hybrid)

Contract (1 year)

Published 3 days ago

TOGAF

Routing & Switching

knowledge management

The Lead Principal Enterprise Network Architect serves as the enterprise authority for network architecture strategy, standards, governance, and modernization. The role is responsible for defining reference architectures, consolidating and governing technical standards, translating business and security requirements into architecture deliverables, evaluating emerging technologies, and ensuring that network architectures support business objectives, security requirements, automation initiatives, cloud adoption, and infrastructure platform engineering principles. Success is measured through architecture quality, standards adoption, technology governance effectiveness, reusable reference architectures, reduced architectural risk, and alignment between business outcomes and network capabilities.

Key Responsibilities:

Define and maintain enterprise network architecture strategy, standards, reference architectures, and target-state roadmaps.

Develop modular network architecture patterns supporting campus, WAN, cloud, hybrid, data center, SASE, and Zero Trust initiatives.

Establish architecture guardrails supporting scalability, automation, resiliency, observability, and security.

Review and approve network design submissions from MSPs, vendors, integrators, and internal teams.

Participate in enterprise architecture governance reviews and evaluate infrastructure dependencies, risks, and integration requirements.

Validate alignment with enterprise standards, security controls, operational requirements, and architectural principles.

Translate business and technical requirements into Architecture Requirements Documents (ARDs), architecture decisions, and solution designs.

Extract, normalize, and consolidate network standards, SOPs, architectures, and operational knowledge from distributed repositories.

Establish and maintain a centralized network standards and policy knowledge base.

Produce architecture documentation, design standards, and implementation guidance.

Evaluate emerging network technologies, infrastructure platforms, automation capabilities, AI-assisted operations, and cloud networking solutions.

Support enterprise modernization programs involving SD-WAN, SASE, Zero Trust, cloud networking, network automation, infrastructure-as-code, observability, and segmentation.

Communicate architecture decisions, trade-offs, standards, risks, and recommendations to executives, architects, engineers, security teams, and business leaders.

Mentor architects and engineering teams on architecture principles, design practices, and technology strategy.

Required Qualifications:

Supported directly by hiring manager requirements and Gartner role guidance.

10+ years of enterprise networking, infrastructure engineering, or network architecture experience.

5+ years in senior, lead, or principal enterprise architecture roles.

Demonstrated experience defining enterprise network architecture standards, reference architectures, and governance processes.

Experience conducting architecture reviews and approving network designs.

Experience translating business and security requirements into architecture deliverables and requirements documentation.

Strong understanding of:

Routing and switching

VPN technologies

Network security architecture

SD-WAN and SASE concepts

Network segmentation and Zero Trust principles

Experience creating and maintaining enterprise architecture documentation and standards.

Strong cross-functional communication and stakeholder engagement skills.

Experience working with MSPs, vendors, and external implementation partners.

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience with Fortinet and Cisco (including Meraki) network solutions

Experience with network automation and programmability (Ansible, Terraform, APIs, IaC, NetDevOps).

Experience with network observability and AIOps platforms.

Experience with large-scale enterprise modernization programs.

Experience with cloud networking across Google Cloud, Azure, and AWS

Experience with OT, industrial, and IoT networking

Experience with infrastructure platform engineering concepts.

Knowledge of AI-assisted network operations and Agentic NetOps concepts.

Familiarity with DDI platforms, network source-of-truth tooling, or digital twin technologies.

Knowledge of enterprise architecture frameworks such as TOGAF.

Familiarity with ITIL-based operational models.

Relevant networking certifications (CCNP, CCIE, JNCIP, cloud networking certifications). Certification preference derived from market patterns and Gartner skill references but not required by hiring manager. .pdf)

Skills Matrix:

Skill / Competency Category Priority

Architecture governance Functional Must-Have

Network architecture strategy Technical Must-Have

Requirements discovery Functional Must-Have

Enterprise architecture review Functional Must-Have

Routing & Switching Technical Must-Have

Network Security Technical Must-Have

SD-WAN / SASE Technical Must-Have

Cloud Networking Technical Must-Have

Data Center Networking Technical Must-Have

Industrial Networking Technical Preferred

Zero Trust Architecture Technical Must-Have

Network Automation Technical Preferred

Infrastructure as Code Technical Preferred

AI-Augmented Operations Technical Optional

Knowledge Management Functional Must-Have

The pay range that the employer in good faith reasonably expects to pay for this position is $46.23/hour - $72.23/hour. Our benefits include medical, dental, vision and retirement benefits. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis.

Tundra Technical Solutions is among North America’s leading providers of Staffing and Consulting Services. Our success and our clients’ success are built on a foundation of service excellence. We are an equal opportunity employer, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or other applicable legally protected characteristic. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with applicable law, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act. Unincorporated LA County workers: we reasonably believe that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship with the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment: client provided property, including hardware (both of which may include data) entrusted to you from theft, loss or damage; return all portable client computer hardware in your possession (including the data contained therein) upon completion of the assignment, and; maintain the confidentiality of client proprietary, confidential, or non-public information. In addition, job duties require access to secure and protected client information technology systems and related data security obligations.