Network Architect

Stephens Inc.; Arkansas; On-site; USD 140,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Stephens Inc. is seeking a Network Architect to lead the design, operation, and continuous improvement of our enterprise network infrastructure.

The role combines strategic planning with hands‑on engagement, guiding critical incidents, upgrades, and technology initiatives across data centers and remote sites. The ideal candidate has 10+ years of relevant experience and a Bachelor's degree in a related field, with strong expertise in Juniper networking, EVPN/VXLAN, and modern fabric

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field.
• 10+ years of related experience.
• Equivalent combination of education and experience.

Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and communicate the network architecture vision and roadmap.
• Design scalable, secure, and highly available network solutions.
• Lead troubleshooting for complex incidents and outages.
• Mentor and develop Network Team personnel.
• Ensure documentation, governance, and change management adherence.

Skills

Enterprise networking

Juniper networking

EVPN/VXLAN

Data center networking

Routing & switching

High availability

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in a related field

Tools

Juniper switches and routers

EVPN/VXLAN

Data center infrastructure

WAN technologies

Job description

The Network Architect is responsible for the design, operation, and continuous improvement of the enterprise network infrastructure. This role provides both technical and personnel leadership for the Network Team, ensuring the organization's network environment remains secure, scalable, resilient, and aligned with business objectives. This role will also oversee network architecture, operational support, infrastructure lifecycle management, and team development while serving as the primary network liaison to IT management and business partners. This individual must possess the ability to balance strategic planning with hands‑on technical engagement, providing guidance during critical incidents, infrastructure upgrades, and enterprise technology initiatives

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Network Architecture & Strategic Planning

• Develop, maintain, and communicate the organization’s network architecture vision and roadmap.
• Design and implement scalable, secure, and highly available network solutions that support business growth and operational requirements.
• Translate business requirements into technical network architecture and infrastructure strategies.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and industry trends, recommending enhancements that improve reliability, performance, and security.
• Develop short-, medium-, and long-term network infrastructure plans and technology roadmaps.

Network Operations & Engineering

• Provide oversight for daily network operations across data centers, corporate offices, and remote locations.
• Lead troubleshooting efforts for complex network incidents and production outages.
• Serve as the highest level of escalation for critical network issues and emergencies.
• Ensure network hardware, software, and firmware are properly maintained and upgraded.
• Oversee proactive monitoring, alerting, and operational visibility across all network platforms.
• Conduct technical evaluations of network technologies, upgrades, and infrastructure improvements.
• Lead, mentor, and develop Network Team personnel.
• Establish team priorities, allocate workloads, and manage project assignments.
• Maintain performance documentation and provide coaching to promote professional growth and technical excellence.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.
• Ensure team adherence to established processes, standards, and change management procedures.

Infrastructure Governance & Documentation

• Develop and maintain network standards, policies, procedures, and operational best practices.
• Ensure accurate and current network documentation, including topology diagrams, equipment inventories, and site infrastructure layouts.
• Maintain oversight of asset management and network lifecycle planning.
• Ensure compliance with organizational governance, security standards, and operational requirements.

Remote Office Infrastructure Support

• Maintain visibility into all remote office infrastructure additions, modifications, and decommissioning activities.
• Collaborate with telecommunications and technology teams to support remote office initiatives.
• Ensure remote office infrastructure documentation and inventories remain current and accurate.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

• 3 direct reports.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's degree in a related field.
• 10+ years of related experience and/or training.
• Equivalent combination of education and experience.

PREFERRED TECHNICAL EXPERTISE

• Strong enterprise networking experience with an emphasis on modern routing, switching, and data center technologies. Specifically, substantial experience with Juniper networking solutions is preferred.

HIGHLY DESIRED SKILLS

• Deep understanding of enterprise routing and switching concepts.
• Strong hands‑on experience with Juniper switches, routers, and enterprise networking platforms.
• Experience designing, implementing, and supporting Juniper‑based network infrastructures.
• Practical expertise with EVPN/VXLAN, spine‑leaf, and modern fabric networking architectures.
• Experience with data center networking, WAN technologies, SD‑WAN, and high‑availability network designs.
• Strong understanding of network security, segmentation, resiliency, and disaster recovery principles.
• Experience supporting geographically distributed enterprise environments

CERTIFICATIONS, LICENSES, AND REGISTRATIONS

• Routing/switching vendor certifications (JNCIS, JNCI-MistAI) preferred.
• Fiber testing and/or data center infrastructure certifications preferred.

Qualifications

Licenses & Certifications

Required

HIPAA Training

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.