Network Architect

Synergy Business Consulting, Inc.; Lowell (MA); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Synergy Business Consulting, Inc. seeks an experienced Network Architect to lead global hybrid networking design, governance, and strategy across on-prem, cloud, security, and connectivity environments.

The role requires expert-level knowledge of Azure, Google Cloud, BGP/OSPF, SD-WAN, firewall architectures, and observability tools; you will mentor teams and guide major network transformation initiatives while ensuring security, reliability, and scalability.

Qualifications

• 13+ years of experience in enterprise networking, network architecture, or infrastructure engineering.
• 10+ years designing and architecting complex global network environments.
• Proven experience leading architecture initiatives across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.
• Expert-level knowledge of: BGP and OSPF, Juniper switching, MPLS, SD-WAN, IPSec, Internet edge and cloud connectivity.
• 10+ years architecting networking solutions across Azure and Google Cloud.
• Strong knowledge of cloud-native networking and hybrid connectivity.
• Strong understanding of cloud security, traffic engineering, and multi-cloud architecture.

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain the enterprise network architecture roadmap.
• Design global network solutions spanning data centers, campuses, branches, cloud environments, and Internet edge connectivity.
• Develop reference architectures, standards, and engineering best practices.
• Evaluate emerging networking technologies and make strategic recommendations.
• Establish architecture governance to ensure scalability, security, resiliency, and operational efficiency.
• Architect connectivity across Azure, Google Cloud, and on-premises environments.
• Design resilient WAN, SD-WAN, MPLS, Internet, and cloud interconnect solutions.
• Develop routing, segmentation, and traffic engineering strategies using BGP, OSPF, VRF, IPSec, and software-defined networking.
• Design cloud-native networking solutions using Azure and Google Cloud networking services.
• Partner with security architecture teams on network segmentation and secure connectivity.
• Define firewall architecture, cloud security controls, Zero Trust networking, and secure access methodologies.
• Establish security baselines and compliance standards.
• Conduct architecture reviews and identify network risks and improvement opportunities.
• Drive adoption of network automation and Infrastructure-as-Code.
• Develop automation standards using Terraform, Ansible, APIs, and CI/CD.
• Promote automation-first approaches to improve reliability and scalability.
• Provide architectural leadership for major network transformation initiatives.
• Review and approve technical designs and implementation plans.
• Lead architecture reviews, POCs, and technology evaluations.
• Mentor network engineering teams.
• Collaborate closely with Cloud Engineering, Security, Platform Engineering, and Operations.
• Define network monitoring and observability strategies.
• Utilize tools such as Splunk and ThousandEyes to identify performance and connectivity issues.
• Analyze capacity and performance trends.
• Lead root-cause analysis for major incidents.
• Establish high-availability, resiliency, and disaster recovery standards.
• Understanding of Agentic AI, Generative AI, and intelligent automation and how these technologies can modernize network operations and improve engineering productivity.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to influence architecture decisions across network, cloud, security, and engineering organizations.
• Demonstrated success leading large-scale transformation initiatives and mentoring technical teams.
• Lead enterprise-scale network architecture and transformation across Azure, GCP, on-premises, and security environments.

Skills

Enterprise networking

Cloud architectures

Technical leadership

Stakeholder management

Tools

Terraform

Ansible

Splunk

ThousandEyes

Wireshark

Palo Alto firewall

Juniper firewall

F5

Google Cloud

Azure

Job description

We are seeking an experienced Network Architect to lead the design, evolution, and governance of a global hybrid network infrastructure.

This is a highly technical architecture role responsible for defining enterprise networking strategy across on-premises, cloud, security, and connectivity environments. The ideal candidate will have deep expertise in enterprise network architecture, Azure, Google Cloud, network security, automation, and observability.

You will serve as a technical authority, influencing architecture decisions, establishing standards, and guiding engineering teams through complex network transformation initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

Enterprise Network Strategy & Architecture

• Define and maintain the enterprise network architecture roadmap.
• Design global network solutions spanning data centers, campuses, branches, cloud environments, and Internet edge connectivity.
• Develop reference architectures, standards, and engineering best practices.
• Evaluate emerging networking technologies and make strategic recommendations.
• Establish architecture governance to ensure scalability, security, resiliency, and operational efficiency.
• Architect connectivity across Azure, Google Cloud, and on-premises environments.
• Design resilient WAN, SD-WAN, MPLS, Internet, and cloud interconnect solutions.
• Develop routing, segmentation, and traffic engineering strategies using BGP, OSPF, VRF, IPSec, and software-defined networking.
• Design cloud-native networking solutions using Azure and Google Cloud networking services.

Network Security Architecture

• Partner with security architecture teams on network segmentation and secure connectivity.
• Define firewall architecture, cloud security controls, Zero Trust networking, and secure access methodologies.
• Establish security baselines and compliance standards.
• Conduct architecture reviews and identify network risks and improvement opportunities.

Automation & Infrastructure as Code

• Drive adoption of network automation and Infrastructure-as-Code.
• Develop automation standards using Terraform, Ansible, APIs, and CI/CD.
• Promote automation-first approaches to improve reliability and scalability.

Technical Leadership & Governance

• Provide architectural leadership for major network transformation initiatives.
• Review and approve technical designs and implementation plans.
• Lead architecture reviews, POCs, and technology evaluations.
• Mentor network engineering teams.
• Collaborate closely with Cloud Engineering, Security, Platform Engineering, and Operations.

Reliability & Observability

• Define network monitoring and observability strategies.
• Utilize tools such as Splunk and ThousandEyes to identify performance and connectivity issues.
• Analyze capacity and performance trends.
• Lead root-cause analysis for major incidents.
• Establish high-availability, resiliency, and disaster recovery standards.

Required Qualifications

• 13+ years of experience in enterprise networking, network architecture, or infrastructure engineering.
• 10+ years designing and architecting complex global network environments.
• Proven experience leading architecture initiatives across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.
• Expert-level knowledge of:
• BGP and OSPF
• Juniper switching
• MPLS, SD-WAN, and IPSec
• Internet edge and cloud connectivity
• 10+ years architecting networking solutions across Azure and Google Cloud.
• Strong knowledge of cloud-native networking and hybrid connectivity.
• Strong understanding of cloud security, traffic engineering, and multi-cloud architecture.

Network Security

• Extensive experience with Palo Alto and Juniper firewall architectures.
• Strong knowledge of Zero Trust, segmentation, secure access, and network security architecture.

Wireless & Application Delivery

• Experience architecting Aruba Wireless environments.
• Strong understanding of enterprise load balancing, including:
• F5
• Google Cloud Load Balancing

Automation

• Advanced knowledge of Terraform and Ansible.
• Experience integrating automation into large-scale network lifecycle management.

Observability & Troubleshooting

• Expert knowledge of Splunk and ThousandEyes.
• Strong packet analysis and protocol troubleshooting skills using Wireshark.
• Ability to translate operational findings into long-term architectural improvements.

Emerging Technologies

• Understanding of Agentic AI, Generative AI, and intelligent automation and how these technologies can modernize network operations and improve engineering productivity.

Leadership

• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to influence architecture decisions across network, cloud, security, and engineering organizations.
• Demonstrated success leading large-scale transformation initiatives and mentoring technical teams.

Why This Opportunity?

• Lead enterprise-scale network architecture and transformation
• Work across Azure, GCP, on-premises, and security environments
• Hybrid schedule with Monday-Wednesday in office