Network Architect

Desert-Financial-Credit-Unio; Phoenix (AZ); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Comprehensive benefits

Flexible PTO

Hybrid schedule

Growth opportunities

Job summary

Desert Financial Credit Union is seeking a Network Architect to design and support enterprise network infrastructure across multiple data centers. You will meet with clients and STS peers to tailor network solutions to needs, costs and integration requirements.

You will develop architectural standards, run books, and plan future changes to improve functionality, efficiency, and cost effectiveness. The role requires staying current with industry trends and technologies.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in IT, CS, or related field or equivalent experience is required.
• 10+ years of experience with routing protocols and data-center networks is required.
• Expertise in TCP/IP, MPLS, iSCSI, Fibre Channel and network QoS.
• Experience with network devices (Routers/Switches) and security/firewalls.
• Experience in enterprise design principles and NX-OS.

Responsibilities

• Lead Enterprise network infrastructure design and integration.
• Provide architectural direction with design standards and run books.
• Develop a roadmap to enhance functionality and reduce costs.
• Plan installation and document implementation steps; mentor staff.
• Act as escalation point for network issues.

Skills

BGP/EIGRP/OSPF

TCP/IP/MPLS

iSCSI/Fibre Channel

QoS

Network Mgmt

Firewalls/Load Balancers

NX-OS

Architectural design

MS Office

Education

Bachelor's degree

Equivalent experience

Tools

Cisco CCNP

Job description

SwitchThink Solutions is a fast-growing technology company supporting our parent organization, Desert Financial Credit Union, and more than 175 external credit unions nationwide. Our solutions are built on the Correlation Keystone Platform and complemented by managed services, cloud hosting, disaster recovery, business intelligence, and AI offerings.

Our clients trust us. We have maintained zero customer churn for eight years and consistently earn strong client advocacy, with an NPS of 84. Our employees are equally committed, bringing a collaborative, team-oriented mindset and a shared passion for excellence. Backed by the financial strength of Desert Financial Credit Union, we offer stability alongside meaningful growth opportunities.

Who We Are Looking For

The Network Architect will provide consulting, design and support services for all SwitchThink Solutions (STS) clients. This includes meeting with clients and/or STS peers to design network solutions based on user/client needs, cost, and required integration with existing network infrastructure. The Network Architect is responsible for network design and support across multiple data centers and will include the development of Architectural Standards and Operational Run Books with the purpose to transition day-to-day responsibilities to the network operations team. This role is also responsible for planning future changes to the environment to increase functionality, improve efficiencies, support refresh cycles and/or reduce operational costs. The position requires staying on top of the industry trend and new technologies for the network architecture.

What you will do here:

• Lead technical discussions required to support the Enterprise Network Infrastructure (Local and Wide Area Network) design needs. This includes defining requirements and creating a design, ensuring feasibility, functionality and integration with existing and potential new systems/configurations.
• Provide leadership with recommendations that designate a specific direction for the architecture in terms of design, standards, implementation, operations and maintenance. These recommendations will be documented listing out costs, advantages and disadvantages as well as results from any proof-of-concept exercises completed.
• Research and track new technologies. Develop a roadmap for the Enterprise network infrastructure that will include plans to enhance functionality, replace end of life infrastructure and/or increase operational efficiencies and reduce cost.
• Plan the installation and implementation of various Enterprise network infrastructure. This includes developing an implementation plan, identifying resource requirements and developing support documentation. In addition, the Network Architect is responsible for training and mentoring team members on the skills required to support the implementation plan and operational support needs.
• Acts as an escalation point in troubleshooting network infrastructure issues.
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

What you will need:

• Bachelor's Degree in Information Technology, Computer Science or related field (preferred) OR e quivalent combination of education and experience required.
• 10+ years' experience with Routing Protocols (BGP, EIGRP, OSPF, etc.), Network Protocols (TCP/IP, MPLS, iSCSI and Fiber Channel), QoS, Network Management, Routers, Switches, Security/Firewalls, Load Balancers, NX-OS required.
• Demonstrated expertise in industry standard design principles and best practices required.
• Demonstrated expertise using Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Excel, Word, Visio) required.
• 3+ years' experience in an Architect related role, Storage, Server/Platform, Backups preferred.
• 1+ years' experience in the Financial Services industry preferred.
• Cisco Certified Network Professional Certification preferred.

What We Offer

• A collaborative, people-first environment where your expertise directly shapes technology solutions that support credit unions and the communities they serve. At SwitchThink, you’ll work alongside experienced, mission driven professionals who value curiosity, thoughtful problem-solving, and delivering meaningful outcomes for clients.
• Competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits, paired with strong opportunities for professional growth and long-termcareer development.
• Flexibility that supports real work lifebalance, including generous paid time off, paid holidays, and flexible scheduling.
• Exposure tomodern, enterprise scaletechnology solutions, including cloud platforms, business intelligence, andAI enabledservices within a regulated financial services environment.
• Ongoing investment in your development through training, certifications, continuous learning, and clearly defined career pathways—supported by the stability of our credit union foundation and the innovation of a growing technology organization.

We are proud to be an EEO/AA employer M/F/D/V. We maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing.

#LI-Hybrid

Qualifications

Education

Required

High School or better.

Preferred

Bachelors or better in Information Technology or related field.

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.