Network Architect (R6158)

Shield; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Shield AI seeks a Network Architect to define and evolve a secure, scalable network for engineering, manufacturing, and enterprise operations. You will lead enterprise network architecture across offices, labs, data centers, and cloud environments while partnering with cybersecurity and IT teams.

The role emphasizes hands-on leadership during high-risk deployments, design reviews, and architecture governance, with a strong focus on automation and IaC practices.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of enterprise network engineering and architecture in multi-site environments.
• Experience leading architecture from requirements to handoff.
• Deep expertise in routing, switching, WAN, internet edge, VPN, and high availability.
• Strong knowledge of BGP, OSPF, VLANs, VRFs, QoS, IPsec, DNS, DHCP, NAT.
• Experience across offices, labs, manufacturing, data centers, cloud and on-prem.
• Firewall architecture, zero-trust, network access control, secure remote access, segmentation.
• AWS and Azure networking, including transit, private connectivity, and security controls.
• Ability to create architecture diagrams, reference designs, and implementation guidance.
• Experience evaluating network technologies, vendors, and services.
• Proven ability to mentor engineers and influence outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain Shield AI's enterprise network architecture and strategy.
• Architect scalable LAN, WAN, wireless, data-center, VPN, and cloud networking.
• Develop designs for new offices, labs, manufacturing, data centers, and cloud environments.
• Design secure, resilient routing and traffic engineering patterns.
• Establish standards for segmentation, IP addressing, naming, and life-cycle management.
• Lead architecture reviews, tech evaluations, and POC for strategic initiatives.
• Lead manufacturing IoT and hybrid connectivity projects with cross-functional teams.
• Deliver implementation plans, reusable configurations, and handoffs to engineers.
• Advance network automation and infrastructure-as-code practices.
• Produce architecture diagrams, decision records, and operational documentation.

Skills

10+ years experience

Enterprise routing

BGP & OSPF

WAN/LAN design

Zero-trust security

AWS/Azure networking

Network automation IaC

Architecture diagrams

Leadership without authority

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Engineering

Tools

Palo Alto Networks

Panorama

Prisma Access

Juniper

Mist

Aruba

ClearPass

AWS/Azure networking tooling

Job description

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BATaircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies.

With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide.

For more information, visit Follow Shield AI onLinkedIn,X,Instagram, andYouTube.

Shield AI is seeking a Network Architect to define and evolve the secure, scalable, and resilient network architecture supporting our engineering, manufacturing, autonomy development, and enterprise operations environments.

As part of the Cloud & Infrastructure team within Enterprise Operations, this highly technical individual contributor will establish network strategy, standards, and reference architectures across Shield AI's offices, engineering labs, manufacturing facilities, data centers, public cloud environments, and international locations.

You will remain hands-on for first-of-kind, complex, and high-risk deployments while partnering closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, Infrastructure, Cloud Platform, Site Infrastructure, Facilities, and Cybersecurity teams.

What you'll do:

Enterprise Network Architecture

Define and maintain Shield AI's enterprise network architecture, technical strategy, standards, roadmaps, and reference designs.

Architect scalable LAN, WAN, wireless, internet edge, data-center, VPN, SASE, NAC, and network security solutions across a globally distributed environment.

Develop high-level and low-level designs for new offices, engineering labs, manufacturing facilities, data centers, cloud environments, acquisitions, and site integrations.

Design resilient routing and connectivity architectures using BGP, OSPF, IPsec, private circuits, cloud interconnects, diverse internet services, and related technologies.

Establish standards for segmentation, IP addressing, naming, routing, high availability, quality of service, observability, capacity, and lifecycle management.

Lead architecture reviews, technology evaluations, proofs of concept, and design decisions for strategic network initiatives.

Manufacturing IoT and Hybrid Connectivity

Develop secure network architectures for manufacturing, IoT, industrial, engineering, lab, and operational technology environments.

Define segmentation and access patterns for manufacturing equipment, sensors, robotics, test systems, building systems, cameras, and other connected devices.

Partner with Manufacturing, Engineering, Facilities, and Cybersecurity teams to integrate operational environments without introducing unacceptable risk to enterprise or controlled networks.

Design hybrid connectivity across AWS, Azure, data centers, colocation facilities, and on-premises environments, including cloud transit, private connectivity, routing integration, secure ingress and egress, and shared services.

Support the integration of acquired companies, legacy networks, international locations, and newly constructed facilities into enterprise standards.

Technical Leadership and Delivery

Serve as the senior technical authority for complex network designs, escalations, performance issues, and resiliency improvements.

Lead and actively participate in first-of-kind, complex, or high-risk deployments, migrations, cutovers, validation testing, incident response, and advanced troubleshooting.

Translate architecture into implementation plans, reusable configurations, operational standards, and clear handoffs for Network Engineering and Network Security teams.

Advance network automation and infrastructure-as-code practices using Terraform, Ansible, Python, APIs, and configuration management platforms.

Produce and maintain architecture diagrams, design documents, decision records, implementation standards, and operational documentation.

Required qualifications:

• 10+ years of progressive experience in enterprise network engineering and architecture across complex, multi-site environments.
• Demonstrated experience leading network architecture from requirements and design through implementation, validation, and operational handoff.
• Deep expertise in enterprise routing, switching, wireless, WAN, internet edge, VPN, network segmentation, and high-availability design.
• Advanced knowledge of BGP, OSPF, VLANs, VRFs, QoS, IPsec, DNS, DHCP, NAT, route redistribution, and resilient traffic-engineering patterns.
• Experience architecting networks across offices, engineering facilities, manufacturing environments, data centers, colocation facilities, and public cloud environments.
• Strong experience with firewall architecture, zero-trust principles, network access control, secure remote access, and layered segmentation.
• Experience with AWS and Azure networking, including transit architectures, private connectivity, cloud routing, and network security controls.
• Ability to create clear architecture diagrams, reference designs, technical standards, implementation guidance, and decision documentation.
• Experience evaluating network technologies, vendors, carrier services, and professional-services designs.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex technical initiatives, mentor engineers, and influence outcomes across teams without direct authority.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain architecture decisions, alternatives, and risks to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or a related discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
• Ability to travel periodically and support planned after-hours implementations or critical incidents.

Preferred qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience designing secure IoT, Industrial IoT, operational technology, or manufacturing networks, including segmentation of production equipment, sensors, robotics, test systems, building systems, and other connected devices.
• Experience applying manufacturing or OT security architecture practices such as zone-and-conduit segmentation, the Purdue model, or ISA/IEC 62443 principles.
• Hands-on experience with Palo Alto Networks, Panorama, Prisma Access, Juniper, Mist, Aruba, ClearPass, or comparable enterprise platforms.
• Experience designing high-density or industrial wireless networks for manufacturing, warehouse, lab, or engineering environments.
• Experience supporting aerospace, defense, advanced manufacturing, government contracting, or another regulated environment.
• Knowledge of CMMC, NIST 800-171, ITAR, controlled unclassified information, and network designs supporting regulated or isolated environments.
• Experience integrating acquisitions, legacy environments, or international locations into global enterprise standards.
• Experience with network automation, source-controlled configuration, validation testing, and infrastructure-as-code.
• Relevant advanced certifications such as CCNP, CCIE, JNCIP, JNCIE, PCNSE, AWS Advanced Networking, or equivalent experience.

Full-time regular employee offer package:

Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity

Temporary employee offer package:

Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)

Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.

Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer.

We are committed toequal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.