Network Architect SME

Ignite IT; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k)

401(k) matching

Dental insurance

Flexible spending account

Health insurance

Life insurance

Paid time off

Professional development assistance

Referral program

Tuition reimbursement

Vision insurance

Job summary

Ignite IT seeks a Subject Matter Expert (SME) Network Architect to lead enterprise and solution-level network architecture across cloud and on‑premises, delivering secure, resilient designs and modernization roadmaps for mission-critical systems.

This is a hands-on architecture role based in Washington, DC. You will produce real technical designs and drive implementation, not just set direction, and must be a U.S. citizen.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in network engineering with enterprise-scale responsibility.
• Strong fundamentals in TCP/IP, routing, switching, segmentation, DNS/DHCP/IPAM, load balancing, resiliency, performance, monitoring and security.
• Experience producing technical network designs and supporting implementation, testing and operational transition.
• Ability to work across cloud and on-premises boundaries and through formal security/architecture review processes.
• Strong documentation and communication skills, with experience presenting designs and tradeoffs to engineers and leadership.
• U.S. Citizenship Required.

Responsibilities

• Owns network architecture and design at enterprise and solution level.
• Develop, review, and implement secure, resilient enterprise network architectures for mission systems and shared services.
• Produce and assess physical/logical diagrams, routing/segmentation, interfaces, connectivity, capacity, availability, and monitoring requirements.
• Design hybrid connectivity spanning on‑premises and cloud environments.
• Define and maintain network architecture standards, reference patterns, and technical decisions.
• Set target-state network direction and modernization roadmap balancing scale, security, resilience, and performance.
• Coordinate with cloud/platform, cybersecurity, identity, and ITSM teams; external carriers and providers.
• Support architecture reviews, phase gates, and implementation readiness reviews; document risks and dependencies.

Skills

Network architecture

Cloud & on-premises

TCP/IP fundamentals

Documentation

Communication skills

U.S. Citizenship

Job description

We are seeking a Subject Matter Expert (SME) Network Architect to join our team supporting a large-scale federal modernization program. This role owns enterprise and solution-level network architecture, designing secure, resilient network environments that support mission-critical systems and shared services across both cloud and on-premises boundaries, and driving the standards, target-state direction, and modernization roadmap that keep the network ready to scale.

This is a hands-on architecture role. You'll be expected to produce real technical designs and see them through implementation, not just set direction from a distance.

This is a hybrid role based out of Washington, DC. Candidates must be U.S. citizens.

Key Responsibilities

• Network Architecture & Design
• Develop, review, and implement secure, resilient enterprise network architectures supporting mission systems and shared services
• Produce and assess physical/logical diagrams, routing/segmentation, interfaces, connectivity, capacity, availability, and monitoring requirements
• Design hybrid connectivity architecture spanning on-premises and cloud environments
• Standards & Target-State Direction
• Define and maintain network architecture standards, reference patterns, and technical decisions
• Set target-state network direction and modernization roadmap, balancing scale, security, resilience, and performance
• Align network architecture with enterprise architecture governance and repository requirements
• Technical Reviews & Governance
• Support technical reviews, architecture compliance reviews, phase gates, and implementation-readiness reviews
• Evaluate proposed deviations and provide recommendations grounded in risk and architectural impact
• Gap Analysis & Modernization
• Analyze current-state network gaps, technical debt, lifecycle risk, single points of failure, and performance bottlenecks
• Provide recommendations for modernization, standardization, and optimization, including cost/performance tradeoffs
• Cross-Domain Coordination
• Coordinate with cloud/platform, cybersecurity, identity, endpoint/mobility, applications, data, and ITSM teams, as well as external carriers and providers
• Resolve complex cross-domain design conflicts under fixed milestones
• Documentation & Operational Handoff
• Maintain standards, reference patterns, technical decisions, configurations, risks, and dependencies in approved repositories
• Support implementation, testing, migration, and stabilization, and troubleshoot complex cross-domain problems, communicating root cause, options, and corrective actions

Requirements

• 12+ years of experience in network engineering, including significant architecture responsibility at enterprise scale
• Strong fundamentals in TCP/IP, routing, switching, segmentation, DNS/DHCP/IPAM, load balancing, resiliency, performance, monitoring, and security
• Demonstrated experience producing technical network designs and supporting implementation, testing, troubleshooting, and operational transition
• Ability to work across cloud and on-premises boundaries and through formal security/architecture review processes
• Strong documentation and communication skills, with experience presenting designs and tradeoffs to both engineers and leadership
• U.S. Citizenship Required

Nice to Have

• Direct federal, government, or large distributed enterprise network experience
• Relevant Cisco, Juniper, cloud networking, SD-WAN, wireless, security, or architecture certifications
• Experience with network automation, infrastructure as code, software-defined networking, zero trust, SASE/SSE, and observability
• Experience with enterprise architecture repositories and technology standards/roadmaps

Benefits

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance
• Referral program
• Tuition reimbursement
• Vision insurance