Network Architect SME

Ignite IT

Washington

Hybrid

USD 170,000 - 210,000

Full time

5 days ago

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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 is seeking a Subject Matter Expert (SME) Network Architect to lead enterprise and solution-level network architectures for a large-scale federal modernization program. This hands-on role designs secure, resilient environments that span cloud and on-premises, and drives standards and modernization roadmaps.

Based in Washington, DC, this hybrid position requires U.S. citizenship and a proven ability to deliver technical network designs end-to-end, including documentation, reviews, and

Qualifications

12+ years of experience in network engineering with enterprise-scale responsibilities.
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, 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 engineers and leadership.

Responsibilities

Develop, review, and implement secure, resilient enterprise network architectures.
Design hybrid connectivity spanning on-premises and cloud environments.
Define and maintain network standards, reference patterns, and technical decisions.
Support architectural reviews, phase gates, and implementation-readiness reviews.
Analyze current-state network gaps and propose modernization, standardization, and optimization.
Coordinate with cross-domain teams and external providers; document decisions and risks.

Skills

12+ years network engineering

TCP/IP routing and switching

Network design & architecture

Documentation & communication

Cloud and on-premises integration

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

1.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.

2.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.

3.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.

4.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.

5.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.

6.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.

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.