Network Architect SME

Ignite IT, LLC

Washington, Northern (District of Columbia, KY)

Hybrid

USD 140,000 - 190,000

Full time

12 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, LLC is seeking a Subject Matter Expert (SME) Network Architect to join a large-scale federal modernization program in Washington, DC. This hands-on role designs secure, resilient networks across cloud and on-premises environments and guides modernization roadmaps.

You will produce real technical designs, participate in architecture reviews, and collaborate with cross-domain teams to ensure successful implementation and operational handoff. U.S. Citizenship required.

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, and security.
Experience producing technical network designs and supporting implementation, testing, and operations.
Ability to work across cloud and on-premises boundaries and through security/architecture reviews.
Excellent documentation and communication skills; able to present designs and tradeoffs to engineers and leadership; U.S. Citizenship required.

Responsibilities

Design, review, and implement secure, resilient enterprise network architectures for mission systems and shared services.
Produce and assess diagrams, routing/segmentation, interfaces, connectivity, capacity, availability, and monitoring needs.
Design hybrid connectivity spanning on-premises and cloud environments.
Define and maintain network architecture standards, reference patterns, and technical decisions.
Set target-state direction and modernization roadmap with balance of scale, security, resilience, and performance.
Support technical reviews, governance, risk assessments, and implementation-readiness evaluations.

Skills

TCP/IP fundamentals

Routing & switching

Security & resiliency design

Documentation & stakeholder comms

Cloud & on-premises integration

Tools

Cisco equipment

Juniper equipment

Cloud networking (AWS/Azure)

SD-WAN

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.