Senior Network & SASE Architect - SD-WAN Mastery

Cognizant; Dearborn (MI); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Cognizant in Dearborn, MI is seeking an Infrastructure Architect - Network & SASE to lead the architecture and modernization of a large-scale enterprise WAN across the EMEA region, with hybrid work options. You will design Cisco SD-WAN and SASE solutions, guide governance, and partner with security, cloud, and service providers to ensure secure, resilient connectivity.

You will own SD-WAN platform administration, craft high- and low-level designs, drive migrations, and provide technical

Qualifications

• 10+ years of network architecture and design experience in large-scale WANs.
• Hands-on Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN (Viptela) experience.
• 5+ years operating at CCNP Enterprise level with Cisco cert.
• 3+ years implementing SASE/SSE solutions (Prisma Access, Zscaler, etc).
• Strong WAN architecture, routing, security, and enterprise connectivity.
• Deep knowledge of BGP, OSPF, route maps, ACLs, VPNs, IPsec, QoS, segmentation.
• Experience leading network transformation, lifecycle management, governance.
• Strong stakeholder/vendor management and communication.
• Experience leading network engineering/architecture teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead architecture and design of enterprise WAN solutions across the EMEA region.
• Design, deploy, and optimize Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN environments (vManage/vSmart/vBond/vEdge/cEdge).
• Own and administer the Cisco vManage platform, templates, policies, and governance.
• Design centralized SD-WAN policies with application-aware routing, QoS, security.
• Manage provisioning and configuration of SD-WAN edge devices using templates and automation.
• Lead WAN circuit migrations, upgrades, and connectivity transformations.
• Design and implement SASE/SSE solutions using Prisma Access or Zscaler.
• Develop HLDs/LLDs, implementation plans, and change-management docs.
• Define network standards covering routing, security, segmentation, resiliency.
• Ensure lifecycle compliance through upgrades and governance.
• Collaborate with security, cloud, infra, and app teams; coordinate with providers.
• Monitor performance, identify optimization opportunities and risks.
• Troubleshoot complex network issues and provide technical leadership.

Skills

Cisco SD-WAN

BGP

OSPF

VPNs

IPsec

QoS

Network security

Network automation

Infrastructure-as-Code

Zero Trust

Vendor management

Stakeholder communication

Education

CCNP Enterprise certification

CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure (preferred)

Tools

Cisco vManage

Cisco vSmart

Cisco vBond

Cisco Edge (vEdge/cEdge)

Palo Alto Prisma Access

Zscaler

Job description

Cognizant in Dearborn, MI is seeking an Infrastructure Architect - Network & SASE to lead the architecture and modernization of a large-scale enterprise WAN across the EMEA region, with hybrid work options. You will design Cisco SD-WAN and SASE solutions, guide governance, and partner with security, cloud, and service providers to ensure secure, resilient connectivity.

You will own SD-WAN platform administration, craft high- and low-level designs, drive migrations, and provide technical