Network Architect

Title: Sr Network Architect Duration: Contract to Hire Location : Hybrid 2 days a week, Plano,TX

Description: We are seeking a seasoned Senior Network Architect Architect with over 10 years of experience to join our dynamic System Solution team to provide strategic architectural leadership across a large, complex enterprise network environment. This role sits at the intersection of technology strategy and engineering execution — driving assessments, defining standards, shaping modernization roadmaps, and guiding critical network decisions across a broad and diverse technology landscape. The ideal candidate brings deep architectural judgment, cross-domain networking expertise, and the ability to operate effectively at both the strategic and technical levels — engaging executive stakeholders, leading vendor evaluations, and guiding engineering teams through transformation initiatives.

Requirements

Architecture Leadership — Define and maintain network architecture principles, design patterns, configuration standards, and implementation guidance across the enterprise Technology Assessment & Roadmap — Evaluate current-state network technologies, identify gaps and risks, and drive forward-looking modernization and technology roadmap decisions RFP & Vendor Engagement — Lead RFP development, critically evaluate supplier proposals, and deliver clear, well-supported recommendations to senior leadership Cross-Functional Collaboration — Partner with internal engineering, operations, and business teams as well as external suppliers and vendors to develop and execute network solutions Complex Problem Resolution — Provide architectural-level support for escalated operational issues, driving structured root cause analysis and durable remediation strategies Innovation & Automation — Champion the adoption of automation, AI-enabled tooling, and network analytics to improve operational efficiency and implementation quality Standards & Governance — Establish and enforce architectural guardrails, design standards, and governance frameworks across a distributed, multi-technology environment

Minimum qualification: 10+ years of progressive enterprise network engineering and/or architecture experience Demonstrated breadth across multiple networking domains — LAN, WAN, wireless, security, and cloud-adjacent services Strong architectural judgment with the ability to translate business requirements into sound, scalable network designs Proven experience leading or significantly contributing to RFP processes and presenting technology recommendations to senior or executive leadership Effective communicator with the ability to engage both technical teams and non-technical stakeholders with clarity and credibility Experience collaborating with and managing relationships with external vendors and suppliers Technology Scope

Experience with the following technologies is preferred; equivalent expertise with comparable enterprise platforms is acceptable: Domain Technology / Platform LAN Cisco ACI, Cisco SDA, traditional enterprise routing & switching WAN MPLS with redundancy, diversity, and resiliency design Wireless (Wi-Fi) Large-scale enterprise & manufacturing wireless deployments Firewalls Palo Alto Networks Network Security & Secure Access Zscaler (SASE/ZIA/ZPA) Private Cellular Distributed Antenna System (DAS) Two-Way Radio

-- Thanks & Regards, Pallavi Reddy| Technical Recruiter Thoughtwave Software and Solutions Desk: 630-228-9745 , EXTN:167 Email: pallavib@thoughtwavesoft.com