Principal Cloud Practice Architect

As a   Principal Cloud Practice Architect, you'llbe responsible for the strategic planning, design, and implementation of highly available, scalable, and secure network infrastructures that support business objectives. You'll be leading complex network projects, mentoring junior team members, and ensuring the entire network ecosystem is optimized for performance, security, and cost-effectiveness.
Work Location; US Rackers:
If located near a Rackspace office, you’ll work a hybrid schedule… 2 days in the office and three days remote. If not located near an office, you may work 100% remotely.
Work Location;
Canadian Rackers:
100% remote only from these provinces... Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta.
Work Location;
Mexican Rackers:
If you live within a 40km radius of our Mexico City office we’d like for you to work in the office two days a week. If further than 40km you may work fully remote from one these states Monterey, Aguascalientes, Jalisco, Nuevo Leon, Puebla, Guadalajara, or Queretaro.
Travel:
Between 20% to 25% annual travel across the United States.
Discover your inner Racker:  Racker Life
Information on  benefits  offered is here   .

Key Responsibilities
Design and develop comprehensive network architecture blueprints for on-premises, hybrid, and multi-cloud environments.
Lead the implementation and deployment of complex network solutions, including routing, switching, firewalls, and load balancing across various platforms.
Architect and manage connectivity between on-premises data centers and cloud platforms, including creating and managing complex AWS, GCP and Azure network configurations.
Ensure the network architecture adheres to the highest security standards. This includes designing and implementing secure network segmentation, access control policies, and advanced threat protection.
Continuously monitor and optimize network performance, troubleshoot complex issues, and implement solutions to ensure low latency and high throughput.
Drive the design, deployment, and management of SD-WAN solutions to optimize WAN traffic, improve application performance, and reduce operational costs.
Design and implement CDN strategies to accelerate content delivery and enhance the user experience by caching and distributing web content geographically.
Work closely with cross-functional teams, including security, cloud engineers, and application developers, to align network strategy with business goals. Provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior network professionals.
Create and maintain detailed network diagrams, design documents, and operational procedures.

Qualifications
Must have an associate’s degree in computer science or related field of study; we highly prefer a bachelor's degree.
Must be AWS Solutions Architect certified.
Expert-level experience with core networking services like VPC, Subnets, Route Tables, Internet Gateway, NAT Gateway, Direct Connect, Transit Gateway, and VPC Peering.
Expert-level experience with VNet, Subnets, Route Tables, Virtual Network Gateway, Express Route, Virtual WAN, and VNet Peering.
Extensive hands-on experience and expert-level knowledge of Palo Alto Networks Firewalls, including Panorama for centralized management, design, and implementation of security policies, threat prevention, and VPN solutions.
Expert-level experience with F5 BIG-IP products, including LTM (Local Traffic Manager) and GTM (Global Traffic Manager), for application delivery, load balancing, and traffic management.
Deep expertise in architecting and deploying SD-WAN solutions from leading vendors (e.g., Prisma SD-WAN, Fortinet, Cisco). Must have hands-on experience with SD-WAN design, traffic steering policies, and remote site connectivity.
Strong understanding of network security principles, including Zero Trust Architecture, network segmentation, and DDoS mitigation. Hands-on experience with security services like AWS WAF (Web Application Firewall) and Azure Firewall/Application Gateway WAF.
Proven experience in designing, configuring, and managing CDN services such as AWS Cloud Front and Azure Front Door.
In-depth knowledge of networking protocols, including BGP, OSPF, and MPLS.
Expert…