Manager - Network Architect

Position: Manager -  Network Architect
Description

A leading global manufacturing company is seeking a visionary, growth-minded leader for the role of Manager, Network Architecture at its Global Headquarters in Benton Harbor, MI. Operating on-site five days a week to foster in-person collaboration and innovation, you will directly oversee, mentor, and inspire a broad team of 20+ network experts.

In this high-visibility leadership role, you will report directly to the Director of Infrastructure & Operations and be positioned as a potential successor for this Director-level position. You will champion the evolution of a multi-service global network infrastructure, driving technology decisions that accelerate business innovation and cloud-native automation. Balancing executive strategy with operational excellence, you will also optimize workflows and partner with strategic support suppliers (NOC).

If you are ready to lead a world-class infrastructure organization and pursue a clear path for executive advancement, this is your next career move.

How You Will Win

Lead & Inspire

+ Directly oversee, mentor, and empower a team of 20+ network professionals.

+ Foster a culture of technical excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Architect Global Connectivity

+ Plan and architect enterprise-scale LAN, WAN, Wireless, and Data Center deployments.

+ Lead integration of core network services including:

+ L2/L3 Switching

+ BGP and EIGRP Routing

+ 802.11 Wireless Technologies

+ Load Balancing

+ IPAM

+ DNS/DHCP

+ Firewalls

+ IPSec VPN

+ SD-WAN

Innovate in the Cloud

+ Design, implement, and maintain multi-region, multi-cloud (AWS, GCP, OCI) network environments.

+ Support IaaS VPCs and drive cloud-native networking capabilities.

Fortify Network Security

+ Lead network security initiatives, including manufacturing network segmentation deployments.

Drive Operational Excellence

+ Serve as the highest escalation point for critical network incidents.

+ Ensure 24/7 support coverage for network operations and project deployments.

+ Develop and implement network maintenance processes.

+ Evaluate and enhance network monitoring and diagnostic tools.

+ Enable NOC teams with visibility and workflows needed to support a global network infrastructure.

Minimum Requirements

+ Bachelor's degree

+ 8+ years of experience as a Network, Cloud, or Infrastructure Architect

Preferred Skills & Experience

+ AWS Certified (Solutions Architect or Advanced Networking)

+ Google Cloud Professional Cloud Network Engineer Certification

+ Cisco CCNP

+ ITIL Foundation Certification

+ SD-WAN experience

+ Manufacturing network segmentation experience

+

Experience with network monitoring and management tools such as Solar Winds

+ Strong leadership and interpersonal skills

+ Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities

+ Experience managing third-party vendors and managed service providers

+ Experience working in global enterprise environments

+ Experience designing, implementing, and troubleshooting networking solutions in AWS and/or GCP

+

Experience with Cisco networking equipment and operating systems

+

Experience with network capacity planning and long-term architecture strategy

+ Knowledge of LAN/WAN protocols and topologies including EIGRP, BGP, and MPLS

+

Experience with switching technologies such as VLANs, Spanning Tree, and VSS

+

Experience with security technologies including Palo Alto firewalls, VPNs, and remote access solutions

Skills

+ AWS

+ Network Architecture

+ Cloud

+ Cisco

Top Skills

+ AWS

+ Network Architecture

+ Cloud

+ Cisco

Additional

Skills & Qualifications

+ AWS Solutions Architect, AWS Advanced Networking, Google Cloud Network Engineer, or Cisco CCNP/CCNA certifications

+ SD-WAN architecture and deployment experience

+ Manufacturing network segmentation experience

+

Experience with Solar Winds or similar monitoring platforms

+ ITIL Foundation certification or strong IT service management experience

+ Experience managing third-party vendors and managed service providers

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Benton Harbor, MI.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $80.00 - $100.00/hr.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job…