Senior Network Architect

Methods Business and Digital Technology Limited

Methods is a £100M+ IT Services Consultancy who has partnered with a range of central government departments and agencies to transform the way the public sector operates in the UK. Established over 30 years ago and UK-based, we apply our skills in transformation, delivery, and collaboration from across the Methods Group, to create end-to-end business and technical solutions that are people-centred, safe, and designed for the future.

Our human touch sets us apart from other consultancies, system integrators and software houses - with people, technology, and data at the heart of who we are, we believe in creating value and sustainability through everything we do for our clients, staff, communities, and the planet.

We support our clients in the success of their projects while working collaboratively to share skill sets and solve problems. At Methods we have fun while working hard; we are not afraid of making mistakes and learning from them.

Predominantly focused on the public‑sector, Methods is now building a significant private sector client portfolio.

Methods was acquired by the Alten Group in early 2022.

We are seeking a Senior Network Architect to assess, document and improve enterprise network architecture in a secure defence environment. You will combine detailed technical investigation with clear design documentation and practical recommendations for operational resilience.

Your initial assignment will be to support the Network team with a Defence programme. The estate spans two data centres and includes Cisco ACI, Cisco routers, Cisco ASA firewalls and F5 load balancers. This is a permanent Methods position; the initial assignment start date and delivery schedule will be agreed with the client.

Working alongside the Programme’s Architecture and Network support teams, you will establish an accurate view of the existing network, recommend improvements with minimal operational risk and assess the changes needed to support true active/active connectivity between the two data centres.

• Review the live network implementation, configurations and legacy design material across both data centres, identifying gaps between documented and actual operation.
• Produce accurate current‑state High Level Designs and Low Level Designs using the existing templates, supported by clear topology diagrams, connectivity flows and technical dependencies.
• Review Cisco ACI, routing, firewall and load‑balancing arrangements with the Architecture and Network support teams to understand service connectivity and operational constraints.
• Produce a Network Review and Recommendation Report identifying practical improvements that can be made without significant redesign and with minimal risk to live services.
• Assess opportunities to make better use of Cisco ACI application‑centric capabilities, including application relationships, segmentation and policy design.
• Present recommended improvements as a prioritised roadmap showing sequencing, interdependencies, implementation considerations and service impact.
• Produce a Network Disaster Recovery Capability Report assessing the changes required for true active/active connectivity between the two data centres.
• Explain current connectivity limitations, proposed implementation approaches, risks to existing services and any additional hardware, software or licensing requirements.
• Lead technical review discussions, resolve design comments and secure review and sign‑off of design documentation from the Client’s Architecture and Network teams.
• Maintain controlled technical documentation and supporting evidence, contribute to risk and issue reporting, and submit deliverables through agreed secure channels.