Network​/Operations - Network Architect III

Note:

Critical for this role
-Do not send profiles without vetting properly (Skills and Communication must be accessed)

Rate:
Ideal at   (For right resource  )
Network:
Cisco Routing and switching
Expert level:
Needs to be Manager with total 10+ years of experience

Location:

Preferred Chicago, IL but for right candidate remote is okay

Job Summary
The Network Manager is responsible for leading the design, implementation, operations, and continuous optimization of the organization's enterprise network infrastructure across multiple data centers. This role combines deep technical expertise with people leadership, strategic planning, operational governance, and vendor management to ensure a secure, scalable, highly available, and high-performance network environment.
The Network Manager oversees a team of network engineers, sets architectural direction, serves as the senior escalation point for complex network issues, and partners with cross-functional stakeholders to align network capabilities with current and future business objectives.

Key Responsibilities
Network Strategy, Design, and Architecture

Define, own, and maintain the enterprise network architecture, standards, and long-term roadmap across LAN, WAN, MAN, and data center environments.
Provide architectural oversight for complex, multi-data center and hybrid network designs.
Design scalable, resilient, and secure network architectures to support business growth and digital transformation.
Review and approve high-level designs, technical specifications, and major network changes.
Develop and maintain detailed network diagrams, standards, and design documentation.
Collaborate with business leaders, application teams, cloud teams, and security teams to translate business needs into technical network requirements.

Network Implementation and Operations

Oversee the deployment, configuration, and lifecycle management of enterprise network infrastructure, including:

Routers, switches, firewalls, VPN concentrators, and load balancers

Ensure consistent configuration standards and operational best practices across all network environments.
Establish and enforce operational processes, SLAs, KPIs, and change management procedures.
Act as the senior escalation point for critical network incidents, outages, and complex troubleshooting.
Lead root cause analysis (RCA), post-incident reviews, and implementation of preventive measures.
Ensure effective disaster recovery (DR) and business continuity strategies for network infrastructure.

Team Leadership and People Management

Lead, mentor, and develop a team of Network Engineers (L2/L3).
Set performance expectations, conduct evaluations, and support individual development and certification goals.
Foster strong collaboration, documentation discipline, and knowledge sharing within the team.
Manage on-call rotations, workload distribution, and operational readiness.

Network Security and Compliance

Partner with Information Security teams to design and enforce network security architecture and controls.
Oversee implementation of network security mechanisms, including:

Firewalls, IDS/IPS, segmentation, ACLs, encryption, and secure access

Ensure compliance with regulatory and industry standards such as PCI DSS, HIPAA, GDPR, and internal governance frameworks.
Oversee network-related security audits, vulnerability assessments, and remediation efforts.
Support Zero Trust and least-privilege access models across enterprise and data center networks.

Network Performance, Optimization, and Capacity Planning

Drive continuous improvement of network performance, availability, and reliability.
Analyze monitoring and telemetry data to identify bottlenecks and performance risks.
Lead capacity planning, traffic analysis, and lifecycle management initiatives.
Oversee implementation and governance of Quality of Service (QoS) policies to prioritize critical applications.
Improve network resiliency through redundancy, failover, and fault-tolerant designs.

Vendor, Budget, and Project Management

Manage relationships with network hardware, software, and service providers.
Lead vendor evaluations, RFPs, contract negotiations, and technology selection.
Own network budgets,…