Overview: A Network Architect is responsible for designing and governing network architecture that supports business services. This includes translating requirements into scalable, secure, and resilient designs, and making informed trade-off decisions across cost, risk, and performance. Core Responsibilities: 1. Architecture and Design - Design enterprise network architecture across data center, WAN, cloud, and hybrid environments - Define standards, patterns, and reference architectures - Ensure scalability, resiliency, and security by design 1. Trade-off and Decision Making: - Balance performance, cost, risk, and operability - Evaluate competing approaches (e.g., overlay vs underlay, vendor vs open solutions) - Make design decisions at the system level rather than the device level - This is a key differentiator compared to a technical project manager or engineer 1. Vendor and Technology Neutrality: - Evaluate technologies across multiple vendors (e.g., Cisco, VMware, Juniper) and open source. - Avoid designing around a single vendor’s constraints or bias - Select solutions based on best architectural fit 1. Complex Programme Delivery: - Lead architecture across large, multi-domain programmes - Collaborate with infrastructure, security, cloud, and application teams - Own end-to-end design coherence rather than isolated components - Typically involves large-scale enterprise or highly regulated environments with multi-region and high-resilience requirements 1. Stakeholder Management (Conflict Handling): - Align stakeholders across security, operations, business, and vendors - Manage conflicting requirements such as:



- Security vs usability - Cost vs resiliency - Speed vs governance - Drive decisions to closure through effective communication 1. Governance and Standards: - Define and enforce network standards - Review designs to ensure alignment with architectural principles - Provide guidance to engineering and delivery teams Required Skills: - Technical (Core Expectations) - Strong fundamentals: - Routing and protocols: BGP (mandatory), OSPF, TCP/IP - Data center networking and fabric design - Network security principles (e.g., segmentation, access control) - Up-to-date enterprise stack: - Software-defined networking (e.g., NSX) - VXLAN and overlay networking - Hybrid cloud networking - Network automation (e.g., Python, APIs) - Platform expertise: - Strong Linux and networking integration - Ability to troubleshoot network issues at the operating system level - Y working with containers and infrastructure tooling - Experience - Proven delivery of complex, enterprise-scale projects - Preferably within financial services or similarly regulated environments - Experience with: - High availability and disaster recovery designs - Multi-region and data center interconnects - Secure access models - Soft Skills (Critical for the Role) - Strong ability to articulate trade-offs - Confidence in constructively challenging stakeholders - Clear communication across both technical and non-technical audiences - Ability to drive decisions, not just facilitate discussions - Anti-Patterns (What This Role Is Not) - Not a technical project manager - Not limited to facilitating discussions - Not focused solely on explaining architecture without making decisions Not driven by vendor-led solutions. [email protected]

📌 Network Architect (Chennai)
🏢 Prodapt
📍 Chennai