Principal Network Architect

Principal Network Architect Staff Network Engineer (Contract-to-Hire Potential)

Dallas, TX; Tempe, AZ; New York City, NY; Evansville, IN; or Charlotte, NC Hybrid Remote – 3 Days Onsite

• Candidate Location: Candidates must reside a commutable distance of Dallas, TX; Tempe, AZ; New York City, NY; Evansville, IN; or Charlotte, NC
• Employment Type: Long-Term Contract with Potential for Contract-to-Hire
• Work Authorization: Must be authorized to work in the United States. No third-party candidates or C2C

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY:

• A highly respected enterprise organization is seeking a senior-level Network Engineering leader to serve as the technical authority for a large-scale hybrid infrastructure environment spanning cloud, hybrid cloud, on-premises, and application delivery technologies
• This is not a traditional routing and switching role. The focus is on application availability, traffic optimization, network reliability, automation, and troubleshooting complex communication paths across modern enterprise environments
• The ideal candidate thrives in ambiguity, enjoys solving difficult infrastructure problems, embraces automation, and can independently reverse-engineer undocumented environments to identify and resolve issues

WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING:

Technical Leadership & Architecture

• Serve as the subject matter expert for enterprise network infrastructure across AWS, Azure, and on-prem environments
• Lead application delivery and reliability initiatives focused on DNS, global traffic management (GSLB), load balancing, and network resilience
• Translate high-level business requirements into actionable technical roadmaps and implementation plans
• Evaluate technologies and platforms to ensure strategic alignment and avoid redundant tooling
• Stay current with emerging technologies, vendor roadmaps, and industry best practices

Automation & Infrastructure Engineering

• Design and maintain automation solutions using Python, Bash, Ansible, Terraform, and GitHub Actions
• Implement GitOps-based operational practices and infrastructure-as-code methodologies
• Manage secrets and credentials using modern enterprise secrets management platforms
• Develop self-service tools and workflows that improve operational efficiency and consistency

Troubleshooting & Incident Response

• Troubleshoot complex infrastructure and application delivery issues from Layer 7 through the underlying network stack
• Analyze packet captures using Wireshark and review browser HAR files to isolate root causes
• Reverse-engineer undocumented communication paths and dependencies
• Participate as a secondary escalation resource for critical production incidents
• Apply structured troubleshooting methodologies to rapidly restore service and minimize downtime

Project Leadership & Collaboration

• Lead cross-functional project teams consisting of engineers from DevOps, Security, Infrastructure, and Cloud Operations
• Mentor junior engineers and provide technical guidance across the organization
• Communicate technical concepts effectively to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Maintain comprehensive documentation for architectures, operational procedures, and design decisions

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Experience:

• At least 8+ years supporting large-scale enterprise network environments.
• Extensive experience operating within hybrid cloud and multi-cloud architectures.
• Demonstrated success working independently while leading project-based technical initiatives.

Networking & Infrastructure

• Deep expertise in DNS architecture, troubleshooting, and optimization
• Strong BGP experience across cloud and enterprise networking platforms
• Solid understanding of OSPF, EIGRP, route manipulation, and traffic engineering
• Experience with high-availability architectures, failover technologies, and redundancy strategies
• Strong knowledge of GSLB, DNS-based load balancing, and application delivery concepts
• Deep understanding of TLS/SSL negotiations and HTTP protocols
• Expertise with AWS and Azure networking architectures
• Experience with WAN technologies, VPNs, and enterprise connectivity solutions
• Familiarity with SD-WAN concepts and modern network architectures
• Working knowledge of Kubernetes networking in cloud-native environments
• Advanced packet analysis skills using Wireshark

Automation & Tooling

• Python scripting and automation
• Bash scripting
• Ansible
• Terraform
• Gi…