Job Summary
We are seeking a Network Solution Architect who can operate independently between business stakeholders and engineering teams, owning business-funded and non-standard network initiatives from intake through design handoff. The role is design-focused rather than implementation- or operations-focused. The architect will engage directly with business teams to understand their needs, translate them into robust Cisco-based network designs, produce professional design documentation and Bills of Material (BOMs), and hand approved solutions to engineering teams for implementation — with minimal supervision after onboarding.
Key Responsibilities
Business Intake & Requirements • Act as the primary point of contact for business-funded and non-standard network requests. • Lead discovery conversations and requirement workshops with business stakeholders. • Translate business language and outcomes into clear technical requirements. • Manage stakeholder expectations on scope, feasibility, options and trade-offs. Network Solution Design • Design Cisco WAN, SD-WAN, LAN and enterprise Wi-Fi solutions for new and existing sites. • Design data center and cloud connectivity solutions. • Perform capacity planning and determine bandwidth and sizing requirements. • Apply established architecture patterns and design standards; ensure designs are robust, feasible and low-risk for business-critical environments. • Present and defend designs in design reviews. Documentation & Design Artifacts • Produce Solution Design Documents (SDD), High-Level Designs (HLD) and Low-Level Designs (LLD). • Create network and architecture diagrams in Microsoft Visio. • Assemble complete, professional design packages using Word, Excel and Visio. Cisco Product Selection, BOM & Costing • Select appropriate Cisco routers, switches, wireless and associated components. • Build accurate Bills of Material and support solution costing exercises. • Maintain working knowledge of the Cisco hardware portfolio and how network solutions are commercially costed. Handoff & Stakeholder Coordination • Hand approved designs to engineering teams for implementation with clear, complete documentation. • Coordinate with business teams, platform owners, network architects, engineering and project teams. • Drive conversations to closure and influence decisions without direct authority.
Skill Requirements
Technical • Minimum ~5 years of hands-on enterprise network design experience. • Proven design experience across Cisco WAN, Cisco SD-WAN, Cisco LAN and enterprise Wi-Fi. • Experience designing data center and cloud connectivity. • Multi-site networking and WAN capacity planning experience. • Ability to build hardware BOMs and size solutions independently. • Strong proficiency in Microsoft Visio, Word and Excel for design work. Consulting & Communication • Confident, customer-facing communicator who can simplify technical concepts for business audiences. • Strong listener with a consultative, discovery-led approach. • Demonstrated stakeholder management across business and technical groups. Certifications • Mandatory: CCNA or equivalent knowledge • Preferred: CCNP; exposure to enterprise architecture practices
Other Requirements
Ownership: Self-starter who becomes self-sufficient quickly after onboarding, templates and shadowing • Independence: Works independently with limited supervision and does not require continuous handholding • Solutioning mindset: Thinks beyond technology to business outcomes, feasibility and standards • Design quality: Strong architecture judgement and attention to detail; understands that poor designs can lead to major incidents • Working style: Organized, practical problem solver; comfortable with ambiguity; curious and quick to learn • Team fit: Collaborative and customer-focused