Job Title: Network Architect - Enterprise & Multi-Cloud Networking
Location: Lowell, MA
Duration: 6 months
Pay Rate: $75/hr - $80/hr (DOE) 

Job Description: 
The Planet Group is seeking an experienced and visionary Network Architect to lead the design, evolution, and governance of our global hybrid network infrastructure. This role is responsible for defining and driving the enterprise networking strategy across on-premises, cloud, and security domains while ensuring scalability, resiliency, performance, and operational excellence.
The ideal candidate possesses deep expertise in enterprise network architecture, multi-cloud networking (Azure and GCP), network security, automation, and observability. This individual will serve as a technical authority, influencing architecture decisions, establishing standards, and guiding engineering teams through the implementation of complex network initiatives.
 

Responsibilities:

• Network Strategy & Architecture
  • Define and maintain the enterprise network architecture roadmap supporting business growth, cloud adoption, and digital transformation initiatives.
  • Lead the architecture and design of global network solutions spanning data centers, campuses, branch locations, cloud environments, and internet edge connectivity.
  • Develop reference architectures, design standards, and engineering best practices for hybrid and multi-cloud networking environments.
  • Evaluate emerging networking technologies and provide strategic recommendations aligned with business and technology objectives.
  • Establish architectural governance processes to ensure consistency, scalability, security, and operational efficiency across all network platforms.
• Hybrid Cloud & Connectivity Architecture
  • Design and optimize connectivity architectures across Azure, GCP, and on-premises environments.
  • Architect resilient WAN, SD-WAN, MPLS, Internet, and cloud interconnect solutions.
  • Define routing, segmentation, and traffic engineering strategies utilizing technologies such as BGP, OSPF, VRF, IPSec, and software-defined networking.
  • Design cloud-native networking solutions leveraging Azure Networking Services, Google Cloud Networking Services, Cloud DNS, and related technologies.
• Network Security Architecture
  • Partner with Security Architecture teams to design secure network frameworks and segmentation strategies.
  • Define firewall architecture, cloud security controls, zero-trust networking principles, and secure access methodologies.
  • Establish security baselines and compliance standards across network infrastructure.
  • Conduct architectural reviews to identify risks, vulnerabilities, and opportunities for improvement.
• Automation & Infrastructure as Code
  • Drive adoption of Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) and network automation frameworks.
  • Define automation standards utilizing Terraform, Ansible Automation Platform, APIs, and CI/CD methodologies.
  • Champion automation-first principles to improve reliability, consistency, scalability, and operational efficiency.
• Technical Leadership & Governance
  • Provide architectural oversight and technical leadership for major network transformation initiatives.
  • Review and approve low-level designs, implementation plans, and technical solutions proposed by engineering teams.
  • Lead architecture reviews, proof-of-concept evaluations, and technology selection processes.
  • Mentor network engineers and contribute to the development of technical capabilities across the organization.
  • Collaborate with Cloud Engineering, Security, Platform Engineering, and Operations teams to ensure alignment with enterprise architecture standards.
• Reliability, Observability & Continuous Improvement
  • Define network observability and monitoring strategies utilizing platforms such as Splunk, ThousandEyes, and related tools.
  • Analyze performance trends and capacity requirements to ensure long-term scalability.
  • Lead architectural root cause analysis efforts for major incidents and drive systemic improvements.
  • Establish disaster recovery, resiliency, and high-availability design standards.

Qualifications:

• Experience
  • 13+ years of experience in enterprise networking, network architecture, and infrastructure engineering.
  • 10+ years of experience designing and architecting complex global network environments.
  • Proven experience leading architecture initiatives across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.
• Enterprise Network Architecture
  • Deep expertise in:
    • Routing protocols (BGP, OSPF)
    • Switching architectures (Juniper)
    • WAN technologies (MPLS, SD-WAN, IPSec)
    • DNS architectures (Infoblox, Cloudflare, Cloud DNS)
    • Internet edge and cloud connectivity architectures
• Cloud Networking
  • 10+ years of experience architecting networking solutions within Azure and Google Cloud Platform.
  • Expertise designing cloud-native networking services and hybrid connectivity architectures.
  • Strong understanding of cloud security, traffic engineering, and multi-cloud integration patterns.
• Network Security
  • Extensive experience with Palo Alto and Juniper firewall architectures.
  • Strong understanding of Zero Trust, segmentation, secure access, and network security design principles.
• Wireless & Application Delivery
  • Experience architecting Aruba Wireless solutions.
  • Strong understanding of enterprise load balancing architectures including F5, Azure Load Balancer, and Google Cloud Load Balancing.
• Automation & Modern Infrastructure
  • Advanced knowledge of Infrastructure-as-Code and network automation using Terraform and Ansible.
  • Experience integrating automation into large-scale network lifecycle management processes.
• Observability & Troubleshooting
  • Expert-level knowledge of network monitoring and observability platforms including Splunk and ThousandEyes.
  • Strong packet analysis and protocol troubleshooting skills using tools such as Wireshark.
  • Proven ability to translate operational insights into long-term architectural improvements.
• Emerging Technologies
  • Understanding of Agentic AI, Generative AI, and intelligent automation frameworks with the ability to identify opportunities to modernize network operations, improve decision-making, and accelerate engineering productivity.
• Leadership & Communication
  • Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
  • Ability to influence architecture decisions across engineering, security, and cloud teams.
  • Demonstrated experience leading large-scale transformation initiatives and mentoring technical teams.