Enterprise Architect (Active Secret) - Direct Hire - Mostly Remote - Alexandria, VA

Enterprise Architect Our client, a fast-growing Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business providing full-service IT solutions to both federal and commercial clients is seeking an Enterprise Architect to play a key leadership role in designing, automating, and implementing secure, scalable, and high-performance enterprise network solutions. This position requires a blend of deep technical expertise, solution design acumen, and hands-on experience in network automation and orchestration. RESPONSIBILITIES: - Engage with clients to understand business requirements, challenges, and objectives, translating them into tailored network architecture solutions. - Assess existing infrastructure to identify optimization opportunities, focusing on scalability, resiliency, and security. - Design, document, and present end-to-end enterprise network architectures; including on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments. - Lead implementation efforts, guiding teams and ensuring deployments align with design specifications and best practices. - Drive the adoption of network automation, infrastructure-as-code (IaC), and orchestration frameworks (e.g., Ansible, Terraform, Python-based automation). - Develop and maintain automated configuration management and Ci/CD pipelines for network infrastructure deployments. - Standardize network architectures and create reusable templates to streamline deployments and improve consistency across environments. - Collaborate with internal engineering teams, vendors, and technology partners to deliver integrated solutions that align with client business outcomes. - Provide mentorship, technical leadership, and training to engineering and client teams on automation tools and emerging technologies. - Research and evaluate emerging technologies such as SDN, SASE, Zero Trust Architectures, Network Function Virtualization (NFV), and cloud-native networking. - Serve as a trusted advisor during technical discussions and architecture reviews, ensuring compliance with security, scalability, and performance requirements. - Troubleshoot complex network and automation-related issues, driving root cause analysis and resolution. - Active DoD Secret Clearance is required - Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) required (CCIE is preferred) - Bachelor-s degree in computer science, Information Technology, Engineering, or related field (preferred) - Minimum 7 years of experience in network architecture, network engineering, or related disciplines. - Proven experience designing and implementing enterprise-grade network infrastructures across multiple environments (on-premises, cloud, hybrid). - Strong knowledge of network protocols and technologies (TCP/IP, BGP, OSPF, MPLS, QoS, VPNs, SD-WAN, etc.). - Expertise in network security design, including firewalls, segmentation, and access control. - Hands-on experience with network automation frameworks and tools (e.g., Ansible, Python, Terraform, NetBox, Nornir, REST APIs). - Experience integrating automation into network provisioning and change management processes (CI/CD). - Familiarity with cloud networking services (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) and hybrid connectivity solutions. - Exposure to SDN, SASE, Zero Trust, and micro-segmentation principles. - Strong documentation, presentation, and communication skills, with the ability to convey complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences. Apply tot his job