12+ years of experience in network engineering, including significant architecture responsibility at enterprise scale.
Strong fundamentals in TCP/IP, routing, switching, segmentation, DNS/DHCP/IPAM, load balancing, resiliency, performance, monitoring, and security.
Demonstrated experience producing technical network designs and supporting implementation, testing, troubleshooting, and operational transition.
Ability to work across cloud and on-premises boundaries and through formal security and architecture review processes.
Strong documentation and communication skills, with experience presenting designs and tradeoffs to both engineers and leadership.
U.S. citizenship is required.
Responsibilities
Develop, review, and implement secure, resilient enterprise network architectures supporting mission systems and shared services.
Produce and assess physical and logical diagrams, routing and segmentation, interfaces, connectivity, capacity, availability, and monitoring requirements.
Design hybrid connectivity architecture spanning on-premises and cloud environments.
Define and maintain network architecture standards, reference patterns, and technical decisions.
Set target-state network direction and modernization roadmap, balancing scale, security, resilience, and performance.
Align network architecture with enterprise architecture governance and repository requirements.
Support technical reviews, architecture compliance reviews, phase gates, and implementation-readiness reviews.
Evaluate proposed deviations and provide recommendations grounded in risk and architectural impact.
Analyze current-state network gaps, technical debt, lifecycle risk, single points of failure, and performance bottlenecks.
Provide recommendations for modernization, standardization, and optimization, including cost and performance tradeoffs.
Coordinate with cloud/platform, cybersecurity, identity, endpoint/mobility, applications, data, and ITSM teams, as well as external carriers and providers.
Resolve complex cross-domain design conflicts under fixed milestones.
Maintain standards, reference patterns, technical decisions, configurations, risks, and dependencies in approved repositories.
Support implementation, testing, migration, and stabilization; troubleshoot complex cross-domain problems and communicate root cause, options, and corrective actions.
Desired Qualifications
Direct federal, government, or large distributed enterprise network experience.
Experience with network automation, infrastructure as code, software-defined networking, zero trust, SASE/SSE, and observability.
Experience with enterprise architecture repositories and technology standards/roadmaps.
Network Architect SME
Ignite IT · Washington, United States (Hybrid) · Full-time · Posted 2026-08-17
Workplace: hybrid
Department: CENSUS
Description
We are seeking a Subject Matter Expert (SME) Network Architect to join our team supporting a large-scale federal modernization program. This role owns enterprise and solution-level network architecture, designing secure, resilient network environments that support mission-critical systems and shared services across both cloud and on-premises boundaries, and driving the standards, target-state direction, and modernization roadmap that keep the network ready to scale.
This is a hands-on architecture role. You'll be expected to produce real technical designs and see them through implementation, not just set direction from a distance.
This is a hybrid role based out of Washington, DC. Candidates must be U.S. citizens.
Key Responsibilities
1. Network Architecture & Design
Develop, review, and implement secure, resilient enterprise network architectures supporting mission systems and shared services.
Produce and assess physical/logical diagrams, routing/segmentation, interfaces, connectivity, capacity, availability, and monitoring requirements.
Design hybrid connectivity architecture spanning on-premises and cloud environments.
2. Standards & Target-State Direction
Define and maintain network architecture standards, reference patterns, and technical decisions.
Set target-state network direction and modernization roadmap, balancing scale, security, resilience, and performance.
Align network architecture with enterprise architecture governance and repository requirements.
3. Technical Reviews & Governance
Support technical reviews, architecture compliance reviews, phase gates, and implementation-readiness reviews.
Evaluate proposed deviations and provide recommendations grounded in risk and architectural impact.
4. Gap Analysis & Modernization
Analyze current-state network gaps, technical debt, lifecycle risk, single points of failure, and performance bottlenecks.
Provide recommendations for modernization, standardization, and optimization, including cost/performance tradeoffs.
5. Cross-Domain Coordination
Coordinate with cloud/platform, cybersecurity, identity, endpoint/mobility, applications, data, and ITSM teams, as well as external carriers and providers.
Resolve complex cross-domain design conflicts under fixed milestones.
6. Documentation & Operational Handoff
Maintain standards, reference patterns, technical decisions, configurations, risks, and dependencies in approved repositories.
Support implementation, testing, migration, and stabilization, and troubleshoot complex cross-domain problems, communicating root cause, options, and corrective actions.
Requirements
12+ years of experience in network engineering, including significant architecture responsibility at enterprise scale.
Strong fundamentals in TCP/IP, routing, switching, segmentation, DNS/DHCP/IPAM, load balancing, resiliency, performance, monitoring, and security.
Demonstrated experience producing technical network designs and supporting implementation, testing, troubleshooting, and operational transition.
Ability to work across cloud and on-premises boundaries and through formal security/architecture review processes.
Strong documentation and communication skills, with experience presenting designs and tradeoffs to both engineers and leadership.
U.S. Citizenship Required.
Nice to Have
Direct federal, government, or large distributed enterprise network experience.