C
Lead Technical Network Architect - DV Cleared
Certes IT Service Solutions
1 hour ago
Contract
Buckinghamshire
United Kingdom
Lead Technical Architect - Networks (DV Cleared)
Clearance: Developed Vetting (DV) - mandatory
Onsite Requirement: 3 days per week
Rate: £750 - £775 per day Inside IR35
Location: Milton Keynes
Overview:
We are seeking an experienced Lead Technical Architect (Networks) to join our client, reporting directly to the Chief Technology Officer. This is a senior leadership role responsible for defining and governing network architecture across both physical and logical domains.
The successful candidate will play a key role in a new project, leading network architecture strategy and ensuring designs are secure, scalable, resilient, and cost-effective, aligned with organisational objectives and enterprise architecture standards.
This role requires a strong blend of deep technical expertise, architecture governance, and stakeholder engagement, with a particular emphasis on end-to-end datacentre design and customer-facing delivery.
Key Responsibilities:
Lead network architecture across physical and logical environments
Define and govern secure, scalable, and cost-efficient network designs
Act as the primary architect for key project delivery initiatives
Translate business and security requirements into technical solutions
Produce and review high- and low-level designs (conceptual, logical, physical) aligned to TOGAF
Provide leadership and guidance to architects and technical teams
Drive best practices in network automation, provisioning, and orchestration
Influence senior stakeholders through evidence-based recommendations
Support incident resolution and technical escalations
Develop and maintain technical roadmaps aligned to organisational strategy
Essential Skills & Experience:
Qualifications & Certifications
Degree (or equivalent experience) in Computer Science, Network Engineering, or Telecommunications
Industry certifications or willingness to work towards (TOGAF, ITIL, PRINCE2, Agile)
Professional certifications such as:
o CCNP (Cisco)
o VCP-NV (VMware)
o PCNSE (Palo Alto)
o Azure Network Engineer / AWS Solutions Architect
(or equivalent experience)
Technical Expertise:
Proven experience designing and governing secure network architectures across:
o VMware (private cloud)
o Microsoft on-premise environments
o Multi-cloud (Azure and/or AWS)
Strong experience delivering LAN, WAN, hybrid cloud, and datacentre network designs
Deep understanding of:
o Cisco technologies (ACI, ASA, Firepower, ASR, Catalyst, Nexus)
o VMware NSX
o Palo Alto Firewalls
Networking protocols and technologies:
o VLANs, MPLS, IPsec, OSPF, BGP, SD-WAN, SDN
o TCP/IP, VPN, DNS, QoS
Experience designing networks in Azure (VNet) and AWS (VPC)
Knowledge of:
o Zero Trust architecture
o Network automation and orchestration
o Monitoring tools (SolarWinds, PRTG)
o F5 BIG-IP (LTM, ASM)
Understanding of high-grade encryption technologies for secure environments
Architecture & Delivery Experience:
Experience producing robust architecture designs using TOGAF frameworks
Strong track record of:
o Designing secure, resilient environments (ideally government/defence)
o Delivering business continuity and disaster recovery solutions
o Designing DDoS protection and security controls (WAF, IDS/IPS, EDR/XDR/NDR)
Experience evaluating solution options across cost, quality, time, and risk
Exposure to network automation tools (e.g. Ansible, Terraform, Python)
Experience working within CI/CD and DevSecOps environments
Leadership & Stakeholder Management:
Proven ability to lead and mentor technical teams
Experience influencing senior stakeholders and decision-makers
Ability to act as a key escalation point for complex issues
Strong customer-facing and communication skills
Knowledge Requirements:
UK Government and security frameworks, including:
o NCSC guidance
o GDS standards
o Secure by Design principles
o Cloud Security Principles
o Technology Code of Practice
Experience designing secure / air-gapped environments
Expertise in cloud-native networking and modern architectural practices
Desirable Skills:
Membership of professional bodies (e.g., BCS, IET)
Experience working at OFFICIAL (or higher) government classification levels
Advanced certifications (e.g., CCIE)
Experience with Google Cloud Platform (GCP) networking
Awareness of AI-driven operational optimisation
Strong experience with automation in DevSecOps environments
Certes Computing (and all of its subsidiary companies) is committed to promoting equality and diversity in its business operations.
Clearance: Developed Vetting (DV) - mandatory
Onsite Requirement: 3 days per week
Rate: £750 - £775 per day Inside IR35
Location: Milton Keynes
Overview:
We are seeking an experienced Lead Technical Architect (Networks) to join our client, reporting directly to the Chief Technology Officer. This is a senior leadership role responsible for defining and governing network architecture across both physical and logical domains.
The successful candidate will play a key role in a new project, leading network architecture strategy and ensuring designs are secure, scalable, resilient, and cost-effective, aligned with organisational objectives and enterprise architecture standards.
This role requires a strong blend of deep technical expertise, architecture governance, and stakeholder engagement, with a particular emphasis on end-to-end datacentre design and customer-facing delivery.
Key Responsibilities:
Lead network architecture across physical and logical environments
Define and govern secure, scalable, and cost-efficient network designs
Act as the primary architect for key project delivery initiatives
Translate business and security requirements into technical solutions
Produce and review high- and low-level designs (conceptual, logical, physical) aligned to TOGAF
Provide leadership and guidance to architects and technical teams
Drive best practices in network automation, provisioning, and orchestration
Influence senior stakeholders through evidence-based recommendations
Support incident resolution and technical escalations
Develop and maintain technical roadmaps aligned to organisational strategy
Essential Skills & Experience:
Qualifications & Certifications
Degree (or equivalent experience) in Computer Science, Network Engineering, or Telecommunications
Industry certifications or willingness to work towards (TOGAF, ITIL, PRINCE2, Agile)
Professional certifications such as:
o CCNP (Cisco)
o VCP-NV (VMware)
o PCNSE (Palo Alto)
o Azure Network Engineer / AWS Solutions Architect
(or equivalent experience)
Technical Expertise:
Proven experience designing and governing secure network architectures across:
o VMware (private cloud)
o Microsoft on-premise environments
o Multi-cloud (Azure and/or AWS)
Strong experience delivering LAN, WAN, hybrid cloud, and datacentre network designs
Deep understanding of:
o Cisco technologies (ACI, ASA, Firepower, ASR, Catalyst, Nexus)
o VMware NSX
o Palo Alto Firewalls
Networking protocols and technologies:
o VLANs, MPLS, IPsec, OSPF, BGP, SD-WAN, SDN
o TCP/IP, VPN, DNS, QoS
Experience designing networks in Azure (VNet) and AWS (VPC)
Knowledge of:
o Zero Trust architecture
o Network automation and orchestration
o Monitoring tools (SolarWinds, PRTG)
o F5 BIG-IP (LTM, ASM)
Understanding of high-grade encryption technologies for secure environments
Architecture & Delivery Experience:
Experience producing robust architecture designs using TOGAF frameworks
Strong track record of:
o Designing secure, resilient environments (ideally government/defence)
o Delivering business continuity and disaster recovery solutions
o Designing DDoS protection and security controls (WAF, IDS/IPS, EDR/XDR/NDR)
Experience evaluating solution options across cost, quality, time, and risk
Exposure to network automation tools (e.g. Ansible, Terraform, Python)
Experience working within CI/CD and DevSecOps environments
Leadership & Stakeholder Management:
Proven ability to lead and mentor technical teams
Experience influencing senior stakeholders and decision-makers
Ability to act as a key escalation point for complex issues
Strong customer-facing and communication skills
Knowledge Requirements:
UK Government and security frameworks, including:
o NCSC guidance
o GDS standards
o Secure by Design principles
o Cloud Security Principles
o Technology Code of Practice
Experience designing secure / air-gapped environments
Expertise in cloud-native networking and modern architectural practices
Desirable Skills:
Membership of professional bodies (e.g., BCS, IET)
Experience working at OFFICIAL (or higher) government classification levels
Advanced certifications (e.g., CCIE)
Experience with Google Cloud Platform (GCP) networking
Awareness of AI-driven operational optimisation
Strong experience with automation in DevSecOps environments
Certes Computing (and all of its subsidiary companies) is committed to promoting equality and diversity in its business operations.
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