Network Solution Architect / Network Design Manager
Location: Madrid
Hybrid 2 days per week in office
Position Overview
The Network Solutions Architect is responsible for the design, governance, and evolution of network solutions that support organisational objectives across enterprise, cloud, and hybrid environments. The role combines strategic architecture leadership with operational and people management responsibilities, ensuring network services are secure, resilient, scalable, and aligned to business need
s.
In addition to architecture and leadership responsibilities, the postholder is expected to maintain a hands-on technical involvement in the delivery of architected solutions. This includes providing technical leadership throughout implementation, supporting complex deployments, validating designs, troubleshooting critical issues, and working alongside engineering teams to ensure solutions are delivered in accordance with architectural standards and business requiremen
ts.The role requires a balance of strategic thinking and practical execution, with accountability for translating architectural vision into successful operational outcomes while leading and developing a high-performing network solutions te
am.
The successful candidate will lead architecture and design activities while managing a team of network professionals, overseeing performance, development, resource planning, and operational excelle
nce.
You will need to support and deliver to cross functional teams within the Global business which means you will need to adapt to ways of working being flexible to their n
eeds.
The role has the potential to include overnight and weekend working to support project delivery and act as a point of escalation for the operational support teams. International travel will be required when necessitated by project del
ivery.
Key Responsib
ilities
Solution Architecture &
* Design: Design end-to-end network solutions for business and technology ini
* processes and system
* s design.Produce high-level and detailed network architecture
* designs.Define network standards, patterns, and
* roadmaps.Ensure solutions align with architecture, security, and operational requ
* irements.Lead network design reviews and technical governance ac
* tivities.Provide architectural guidance for cloud, hybrid-cloud, and on-premises envi
* ronments.Support major transformation programmes and infrastructure modernisation
projects.
Technolog
* y StrategyDevelop and maintain network technology
* roadmaps.Evaluate emerging technologies and indust
* ry trends.Recommend improvements to network performance, security, resilience, and a
* adoption of software-defined and cloud-based networking
solutions.
Network Security &
* ComplianceEnsure security principles are embedded into all network
* solutions.Collaborate with cybersecurity teams to implement secure arc
* hitectures.Support compliance with regulatory, audit, and governance re
* quirements.Design solutions supporting Zero Trust and defence-in-depth
strategies.
Project & Deliver
* y LeadershipLead technical design activities for compl
* ex projects.Act as the senior technical authority for network-related
* project managers with planning, estimation, and risk
* management.Review and approve technical deliverables from internal teams and third-part
y suppliers.
Te
* am LeadershipLead, mentor, and develop a team of network solutions engineers and
* specialists.Set individual objectives and performance
* regular one-to-one meetings and perform
* ance reviews.Create development plans and support professional certifi
* cation goals.Foster a collaborative, high-performing
team culture
Resource & Work
* force PlanningManage team workload, priorities, and resour
* ce skills gaps and develop suc
* cession plans.Support recruitment, onboarding, and retenti
* on activities.Manage contractor and supplier resources w
here required.
Operati
* onal ManagementEnsure network services meet agreed service levels and opera
* tional targets.Oversee incident, problem, and change managem
* ent activities.Drive continuous service improveme
* nt team performance against agreed me
trics and OKR's
Technical Skills
& Expe
* rience NetworkingEnterprise LAN, WAN,
* WLAN architectureSD-WAN solutions
* (Cisco/Palo Alto)Data centre n
* etworking (Cisco)Net
* work segmentationRouting and switching on a global scale (BGP, O
* SPF, MPLS, VXLAN)Load balancing technologies (F5, ope
* n-source option
* s)DNS, DHCP,
IPAMIPv4 and IPv
* 6 Cloud NetworkingNetworking within Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, a
* nd/or Google CloudHybrid and multi-
* cloud connectivityExpressRoute, Direct Connect, VPN, and cloud tra
nsit arc
* hitectures SecurityFirewalls and network security c
* ontrols (Palo Alto)Zero
* Trust architectureNetwork A
* ccess Control (NAC)Secure remo
* te access solutionsNetwork monitoring a
* nd threat detectionSecure access
* service edge
(SASE)CIS Controls
Recovery and
* High Availability: High Availability
* (HA) network design.Disaster Recovery (DR) plannin
* g and and active-passive n
* etwork architectures.Multi-site and geographically resilient
* network deployments.Cloud resilience and mul
* ti-region networking.Load balancing and traffic man
* agement technologies.SD-WAN resilience and f
* ailover capabilities.Data centre redundancy a
* nd resilience design.Network failover
* and recovery testing.Critical infrastructure and 24x7
service environments.
Formal Education, Certif
* ication/Qualifications Cisco Certified
* Network Associate (CCNA)Cisco Certif
* ied Design Expert (CCDE)Cisco Certified In
* ternetwork Expert (CCIE)AWS Certified Advance
* d Networking – SpecialtyMicrosoft Certified: Azure Ne
* twork Engineer AssociateITIL A
* ccreditation (desirable)Project Management a
* ccreditation (des
irable)TOGAF (desirable)