Senior Network Architect

Location: Ringway

Senior Network Architect - £550 per day - Outside IR35 - Hybrid working, one day per week on site near Manchester Airport - 3-6 months initial contract.

We are working with a global organisation undergoing a major transformation of their entire network estate, and they are seeking a highly experienced Senior / Enterprise Network Architect to define and lead the design of their future-state network.

This role is not focused on BAU or incremental change - it is about architecting the network of the future. You'll set the long-term network strategy, design the target architecture, and guide the selection and onboarding of strategic technologies and suppliers as the business transitions to a fully modern, cloud-centric, Internet-first model.

The future environment will be built around DIA underlay, clean underlay/overlay separation, and modern SD-WAN/SASE/SSE patterns, aligned with Azure-native cloud connectivity. Therefore, deep experience designing Internet-first architectures is essential.

The Role:

Define & Lead the Future-State Network

1. Own the Target Architecture Vision

Define the future-state network architecture that delivers a cloud-first, security-first, Internet-centric model.
Drive simplification, resilience, performance and scalability through architectural vision.
Champion the future-state across senior stakeholders and technical teams.

2. Build the Network Transformation Roadmap

Create a clear, actionable roadmap that guides the organisation from current to future state.
Identify prerequisites, dependencies, migration paths and sequencing.
Set both direction and pace for the client's transformation journey.

3. Lead RFP Development & Vendor Engagement

Shape RFPs to reflect the future-state design, including technical requirements, SLAs and evaluation frameworks.
Define requirements for underlay, SD-WAN/SASE/SSE overlays, cloud interconnects and network security tooling.
Play a central role in structured vendor scoring, assessments and shortlisting.

4. Technology & Supplier Selection

Lead architecture-focused PoCs, deep dives and evaluation sessions.
Assess solutions based on long-term alignment, integration complexity, and architectural fit.
Deliver objective recommendations backed by rigorous technical reasoning.

5. Contracting, Commercials & Early Delivery Oversight

Ensure contract schedules and scopes accurately reflect architectural boundaries and expectations.
Validate supplier designs, BoMs, commercials, and implementation plans for alignment with the target state.
Provide oversight during early deployment to ensure consistency with the future-state architecture.
About You

This role is best suited for an architect who excels at strategic design and future-state thinking, not simply BAU support.

You will bring:

CCIE certification (required) - or equivalent depth of experience with proven architectural credibility.
Significant experience as a Network Architect across global or multi-region environments.
Expertise in DIA, WAN/underlay, SD-WAN, SASE/SSE, Zero Trust, and cloud connectivity (especially Azure).

Experience with SAP environments, OT/industrial networks, or hybrid cloud models (advantageous).
Proven ability to develop long-term architectural roadmaps and strategies.
Strong RFP, vendor evaluation and supplier selection experience.
Excellent communication skills, able to translate complex architectures into clear, decision-ready narratives.
Independent, vendor-neutral mindset with the confidence to challenge assumptions.
Hands-on approach and comfort operating in fast-paced transformation programmes