Principal Network Architect

Position Summary

The Principal Network Architect will play a key role in evolving and modernizing the F5 corporate network. Using a zero‑trust and advanced network segmentation approach this role will focus on designing secure, scalable, efficient network solutions that span a hybrid on‑premise and cloud ecosystem. Design principles must span a diverse array of environments and use cases including manufacturing centers, global office locations, a global remote workforce, datacenters, and multiple IaaS providers.

This role will also play a critical role in the F5 on F5 program, providing product feedback to F5 product teams and helping design and implement customer zero implementations of F5 products and appliances, centering designs on F5 products and services when applicable. The Network Architect role will ensure that the F5’s infrastructure adheres to the highest standards of security, reliability, and performance while incorporating advanced network security practices.

The ideal candidate will have strong technical expertise in enterprise network architecture and design, extensive experience with zero‑trust principles, and a deep understanding of network segmentation using F5, Palo Alto, Cisco, and ZTNA technologies. They should have a deep knowledge of the network vendor market, understanding capabilities of a wide variety of tools to solve routing, security, and performance issues, and be able to provide competitive analysis of F5’s product stack.

Additionally, the candidate will be proficient in deploying and managing network security tools such as secure web gateways, Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) solutions, and other data‑loss protection and threat mitigation technologies.

This role will have hands‑on aspects including building proof‑of‑concepts, assisting with reference implementations, and troubleshooting designs during implementation.

• Lead the design and implementation of a zero‑trust network architecture, integrating network segmentation strategies to minimize lateral movement and reduce security risks.
• Evolve the corporate network by assessing existing infrastructure and recommending future‑state network topologies that align with business and security objectives, centering designs around F5 products and services when appropriate.
• Architect a hybrid network to seamlessly integrate on‑premise environments with public cloud platforms (AWS and Azure), with a strong focus on security, scalability, and resilience.
• Optimize network performance through efficient routing, traffic optimization, and load balancing using F5 technologies and advanced network design practices.
• Design and support the Digital Innovation Lab to allow for testing and feedback on the F5 product suite used for in‑house designs and capabilities.
• Establish secure design principles for the network engineering team to use when executing on architecture.
• Establish and evangelize automation and infrastructure‑as‑code practices for managing network ecosystems.
• Assist with the development of a solution library, showcasing how our network designs feature F5 products and services with reference architectures and functional reference implementations for customer and industry‑facing distribution.

• Use extensive knowledge of F5 products to drive the product improvement lifecycle and help support the growth and success of the F5 on F5 program.
• Assess emerging technologies and vendor solutions to determine their potential impact and effectiveness in improving the organization’s network architecture.
• Conduct capacity and growth planning to ensure the network meets current and future business needs.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive documentation of network architecture, design standards, and operating procedures.
• Continuously evaluate network performance and security postures, recommending improvements or upgrades as necessary to meet evolving business and threat landscapes.

• Serve as a technical advisor and subject‑matter expert for networking technologies, zero‑trust models, hybrid cloud integration, and security practices for stakeholders and…