Cloud Network Architect - Routing & Switching (10-20 yrs)

Cloud Network Architect

Job Summary :

As a Cloud Network Architect, you will play a critical role in designing, implementing, optimizing, and maintaining the networking architecture for cloud-based environments. You will work closely with cloud engineers and security teams to ensure the network infrastructure is scalable, resilient, secure, and efficient. This role requires deep expertise in cloud networking, hands-on experience with multiple cloud providers, and a solid understanding of networking protocols, security principles, and automation.

Key Responsibilities :

- Design and implement highly available, scalable, and secure networking solutions within cloud environments (GCP, Azure or Open Source Virtualization).

- Architect and deploy cloud networking components such as Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), subnets, network routing, VPNs, Direct Connect/Interconnect, Load balancers, Cloud DNS, Cloud Router and Firewall configurations.

- Develop hybrid cloud networking strategies and integrate on-premises infrastructure with public/private clouds.

- Monitor and manage cloud network performance, identify bottlenecks, and implement improvements to ensure high throughput, low latency, and high availability.

- Automate cloud network configuration and management using Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools like Terraform, CloudFormation, or similar.

- Implement network security best practices in cloud environments, including encryption, identity and access management (IAM), network segmentation, and zero-trust models.

- Troubleshoot complex cloud networking issues, including connectivity, performance degradation, or security breaches, across multicloud and hybrid environments.

Skills and Competencies :

Proficiency in 1 or more Public Clouds : Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft Azure or others with strong knowledge of cloud networking features such as VPC, Load Balancing, Firewall, DNS, Routing etc.

Networking Protocols : Strong knowledge of TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, BGP, VPNs, and IPSec.

Cloud Security : Experience with cloud native security tools, firewalls (NGFW, PaloAlto), encryption, IAM, and multi-cloud security practices.

Automation Tools : Expertise in Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools like Terraform, Ansible, or similar.

Routing & Switching : In-depth understanding of network routing and switching, including network design, subnetting, VLANs, and inter-network communications.

Monitoring & Troubleshooting : Knowledge of cloud-based monitoring and logging tools such as Stackdriver, VPC Logs and third-party tools like Datadog, Nagios, or Prometheus.

Containerized Environments : Familiarity with container networking in Kubernetes or similar container orchestration platforms.

Qualifications :

- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field.

- 6 to 10 years of hands-on experience in data networking.

- At least 2-3 years of experience working with one or more major public cloud platforms (GCP, Azure, Opensource).

- Experience in networking in hybrid-cloud and multi-cloud environments.

- Proven experience in designing, implementing, and troubleshooting large-scale cloud networking architectures.

Certifications (preferred, but not mandatory) :

- Cisco Certified Internetwork/Design Expert (CCIE/CCDE) or Equivalent like JNCIE

- Enterprise or Data Center or Routing & Switching