Network Architect
Job DescriptionNetwork Architect – 6 months - Hybrid - Northwest
The opportunity
Our client is a large UK-based organisation operating a complex hybrid network estate spanning corporate offices, distributed frontline sites, data centres and cloud services. As part of a multi-year cyber security, controls and resilience programme, they are seeking an experienced Network Architect to lead a structured discovery into network segmentation – assessing the current landscape, defining viable segmentation approaches, and producing decision-ready, board-level recommendations to inform future mobilisation.
This is a discovery and options-analysis engagement only. No implementation, build, or technical change is in scope.
What you'll do
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- Establish a clear, evidence-based view of the current network landscape, topology, dependencies and constraints.
- Assess feasible segmentation approaches that support cyber resilience, operational continuity and incident response – including reducing blast radius, protecting Tier 1 and Tier 2 services, and partial/full lockdown scenarios.
- Define differentiated treatment for higher-risk, distributed and third-party-connected environments requiring greater isolation.
- Identify the technology, vendor, security and operating-model dependencies required to enable segmentation.
- Develop and compare viable target-state options (incumbent-platform, vendor-specific, vendor-agnostic, incremental and transformational) with feasibility, indicative cost, risk and delivery complexity.
- Produce decision-oriented outputs and present findings through structured playback and governance forums.
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Key deliverables
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- Current-state assessment and segmentation readiness summary (with evidence quality and confidence ratings).
- Service criticality and dependency summary (Tier 1 / Tier 2 definition and prioritised view).
- Target-state options pack and board-ready options & recommendation paper.
- Indicative roadmap, dependency view and mobilisation entry criteria.
- Optional Network Access Control (NAC) readiness considerations where relevant.
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Essential experience
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- Senior network architecture experience across large, complex hybrid estates (multi-site, data centre and cloud).
- Demonstrable network segmentation strategy and design experience (macro/micro-segmentation, crisis-mode / lockdown models).
- Strong understanding of segmentation for cyber resilience – blast radius reduction, isolation of higher-risk environments, protection of critical services.
- Working knowledge of firewalls, SD-WAN, wireless, and NAC concepts as segmentation enablers.
- Ability to translate cyber and business outcomes into network requirements and structured option-evaluation criteria.
- Senior stakeholder engagement and the ability to produce decision-ready, board-level artefacts.
- Independent discovery / options-analysis approach with strong assumptions and confidence-rating discipline.
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Desirable
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- Experience in regulated, safety-critical or operationally sensitive environments.
- NAC readiness or strategy experience.
- Awareness of how endpoint and SD-WAN strategies interact with segmentation.
- Relevant certifications (e.g. TOGAF, CISSP, vendor network architecture credentials).
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Out of scope (please self-select)
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- Hands-on implementation, configuration, migration or deployment.
- Low-level design, build documentation or production runbooks.
- Product selection, procurement support or vendor negotiation.
- Ongoing design authority beyond the engagement term.
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Working arrangements
Hybrid working (UK), with remote and on-site delivery as agreed. Essential equipment provided. Operates within a controlled enterprise environment with formal governance and change processes.