Network Security Architect

Job Title : Network Security Architect

Location : Remote

Employment Type : Contract (W2)

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Network Security Architect to lead the design, implementation, and optimization of enterprise-level security architectures across complex network environments. This role requires deep technical expertise in network security, strong architectural design skills, and hands-on experience with modern security technologies, frameworks, and zero-trust principles. The ideal candidate will collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure that network infrastructures remain resilient, scalable, and compliant with industry standards.

Key Responsibilities Architecture & Design

Design and architect secure network infrastructures supporting multi-cloud and on-prem environments.

Develop and maintain security architecture standards, patterns, and best practices.

Lead the design of Zero Trust, SASE, and secure segmentation strategies.

Define architecture diagrams, data flows, and technical security documentation.

Security Engineering & Implementation

Architect and implement firewalls, VPNs, IDS / IPS, NAC, and other security solutions.

Lead deployment of network security tools such as NGFWs, WAF, DDoS protection, and secure proxies.

Evaluate and integrate new security products and technologies.

Create secure network baselines, configuration standards, and hardening guidelines.

Cloud & Hybrid Security

Develop cloud network security architectures across AWS, Azure, or GCP.

Design secure connectivity between cloud and on-prem (Transit Gateway, VPC peering, VPN, Direct Connect / ExpressRoute).

Implement cloud-native and third-party security controls.

Threat Management & Monitoring

Architect monitoring solutions for network security visibility and threat detection.

Support incident response by providing architectural context and recommending mitigation strategies.

Work closely with SOC teams to enhance detection, response, and security analytics.

Governance, Risk & Compliance

Ensure network architecture aligns with PCI-DSS, NIST, ISO 27001, CIS, and other compliance standards.

Conduct risk assessments, architecture reviews, and security gap analyses.

Advise leadership and engineering teams on security best practices and policy improvements.

Collaboration & Leadership

Serve as a subject matter expert (SME) across IT, engineering, and security teams.

Provide architectural guidance during project planning, security reviews, and solution evaluations.

Mentor junior engineers and support knowledge-sharing across teams.

Required Qualifications

7 10+ years of experience in network security engineering or architecture.

Strong expertise with network protocols (TCP / IP, BGP, OSPF, IPSec, SSL / TLS).

Hands-on experience with firewalls , NAC , VPN , IDS / IPS , and secure WAN solutions .

Advanced knowledge of Cisco , Palo Alto Networks , Fortinet , Check Point , or similar technologies.

Experience architecting solutions in AWS , Azure , or Google Cloud .

Strong understanding of Zero Trust, SASE, SD-WAN, micro-segmentation, and modern access control models.

Experience with automation (Python, Terraform, Ansible) is highly preferred.

Familiarity with SIEM, SOAR, EDR / XDR, and network security monitoring tools.

Strong documentation, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills.

Preferred Qualifications

Relevant certifications such as :

CISSP, CCNP Security, CCIE Security, GIAC (GSEC, GCIH, GCIA), PCNSE, AWS Security Specialty

Experience designing secure architectures for large-scale enterprise and distributed networks.

Experience supporting compliance initiatives (PCI, HIPAA, SOX, FedRAMP, etc.).

Soft Skills

Strong analytical, architectural, and problem-solving abilities.

Ability to communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.

Highly self-driven, detail-oriented, and able to work independently in a remote environment.

Strong leadership and decision-making capabilities.