Job Title: Senior Network Architect – AI-Ready
Infrastructure
Location: Chicago IL 60605 /New York City, NY -- 4 days
onsite, 1 day remote
Perm/FTE role
Position Overview
- We
are seeking a Senior Network Architect to lead the design and
modernization of the firm’s enterprise network infrastructure.
- This
role will be responsible for developing a highly available, low-latency,
secure, and scalable network architecture capable of supporting the
evolving technology requirements of an investment banking environment,
including AI-enabled applications, high-performance computing workloads,
cloud services, trading platforms, financial partner connectivity, and
data-intensive analytics.
- The
Senior Network Architect will establish the firm’s network architecture
roadmap and provide technical leadership across on-premises, data center,
cloud, and partner environments.
- The
successful candidate will combine deep enterprise networking expertise
with an understanding of modern cloud, security, automation, and AI
infrastructure requirements.
- This
is a senior technical leadership position requiring the ability to
translate business and technology objectives into a resilient network
architecture while remaining sufficiently hands-on to validate designs and
guide implementation.
Key Responsibilities
AI-Ready Network Architecture & Modernization
- Develop
the strategic architecture and roadmap for a secure, scalable, and highly
available enterprise network capable of supporting current and future AI
workloads.
- Design
high-bandwidth, low-latency network infrastructure supporting AI
applications, large datasets, analytics platforms, trading systems,
research, and other mission-critical financial applications.
- Evaluate
network capacity, latency, throughput, redundancy, and data-flow
requirements associated with AI and data-intensive workloads.
- Architect
resilient data center, campus, WAN, cloud, and hybrid network
environments.
- Develop
architectures capable of supporting accelerated computing and future
GPU-based or high-performance computing environments as business
requirements evolve.
- Establish
network segmentation strategies separating users, servers, AI/data
workloads, trading systems, cloud environments, third parties, and
privileged administrative systems.
- Define
network architecture standards, reference designs, and technology
roadmaps.
Investment Banking & Financial Connectivity
- Architect
highly available and low-latency infrastructure supporting investment
banking and capital markets operations.
- Design
secure and redundant connectivity with financial partners, market-data
providers, clearing organizations, and other third parties.
- Architect
dedicated circuits, private connectivity, VPNs, redundant routing, and
appropriate security controls for critical external connections.
- Establish
resilient architectures that minimize single points of failure and support
business continuity and disaster recovery requirements.
- Develop
monitoring and redundancy standards for business-critical partner
connectivity.
Cloud & Hybrid Infrastructure
- Architect
secure hybrid connectivity between on-premises infrastructure and cloud
environments, including Microsoft Azure, AWS, and/or GCP.
- Design
private cloud connectivity, routing, segmentation, private endpoints, and
unified network security policies.
- Develop
scalable network patterns for cloud-hosted applications, data platforms,
AI services, and SaaS environments.
- Partner
with infrastructure, cloud, application, cybersecurity, and data teams to
ensure network architecture supports enterprise technology strategy.
Zero Trust & Network Security Architecture
- Lead
development of the firm’s Zero Trust Network Architecture.
- Design
micro-segmentation, identity-aware access, least-privilege connectivity,
and continuous verification models.
- Establish
architectural standards for next-generation firewalls, secure remote
access, ZTNA, SASE, VPNs, WAF, and API security.
- Standardize
encryption requirements, including TLS 1.2/1.3, IPsec, and other
appropriate protocols.
- Integrate
network architecture with identity platforms such as Microsoft Entra ID,
Okta, or equivalent IAM solutions.
- Partner
with cybersecurity teams to incorporate network telemetry and security
events into SIEM and threat-monitoring platforms.
Network Automation, Observability & Resilience
- Define
an enterprise network observability strategy across routers, switches,
firewalls, cloud networks, wireless infrastructure, and partner
connections.
- Establish
standards for performance monitoring, capacity management, alerting,
logging, and network telemetry.
- Promote
infrastructure-as-code and network automation using technologies such as
Python, PowerShell, Ansible, APIs, and related automation frameworks.
- Develop
architectural standards that improve network resiliency, operational
efficiency, and recoverability.
- Guide
root-cause analysis for complex network and performance issues.
Governance & Technical Leadership
- Establish
and maintain enterprise network architecture standards, diagrams,
documentation, and technology roadmaps.
- Lead
technical design reviews and provide architectural guidance to network
engineers, administrators, security teams, and technology partners.
- Evaluate
emerging network, cloud, AI infrastructure, and cybersecurity
technologies.
- Develop
technical requirements and participate in vendor and technology
evaluations.
- Ensure
architecture aligns with applicable SEC, FINRA, SOX, cybersecurity, audit,
and internal risk requirements.
- Communicate
network strategy, risks, investments, and recommendations to both
technical teams and senior management.
Required Qualifications
- 10+
years of progressive experience in enterprise network engineering and
architecture.
- Significant
experience designing highly available enterprise, data center, WAN, and
hybrid-cloud networks.
- Expert
knowledge of TCP/IP, BGP, OSPF, routing, switching, VLANs, VPNs, QoS,
network segmentation, and network resiliency.
- Advanced
knowledge of enterprise switching, routing, next-generation firewalls, and
network security technologies.
- Strong
experience designing network infrastructure for high-bandwidth and
low-latency applications.
- Experience
with Azure, AWS, and/or GCP networking and hybrid-cloud connectivity.
- Experience
with Zero Trust, network segmentation, secure remote access, and modern
network security architecture.
- Experience
designing resilient connectivity to third-party or business-critical
external partners.
- Strong
understanding of network monitoring, observability, capacity planning, and
performance management.
- Experience
creating network architecture diagrams, standards, technical
specifications, and strategic roadmaps.
- Strong
communication skills with the ability to explain complex architecture to
technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience
within investment banking, capital markets, trading, financial services,
or another highly regulated industry.
- Experience
designing infrastructure supporting AI, machine learning, high-performance
computing, GPU clusters, or other data-intensive environments.
- Knowledge
of high-speed data center networking and emerging AI infrastructure
requirements.
- CCDP,
CCDE, CCNP, CCIE, PCNSE, JNCIP/JNCIE, or equivalent advanced
certification.
- Experience
with SD-WAN, SASE, ZTNA, and micro-segmentation technologies.
- Experience
with network automation using Python, PowerShell, Ansible, APIs, or
infrastructure-as-code methodologies.
- Familiarity
with financial-services regulatory and cybersecurity requirements,
including SEC, FINRA, SOX, and related frameworks.
Key Competencies
- Strategic
and forward-looking technology mindset.
- Strong
architectural and technical decision-making skills.
- Ability
to balance innovation with security, reliability, and operational risk.
- Strong
troubleshooting and analytical capabilities.
- Ability
to collaborate across infrastructure, cybersecurity, cloud, application,
data, compliance, and business teams.
- Ability
to mentor engineers and establish enterprise technical standards.
- Strong documentation and executive communication skills.
A reasonable, good faith The anticipated base pay
compensation range for this position is $180K to $200K
Benefits: Full time employees are eligible
For Health Insurance, Paid Time Off, and 401k match
* The pay range listed above reflects the expected
starting salary /Pay rate for this role. This range may be adjusted based on
market conditions, location, and other relevant factors. The Company will
determine the final starting salary/Pay rate in consultation with the selected
candidate(s), in full compliance with applicable laws
