Job Title: Solutions Architect (Network Automation & Connectivity)
Duration: Until 31/12/2026
Workload: Full time hours
Setup: Day rate contract (inside IR35)
Location: London
We are seeking an experienced Solutions Architect to design and deliver enterprise‑grade network automation and connectivity solutions aligned to strict architecture, security, and operational standards.
Key Responsibilities:
* Act as the single point of contact for solution architecture across assigned IT projects.
* Produce high‑quality end‑to‑end solution designs covering business process, data, application, infrastructure, and security.
* Own high‑level design from concept through deployment, ensuring alignment with enterprise architecture and technology direction.
* Review and approve detailed designs from designers and business analysts.
* Drive Security by Design and Privacy by Design, ensuring GDPR and regulatory compliance.
* Contribute to reference models and architecture governance, including review boards.
* Evaluate tools and vendors, ensuring data model and service integration.
* Coach delivery teams on architecture standards and best practices.
Must‑Have Skills:
* 7–10 years’ IT experience with strong stakeholder engagement skills.
* Deep networking expertise (Routing, TCP/IP, SSL).
* AWS and Azure cloud networking (VPC/VNET, VPN, Transit Gateway, virtual firewalls).
* Network automation using Ansible, APIs, GitHub, and CI/CD pipelines.
* Smart inventory tooling (e.g. NetBox) integrated with automation workflows.
* Identity and authentication (SAML, PingID, Entra ID).
Nice‑to‑Have:
* Cisco data centre design knowledge.
* Aruba ESP (Central, ClearPass, Wireless).
* Experience contributing to enterprise reference architectures.