Network Architect £Up to £70,000 GBP Up to 15% Bonus Onsite WORKING Location: Basingstoke, Bristol, South West - United Kingdom Type: Permanent Network Architect - Basingstoke All applicants must hold active SC clearance and be eligible for DV clearance (which requires sole British nationality). Join a highly regarded digital, defence, and technology consultancy consistently recognised for excellence in secure, large-scale delivery across Defence and Government environments. The client is widely recognised for its commitment to engineering excellence, inclusive culture, and long-term investment in its people, holding multiple industry awards for equality, social mobility, and responsible employment. The client has built a strong reputation for delivering mission-critical, secure network and cyber solutions that operate at national scale. With a people-first culture and a strong focus on collaboration, innovation, and technical leadership, the client is trusted to support some of the most sensitive and complex programmes in the UK public sector. As a Network Architect, you will join an organisation where deep technical expertise, engineering rigour, and security-first thinking combine to deliver real-world impact. The Network Architect role offers the opportunity to technically lead complex cyber monitoring and remote access solutions within a major Defence and Government programme. The Role - Network Architect The Network Architect position is a senior, hands-on technical leadership role within a large, secure programme. As a Network Architect, you will lead the design and evolution of BPS/CAS solutions supporting cyber monitoring and remote access capabilities in highly regulated environments. Working closely with the BPS/CAS Tech Lead, project managers, architects, engineers, and customer stakeholders, the Network Architect will own requirements analysis, shape solution design, and provide technical leadership across all phases of the project lifecycle. This Network Architect role is ideal for an experienced technical leader who enjoys working at the intersection of networking, cyber security, and large-scale programme delivery, while influencing architectural decisions and guiding multi-disciplinary teams. You'll have the opportunity to: Lead complex cyber monitoring and remote access projects as a Network Architect within secure Defence and Government environments Own requirements analysis and translate customer needs into robust, scalable network architectures Design, propose, and validate solution changes, including proof-of-concept activities Produce and govern high-level and low-level network design documentation Provide technical leadership across the full project solution lifecycle Collaborate with architects, engineers, and stakeholders across multiple delivery teams Influence technical direction, standards, and architectural best practice Support service readiness and transition into live operations Key Responsibilities: Act as the technical authority for BPS/CAS solutions within the programme Design and review high-level and low-level network architectures Lead requirements gathering and solution definition activities Evaluate customer strategies, operations, and processes, proposing technical solutions to improve outcomes Ensure solutions meet performance, scalability, security, and resilience requirements Provide technical leadership and coordination across architects and engineering teams Support project planning, risk management, and delivery governance Troubleshoot complex technical issues and provide recommendations to senior stakeholders Support live service teams with technical guidance and operational readiness Key Requirements: Proven experience working as a Network Architect, Lead Network Engineer, or similar role Strong background in network architecture and design across large-scale programmes Demonstrable experience providing technical leadership through all phases of the project lifecycle Broad networking expertise including protocols and cyber monitoring tools Strong experience with Juniper switching and configuration WAN routing expertise including MPLS and BGP Experience with network gateways, VPNs, and remote access solutions (e.g. AnyConnect) Knowledge of network encryption, tunnelling technologies, PKI, and cryptography Experience with Cisco Firepower, F5 TLS Intercept, packet brokers, tap aggregators, and Gigamon Solid understanding of TCP, TLS, HTTP, SNMP, sockets, and related technologies Experience with performance testing, capacity planning, and performance troubleshooting Strong stakeholder communication skills and the ability to make clear, confident technical decisions Desirable Experience: Familiarity with Endace technologies and HSMs Experience with virtualisation and scripting Knowledge of security event data collection, analysis, and storage Experience automating and orchestrating incident response workflows Strong commercial awareness and understanding of delivery risks and dependencies Why Join: Join a consultancy recognised for engineering excellence and inclusive culture Work on nationally significant Defence and Government programmes Take on a high-impact Network Architect role within a major secure programme Access strong career development, mentoring, and leadership opportunities Be part of a people-centric organisation that values diversity, collaboration, and innovation Reference: AON/AMC/CBNetworkArchitect aaon