Network Architect

Athena Institute of Business and Technology (AIBT) is building Africa’s next generation of business, policy, and tech leaders through flexible, practical, and impact-driven learning.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Network Architect 

Location: Remote
Employment Type: Full-time

Job Description

• We are seeking an experienced and strategic Network Architect to design, implement, optimize, and maintain secure, scalable, and high-performance network infrastructure that supports the organization's business operations and technology objectives.
• The successful candidate will be responsible for developing network architecture strategies, evaluating emerging technologies, ensuring network security and resilience, and overseeing the implementation of enterprise network solutions.
• The ideal candidate should possess strong expertise in network design, routing and switching, cloud networking, cybersecurity, and network infrastructure management, with the ability to translate business requirements into reliable and cost-effective technical solutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and develop enterprise network architectures that support current business requirements and future organizational growth.
• Plan, implement, and optimize local area networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN), wireless networks, and data centre network infrastructure.
• Develop network architecture standards, technical specifications, diagrams, and implementation plans.
• Design and manage network solutions involving routers, switches, firewalls, load balancers, VPNs, and other network infrastructure components.
• Implement and maintain network segmentation, access controls, secure connectivity, and other network security measures.
• Design resilient network infrastructure with appropriate redundancy, failover, disaster recovery, and business continuity capabilities.
• Evaluate and implement cloud networking solutions across platforms such as Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), where applicable.
• Assess network capacity, performance, availability, and scalability, recommending improvements where necessary.
• Lead network infrastructure upgrades, migrations, technology deployments, and complex troubleshooting activities.
• Collaborate with cybersecurity, systems administration, cloud engineering, application support, and other IT teams to ensure seamless integration of network services.
• Establish network monitoring, performance management, and incident response procedures.
• Develop network documentation, configuration standards, operational procedures, and architecture guidelines.
• Assess emerging networking technologies and recommend solutions that improve performance, security, reliability, and cost efficiency.
• Manage relationships with network equipment vendors, internet service providers, telecommunications providers, and other technology partners.
• Ensure network infrastructure complies with organizational policies, industry standards, and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Provide technical leadership, guidance, and support to network engineers and other IT professionals.

Requirements
Education:

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Technology, Telecommunications Engineering, Electrical/Electronic Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Relevant professional training in network engineering, cybersecurity, cloud networking, or infrastructure architecture will be an added advantage.
• Industry-recognized certifications in networking or cloud technologies are desirable.
• Equivalent professional experience and demonstrable technical expertise may be considered.

Experience:

• 5–8 years of relevant experience in network engineering, network infrastructure management, or enterprise networking.
• Demonstrable experience designing, implementing, and managing complex enterprise network environments.
• Practical experience with routing, switching, network security, high availability, and network performance optimization.
• Experience leading network infrastructure projects, technology upgrades, migrations, and complex incident resolution.
• Exposure to cloud networking, hybrid infrastructure, SD-WAN, or software-defined networking will be an advantage.
• Experience developing technical architecture documents, network diagrams, standards, and implementation plans.
• Demonstrated ability to work with cross-functional IT teams, vendors, and business stakeholders to deliver reliable network solutions.

Required Skills:

• Strong knowledge of enterprise network architecture, infrastructure design, and network engineering principles.
• Proficiency in routing and switching protocols, including TCP/IP, BGP, OSPF, VLANs, and MPLS, where applicable.
• Experience designing and managing LAN, WAN, WLAN, VPN, and data centre networks.
• Good understanding of network security, firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, network access control, and segmentation.
• Knowledge of high availability, redundancy, load balancing, disaster recovery, and business continuity design.
• Experience with network monitoring, diagnostics, performance optimization, and troubleshooting tools.
• Familiarity with software-defined networking (SDN), SD-WAN, and network automation technologies.
• Understanding of cloud networking, hybrid connectivity, virtual networks, and secure cloud-to-on-premises integration.
• Knowledge of network infrastructure technologies from vendors such as Cisco, Juniper, Fortinet, Palo Alto Networks, or equivalent providers.
• Ability to develop network architecture diagrams, technical documentation, and solution design specifications.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, planning, and decision-making skills.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts clearly.
• Ability to manage multiple projects, work under pressure, and provide technical leadership.

Additional Advantage:

• Experience with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and network automation tools such as Python, Ansible, or Terraform.
• Knowledge of zero-trust network architecture and secure access service edge (SASE).
• Experience with cloud platforms such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, or OCI.
• Familiarity with network virtualization, container networking, and modern data centre technologies.
• Experience with network architecture frameworks, capacity planning, and technology lifecycle management.
• Professional certifications such as Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE), Juniper Networks certifications, or relevant cloud networking certifications.