Senior Solutions Architect Networking

Senior Solutions Architect Networking About the Role BizFirst is assisting our client with recruiting a Senior Solutions Architect for networking to join its Center of Excellence (COE) in Northern Virginia. As a technical leader in the IT Modernization practice, you will position, design, validate, and support large-scale, complex enterprise networking solutions. Our client is looking for an experienced, customer-focused network or systems architect who combines deep technical expertise with strategic thinking. You will work with federal customers, internal teams, OEM partners, and sales professionals to shape solution strategies, support presales engagements, and enable deployment of modern IT architectures from initial concept through implementation. Our client is a technology integrator that supports government customers with IT modernization, performance engineering, and cybersecurity. Its engineering teams collaborate on complex technical programs in a culture of innovation, continuous improvement, and professional development. What You Will Do Architect, design, and support end-to-end network solutions, emphasizing routing, switching, WiFi, SDN, SD-WAN, infrastructure as code (IaC), network observability, and network-centric AIOps. Serve as the subject matter expert for Cisco, HPE/Aruba/Juniper, and F5 networking technologies. Support sales and presales through solution design, whiteboarding, bill of materials (BOM) creation, and technical presentations. Lead or contribute to deployment, integration, and validation of networking solutions across federal and enterprise environments. Participate in developing COE best practices, reference architectures, and reusable frameworks. Partner with OEMs and internal teams to stay current on product capabilities, industry trends, and modernization approaches. Provide escalation support and technical leadership across complex customer engagements. Assist with RFP/RFI responses, technical writing, and solution strategy development. Required Qualifications Eligibility for U.S. security clearance. Expert-level routing and switching skills, including enterprise LAN/WAN, BGP, OSPF, EIGRP, multicast, QoS, and related architectures. Experience with Software Defined Networking (SDN), Software Defined Wide Area Networks (SD-WAN), and Infrastructure as Code, including Ansible with Cisco DNA Center and/or Juniper Mist. Cisco CCIE certification. At least 15 years of experience designing, selling, deploying, and integrating Cisco networking solutions. Strong understanding of network security principles, modernization trends, and multi-vendor integration. Ability to communicate complex solutions to technical and business stakeholders, including creation of a BOM using the Cisco partner portal. Proven experience working in federal or large enterprise environments. Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, CIS/MIS, or equivalent professional experience. Helpful Experience Juniper JNCIE certification is preferred, not required. Benefits Provided by Our Client Medical, dental, and vision coverage. Employer matching contributions to a 401(k) retirement plan. Competitive compensation and bonus opportunities. Support for continuing education and professional growth, including tuition reimbursement. Paid leave and holidays. Equal Employment Opportunity Our client is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a U.S. Federal Government contractor. All qualified applicants receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable federal, state, or local laws. Our client provides reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities throughout the application and employment process. Applicants who need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability may contact our client. U.S. citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions. Location: McLean, Virginia | Onsite Employment: Full-time Clearance: Eligible for U.S. security clearance