Senior Network Architect Manager

Location:

Belfast

Workplace:

Hybrid

The opportunity:

The Senior Network Architect Manager will lead the architecture, engineering, and operational support of the organization’s global network infrastructure, ensuring stability, performance, and scalability. This role combines advanced design, planning, implementation, and troubleshooting of network systems with leadership responsibilities. The role aligns technical capabilities with business goals, facilitating cross-functional collaboration and ensuring compliance with security and performance standards.

Working at Baker McKenzie:

Baker McKenzie is the world’s leading law firm with offices all over the world. Our Belfast Centre is home to over 400 colleagues in both legal and professional services.

We offer one of the best workplace benefits packages in the business with comprehensive private health cover, income protection, life assurance and a full employee assistance plan. These and a host of other benefits make us one of the most desirable companies to work for in Belfast.

We are committed to promoting inclusion, diversity, and equity for all and are confident we can provide a career as individual and as exceptional as you.

Responsibilities:

Leadership & Team Management:

• Direct and manage the daily activities of the Network Architecture and Operations Teams
• Supervise and mentor network engineers and operations associates, assigning duties, preparing performance reviews, and fostering professional development
• Act as a primary escalation point for technical and operational issues

Network Design & Engineering:

• Design, plan, and implement network installation projects, ensuring adherence to technical and operational requirements
• Develop and enforce network architecture, standards, and policies for LAN, WAN, and telecommunications technologies
• Conduct capacity planning and network analysis to ensure the scalability and reliability of infrastructure
• Provide advanced network simulation and analysis in support of application and business requirements
• Design, implement, and maintain cloud networking technologies, including virtual machines, containers, storage, networking, and databases
• Utilize infrastructure as code (IaC) tools like Terraform for provisioning and managing cloud resources

Operations & Compliance:

• Oversee day-to-day operation and maintenance of the organization’s WAN and LAN infrastructure, ensuring compliance with service-level agreements (SLAs)
• Monitor network performance, perform periodic assessments, and implement enhancements to meet or exceed operational targets
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to enforce information security policies and remediate non-compliance
• Define and participate in disaster recovery (DR) and business continuity planning (BCP) practices
• Monitor internal and external compliance with the Firm’s information security policies and procedures. Identify non-compliant practices and assist with remediation

Vendor & Project Management:

• Establish and maintain relationships with network-related vendors, ensuring timely support and cost-effective solutions
• Manage network-related projects, including planning, implementation, and documentation
• Provide status updates and detailed reports to the IT leadership

Documentation & Training:

• Maintain and enhance the Firm’s network information repositories (web, database, SharePoint)
• Develop and deliver training, internal consultation, and documentation services to applicable teams

Essential Criteria:

To be successful in this role you will need:

Skills and Experience:

Experience:

• Strong experience managing network infrastructure in a mid-to-large enterprise
• Experience supervising network architecture and operations teams; Strong leadership and team-building capabilities
• Strong experience with network security, including experience with security frameworks and compliance standards (e.g., ISO 27001, NIST)

Certifications:

• Cisco CCNP/CCIE and/or Cisco CCDP preferred; Equivalent experience considered

Technical Skills:

• Expertise in WAN/LAN technologies, Voice Over IP (VoIP), firewalls, and network monitoring systems
• Strong understanding of network architecture concepts and operating principles
• Proficient in data communications, hardware/software integration, and troubleshooting complex network issues
• Familiar with industry-standard network policies and compliance requirements
• Proficient in using Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools like Terraform, Ansible, or CloudFormation for provisioning and managing network resources
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Proven ability to gather and analyze information, conclude, and propose solutions