Telco Network Architect

About Skillfield Skillfield is a specialist technology consultancy operating at the intersection of cyber, data and AI. We partner with enterprise clients to protect, transform and empower their organisations with forward‑thinking solutions. Our reputation is built on outcomes, not effort. The opportunity Contract: 1 year, with potential to extend Hybrid, Melbourne We're looking for a senior Network Architect to own the design, governance and delivery of enterprise network solutions across on-premises environments. You'll work closely with business stakeholders, project teams and operational teams to shape network architecture that's secure, resilient and fit for purpose — and stay engaged through delivery and into operational handover. What you'll do Work with stakeholders to understand and clarify business and technical requirements Produce network architecture and design artefacts — HLDs, standards, patterns and solution options — aligned to business and technology objectives Own end-to-end network solution design, covering network, security, load balancing and connectivity Guide architecture decisions and manage design issues, risks and dependencies through delivery and operational transition Assess new initiatives and technologies, providing impact assessment from technical, operational, security and commercial angles Contribute to network strategy, reference architectures and technology roadmaps Act as subject matter expert across routing/switching, network security, firewall architecture, DNS/DHCP/IPAM and load balancing Run architecture and design reviews for compliance with enterprise standards and security policy Identify risks early and build mitigation plans; escalate issues that threaten delivery Support and guide engineers and project teams through design and implementation Balance multiple concurrent projects and shifting priorities What you'll bring Extensive experience in enterprise network architecture (LAN/WAN, data centre network, HA/resiliency, capacity planning) Routing and switching design experience (spine-leaf, Layer 2/3) Connectivity architecture (MPLS, VPN, remote access, site-to-site) Network security experience (Zero Trust, segmentation, firewall architecture — Cisco/Juniper, NAC, PKI/cert management) Load balancing experience (F5, GSLB or similar) Observability tooling experience (Grafana, Prometheus, Splunk or similar) Strong stakeholder management — executive communication, workshop facilitation, and the ability to influence without formal authority Great to have Data centre networking (ACI, Cisco Nexus EVPN-VXLAN) Network automation and DevOps exposure TOGAF, CCNP or CCIE certification Why join Skillfield? Be part of a team serious about doing work that matters Join a culture that values clarity, autonomy and shared success Enjoy flexibility, support and performance-based recognition Ready to make a measurable impact? Apply now and help us deliver impact that matters.