About the Role:
Edinburgh has a strong reputation for technology, innovation, and financial services, and at OpticNet Digital Infrastructure Ltd, we bring that same forward-thinking approach to network architecture.
We design and operate secure, resilient, and scalable connectivity solutions for organisations that depend on reliable digital infrastructure. Our work supports cloud platforms, corporate networks, data centres, and business-critical systems across the United Kingdom.
We are looking for a Principal Network Architect who can define our network technology strategy and guide complex infrastructure programmes from initial design through implementation.
You will work closely with senior engineers, cloud specialists, cyber security teams, project managers, and client stakeholders. This is a senior technical position for someone who can turn demanding business requirements into practical, secure, and future-ready network solutions.
Why Work With Us?
The Environment:
Our Edinburgh office provides a professional and collaborative setting close to the city centre. We support flexible hybrid working while maintaining regular opportunities for technical workshops, design reviews, and team collaboration.
Technical Influence:
You will have meaningful input into architecture standards, technology selection, network roadmaps, and investment priorities. Your recommendations will directly shape how our platforms and services evolve.
Modern Infrastructure:
Our environment includes enterprise routing and switching, software-defined networking, cloud connectivity, network automation, zero trust architecture, and advanced security technologies.
Professional Growth:
You will receive support for professional certifications, industry conferences, technical training, and continued development in areas such as cloud networking, automation, cyber security, and enterprise architecture.
Key Responsibilities:
Network Architecture Ownership:
Define and maintain network architecture standards, reference designs, technical principles, and long-term infrastructure roadmaps.
Solution Design:
Create secure and scalable network solutions for enterprise offices, data centres, cloud platforms, and hybrid environments.
Technical Leadership:
Provide guidance to network engineers and infrastructure specialists. Lead technical design reviews and promote consistent engineering practices across projects.
Cloud Connectivity:
Design and optimise connectivity for public cloud and hybrid cloud environments, including secure integration between on-premises infrastructure and cloud services.
Network Security:
Work with cyber security teams to embed segmentation, zero trust principles, secure access controls, monitoring, and resilience into all network designs.
Automation and Standardisation:
Support the adoption of infrastructure automation, configuration management, network observability, and repeatable deployment practices.
Performance and Resilience:
Assess network capacity, availability, latency, failover, and disaster recovery requirements. Recommend improvements that increase stability and service performance.
Stakeholder Management:
Present architecture proposals, technical risks, costs, and implementation plans to clients, project teams, and senior decision-makers.
Technology Evaluation:
Assess new network platforms, service providers, security tools, and emerging technologies. Lead proof-of-concept activities where appropriate.
What We Are Looking For:
Experience:
At least 7 years of experience in enterprise networking, network engineering, or infrastructure architecture, including experience leading complex technical designs.
Technical Knowledge:
Strong expertise in routing, switching, firewalls, virtual private networks, wide area networking, software-defined networking, network segmentation, high availability, and traffic management.
Cloud Experience:
Practical experience designing network connectivity for platforms such as Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, or Google Cloud.
Architecture Skills:
Ability to produce network diagrams, high-level designs, low-level designs, technical standards, migration plans, and architecture decision documents.
Automation:
Experience with network automation or infrastructure-as-code technologies such as Python, Ansible, Terraform, or similar tools is highly desirable.
Certifications:
Professional certifications such as Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert, Cisco Certified Design Expert, Microsoft Azure Network Engineer Associate, AWS Advanced Networking Specialty, or equivalent qualifications would be advantageous.
Communication Skills:
Strong written and verbal English communication skills. You should be comfortable explaining complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Mindset:
You are analytical, commercially aware, and focused on practical outcomes. You can balance technical quality, security, cost, delivery timelines, and operational requirements.
Pay: £81,844.00-£100,638.00 per year
Work Location: In person
