Principal Network Architect

Northern Trust

. Serve as the subject matter expert for architecting and implementing Northern Trust’s global network, including applications and services running on it .

Posted 10/14/2026full-timeLimerick • IrelandLeadWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates extensive expertise in IP network design and management, with a strong focus on routing protocols, security technologies, and network services. Proven ability to lead teams, engage stakeholders, and translate complex designs into practical implementations.

Highest-signal resume keywords

IP Network DesignRouting Protocols (BGP, OSPF, EIGRP)SD-WAN ImplementationCisco Catalyst and Nexus PlatformsNetwork Security Technologies

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

IP Network ManagementRouting ProtocolsLayer 2 ProtocolsWAN/LAN TechnologiesNetwork Control and ManagementCore Network ServicesTroubleshooting IP NetworksCloud SecurityNetwork Access ControlApplication Solution Design

Soft Skills

Interpersonal CommunicationAnalytical Problem-SolvingTeam CollaborationProactive ThinkingDocumentation Skills

Tools & Technologies

Cisco CatalystJuniper MX RoutersAruba SwitchesF5 Load BalancersAWSAzureCheck PointPalo AltoFortinetMicrosoft Active Directory

Industry Keywords

Network ArchitectureService DeliveryData Center StrategiesNetwork ResiliencyColocation Management

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

AWSAzureCloudDNSSwitching

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Serve as the subject matter expert for architecting and implementing Northern Trust’s global network, including applications and services running on it
Engage stakeholders and application teams in a solution-design capacity to bring conceptual designs into production
Lead and mentor team members in network design, support, and engineering
Work with operations teams to improve system availability and efficiency
Research and evaluate tools, techniques, and technologies for the network environment
Develop solutions to increase performance and availability, lower total cost of ownership, and modernize network and service-delivery functions
Evaluate hosting, resiliency and recovery, security, data center, and colocation strategies
Stay current with industry trends, vendor offerings, technology innovation, and changing customer requirements
Translate logical or conceptual designs into physical designs accounting for requirements, target environments, processes, performance, existing systems, services, capacity, availability, and other non-functional requirements
Align designs with modernization and transformation roadmaps and initiatives
Provide technical design guidance and strategic leadership to engineering and application teams
Act as the ultimate escalation point for network issues and technical escalation point for infrastructure teams, application development teams, and leadership
Provide trouble resolution for escalated global network issues
Perform on-call duties and off-hours support when needed
Explain concepts, issues, and proposals to various organizational audiences
Participate in the Architecture Review Board
Generate position papers on relevant technologies, proposals, and strategies

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, Telecommunication Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Information Systems, or the equivalent of a four-year accredited degree in a technical discipline
15+ years of experience managing and designing solutions within an IP network with a four-year Bachelor of Science degree, or 20+ years of relevant experience with IP networks and network services
10+ years of experience with routing protocols, including BGP, OSPF, and EIGRP
Experience with SD-WAN
10+ years of experience with Layer 2 protocols, including vPC, data center zones, Spanning Tree, VRF, VTP, VLANs, and physical cabling
10+ years of experience with WAN/LAN and transport technologies, including Ethernet, Frame Relay, MPLS, DWDM, and Equinix Fabric
10+ years of working knowledge of security technologies and network control, management, and security protocols
Extensive experience with Cisco Catalyst and Nexus switching platforms, Juniper MX routers, Aruba switches, and Arista switches
10+ years of working knowledge of core network services such as DNS, DHCP, load balancing, NTP, NAC, authentication, and application solution design
In-depth implementation and troubleshooting experience with IP networks
Expert knowledge and experience in several areas including NGFW platforms, enterprise Network Access Control, application delivery and load balancers, cloud security, workflow automation, Cisco routing and switching, WAN optimization, DNS/IPAM/DHCP, colocation management, and datacenter migration
Knowledge of listed technology platforms such as Check Point, Palo Alto, Fortinet, Tufin, F5, NetScaler, Forescout, Cisco ISE, Infoblox, Microsoft Active Directory, CyberArk, AWS, Azure, and Illumio is desirable and advantageous
Strong interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills
Experience leading and collaborating with global technical teams
Proven analytical and problem-solving skills
Ability to engage with technical and non-technical teams and management
Ability to document and propose designs and solutions
Ability to think proactively and solve problems independently
Applicants must have the right to work in Ireland at the time of application and for the duration of employment
Northern Trust is unable to provide employment permit sponsorship for this role

Benefits

Comp & perks

Flexible and collaborative work culture
Movement within the organization is encouraged
Accessible senior leaders
Inclusive workplace
Philanthropic and community involvement opportunities
Reasonable accommodation and adjustments during the employment process