Senior Network Architect

The Senior Network Architect (IP MPLS), reporting to the Associate Director of Core-IP, is accountable for creating a highly available and stable IP MPLS network environment. Through application of best-practice based methods and architecture, this position creates physical and logical IP MPLS topologies, designs and leads implementation of protocol and services architectures, carrier network to network interconnections, internet routing architecture, internet peering and transit connections, and core network security.

The SNA is the technical authority on all matters related to the IP MPLS network and maintains a current perspective on evolving design, architecture and security best practices, methods, and their application. The SNA leads the development of IP MPLS network technology and vendor strategy, developing key supplier partnerships and relationships. The SNA maintains a high awareness of NWTel IP MPLS network business requirements and preserves a balance between technology decisions and business diligence.

The SNA is often called upon to consult and participate in designs involving key high-value customers, and facilitates architecture verification and service verification testing activities conducted in Northwestel’s IP MPLS lab facility.

Employment Equity

Northwestel values diversity in the workplace and is committed to the goals of Employment Equity. We strive to achieve a skilled workforce that is representative of the population we serve, and as a Northern company, we are committed to the employment and career development of our Indigenous peoples. Candidates must clearly indicate on their application if they are First Nation, Inuit, or Métis; a woman; a person with a disability; or a visible minority, if they wish to receive hiring preference.

Specific Accountabilities

• Liaises with Senior Management and Executive on matters related to IP MPLS network architecture and corresponding business development opportunities
• Supports and consults business decision support and regulatory teams on matters related to regulatory proceedings and profitability analyses in regards to IP MPLS network
• Consults and contributes to RFP teams to win strategic business clients
• Liaises with key HVC technical representatives and consultants in matters related to services hosted on the IP MPLS network or IP MPLS based services visualization/conception
• Leads development and evolution of physical and logical core IP MPLS network architectures
• Leads design of fundamental network behavior through best practice based application of MPLS, BGP, internet routing, policy, security, VPLS, L3VPN, L2VPN, Multicast and traffic engineering methods
• Conducts architecture verification testing to qualify and approve core network changes and extensions
• Leads or conducts service verification testing to qualify internal and customer facing service architectures and designs
• Leads or conducts device verification testing to qualify new devices for integration to the network or customer environments
• Maintains and preserves strategic IP MPLS network vendor and industry relationships
• Verifies and qualifies new, or incremental versions or patches to IOS or JUNOS on core network elements
• Designs network and services testing scenarios to expose vulnerabilities such as unforeseen scalability limits, unexpected behaviors under congestion, or other risks
• Designs and tests IP MPLS network failover and restoration architecture considering specific failure or network event scenarios
• Develops and documents network and service provisioning templates to assist in getting approved, tested, and standardized designs operational
• Participates in complex problem resolution for the core IP MPLS network (level 3 technical support)
• Leads development of short to medium term tactical plans to expand, upgrade or replace key network elements considering IP MPLS capacity management triggers, demand forecasts, obsolescence, or other network change drivers
• Collaborates with other groups such as transport, ISP, video and wireless services teams to achieve seamless end-to-end service integration
• Collaborates with Enterprise Marketing and service development teams to design and enhance IP MPLS network services including QoS behaviors, match network mechanisms to achieve desired service behaviors, match network policies to customer SLAs, and design optimal service measurement and reporting architectures
• Collaborates with the transport and ISP service teams to develop short to medium term tactical plans to expand inter-city IP MPLS links based on capacity management triggers and thresholds

Knowledge and Skills Required

• Engineering degree or equivalent with five year’s experience in a telecommunications or internet service provider environment.
• Deep and specialized knowledge of IP networks, protocols, and their application in a service provider environment.
• Knowledge of the interaction of systems and networks and understanding the impact changes to one system or network may have to all others.
• Strong knowledge of the various networks and systems used throughout the company and the ability to keep on top of changes as technology and the telecommunication systems evolve.
• excellent analytical, system performance gathering skills to determine root cause quantification.
• project management skills for effective cutover and release management of the various systems and possess effective customer relationship skills.

Qualifications

Licenses & Certifications

Required

CCNA

JNCIA

Working Conditions

This position works in a typical office environment. The incumbent is occasionally required to travel for meetings/conferences pertaining to Intra-company Facility / Implementation Procedures two to three times per year for up to one week at a time. (Occasionally required to travel for site visits to understand current condition of assets)

What We Offer You

• Health & Wellness Benefits, Pension Plan, Discounts
• Team Incentive Bonus
• Paid Vacation with a Vacation Travel Allowance
• Work-Life Balance
• Community Involvement

Closing

Applications will be reviewed as they are submitted. Posting will remain active until the position is filled.

As a safety conscious COR™ Certified organization, we have an established and comprehensive safety program. We expect all employees to participate in our organizational health and safety programs, adhering to all safe work procedures focused on continuous improvement.