Principal Network Architect at Anson McCade, England, £680 per day

Contract Terms

• Role Type: Full-time Contract
• Duration: 6 Months
• Target Start Date: April 2026
• Working Pattern: Hybrid (On-site presence in Jersey required 1 day per month)
• Rate: £680 per day (Outside IR35)

We are seeking an experienced Principal Network & Security Architect to provide strategic architectural leadership for a major enterprise infrastructure and network transformation programme. This role operates at a programme level, ensuring that network solutions delivered across multiple projects and suppliers are cohesive, align with enterprise architecture standards, and strictly adhere to cyber security strategies and Zero Trust principles.

Key Responsibilities

• Programme Leadership: Provide architectural guidance and oversight for network and security domains across the transformation programme.
• Standards & Governance: Define and maintain architecture standards, design patterns, and guardrails to ensure consistency.
• Design Assurance: Review and assure supplier-provided design artefacts, including High-Level Designs (HLDs), Low-Level Designs (LLDs), and technical specifications.
• Strategic Alignment: Ensure all technical deliveries align with the overarching enterprise architecture and cyber security strategy.
• Zero Trust Integration: Champion and embed Zero Trust and secure-by-design principles throughout the infrastructure lifecycle.
• Risk Management: Proactively identify, document, and manage architecture risks, dependencies, and project constraints.
• Collaboration: Act as a key contributor to architecture governance and design review forums, influencing technical decisions at the programme level.

Essential Experience

• Extensive experience working as a Network and Security Architect within large-scale enterprise environments.
• Proven track record of operating across complex, multi-supplier programmes.
• Deep technical knowledge of secure infrastructure, including the practical application of Zero Trust architecture.
• Demonstrable experience supporting large-scale infrastructure or network transformation programmes (e.g., SD-WAN deployment, network segmentation initiatives, or firewall platform modernisation).

Required Certifications

• Networking: Senior-level certification (e.g., CCNP, JNCIP, or equivalent).
• Security: Senior-level security certification (e.g., CISSP, CCSP, or equivalent).

Desirable Qualifications

• Expert-level networking certifications (e.g., CCIE, JNCIE).
• Cloud architecture certifications (AWS, Azure, or GCP).
• Enterprise architecture qualifications (e.g., TOGAF).