IT Network Architect
Charlotte, NC, United States
Ref#: 1084074
Date published: 23-Mar-2015
Share with: Facebook Twitter Viadeo Send to a friend
Position Summary:
Charlotte, N.C.-based Belk, Inc. (www.belk.com) is the nation’s largest family owned and operated department store with more than $4 billion in sales and 300 Belk stores located in 16 Southern states and a growing digital presence on belk.com. Founded on May 29, 1888 by William Henry Belk in Monroe, N.C., the company is in the third generation of Belk family leadership. Our mission is to satisfy the modern Southern lifestyle like no one else, so that customers get the fashion they desire and the value they deserve. Our vision is for the modern Southern woman to count on Belk first – for her, for her family, for life. Belk has been committed to community involvement since its inception and today gives 2.5 percent of its pretax income back to the communities it serves. During the past fiscal year the company and its associates, customers and vendors donated more than $20.9 million to those communities.
Essential Functions/Responsibilities:
The Network Architect (NA) is a member of the Belk Infrastructure Engineering team and is responsible for leading the process that aligns our technology foundational components to business system initiatives. The NA role is to coordinate, direct, and design network infrastructure activities as well as provide technology direction in support of the project and support teams.
The NA possesses a broad knowledgebase with a focus on strategic technologies including: Cisco Networking technologies including (LAN, WAN, SAN, VoIP, Wireless, Firewall), HP Networking, Palo Alto, Checkpoint and similar non-Cisco technologies.
The NA will also work with decision makers in other departments to identify, recommend, develop, implement, and support cost-effective technology solutions. The NA will participate in overall IT planning, bringing a current knowledge and future vision of technology and systems.
The NA role works in close partnership with Belk’s Domain Architects, the Enterprise Architecture and Security teams aligning technical solutions to business and technology strategies. This position will be responsible for designing and delivering solutions which are fault tolerant, flexible, and scalable to support our development, test and production environments.
The scope of this position includes collaboration and participation with all IT Infrastructure core components; furthermore, the NA will be a liaison between Belk IT and Belk’s business partners, such as HP Enterprise Services, and will work collaboratively to maintain and operate all related systems in support of end-user access, performance, and stability. Responsibilities & Essential Functions
The duties and responsibilities listed below are intended to provide general guidelines and parameters for the job and are not intended to be a comprehensive, detailed description of the job.
• Serves as network expert/lead and project leader of an enterprise network modernization effort
• Responsible for high-level network planning, design, and optimization
• Responsible for management of a network services team for operating, maintaining and enhancing an enterprise networking infrastructure environment
• Responsible for network planning, network architecture design and engineering
• Planning, forecasting, implementation, and identification of resource requirements for network systems
• Proficiency in working in a cross collaboration teaming structure with other IT infrastructure teams, including data center, storage, service desk, security, and applications
• Develops strategies and direction for network solutions and current and emerging technologies (wireless and VoIP)
• Approves and modifies network design and architecture to ensure compliance
• Translates business requirements into network or process designs
• Integrates and schematically depicts communication architectures, topologies, hardware and software, transmission and signaling links and protocols into complete network configurations
• Plans and recommends network hardware, systems management software and architecture
• Configures and maintains routers, switches, and hubs for network systems (including wireless and VoIP)
• Evaluates and recommends new products, maintains knowledge of emerging technologies for application to the enterprise
• Monitors network performance, ensures capacity planning is performed, and is proactive in assessing and making recommendations for improvement
• Provide technical assistance and knowledge during active network troubleshooting of the operational environment
• Provide technical write-ups and root cause analysis in the event of network degradations, outages, or anomalies
• Performs trouble shooting procedures and designs resolution descriptions
• Monitor solutions and recommendations for compatibility with the IT Operations strategic direction.
• Conduct risk assessments and business impact analysis to identify vulnerable areas and applications within the environment
• Create and prioritize remediation plans
• Review network operations designs to ensure that the infrastructure design continues to meet the needs of the business
• Ensure best practices, standards and guidelines are applied in developing, designing/implementing solutions, establishing work priorities, resolving problems and reporting on project status
• Assist in Development of SLAs for all organizational network and IP telephony applications
• Recommend and implement disaster avoidance strategies and impact reduction strategies and process
• Create and implement project plans, ensure adherence to project timelines, perform project risk assessment and develop contingency risk plans
• Advanced knowledge of Wide Area Network (WAN) management and configuration principles
• Advanced knowledge of networks, security guidelines and industry “best practices”
• Advanced knowledge of LAN/WAN hardware devices, specifically Cisco Firewalls, Routers, and Switches
• Advance knowledge or Palo Alto firewalls
• Advanced skills in solving complex technical problems involving integrated operating systems and hardware platforms
• Advanced skills in configuring and installing equipment to support LAN/WAN applications
• Advanced skills in analyzing data and implementing solutions
• Advanced skills in assessing and prioritizing multiple tasks, projects, and demands
• Advanced skills in establishing and maintaining cooperative working relationships with other employees, telecom companies, vendors, and other organizations
• Knowledge of a wide variety of operating and server systems
• Understanding of Disaster Recovery concepts and applications
Additional Responsibilities
• Special projects and other duties as assigned.
• All employees are expected to be in compliance with government and corporate laws, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures.
The NA possesses a broad knowledgebase with a focus on strategic technologies including: Cisco Networking technologies including (LAN, WAN, SAN, VoIP, Wireless, Firewall), HP Networking, Palo Alto, Checkpoint and similar non-Cisco technologies.
The NA will also work with decision makers in other departments to identify, recommend, develop, implement, and support cost-effective technology solutions. The NA will participate in overall IT planning, bringing a current knowledge and future vision of technology and systems.
The NA role works in close partnership with Belk’s Domain Architects, the Enterprise Architecture and Security teams aligning technical solutions to business and technology strategies. This position will be responsible for designing and delivering solutions which are fault tolerant, flexible, and scalable to support our development, test and production environments.
The scope of this position includes collaboration and participation with all IT Infrastructure core components; furthermore, the NA will be a liaison between Belk IT and Belk’s business partners, such as HP Enterprise Services, and will work collaboratively to maintain and operate all related systems in support of end-user access, performance, and stability.
The duties and responsibilities listed below are intended to provide general guidelines and parameters for the job and are not intended to be a comprehensive, detailed description of the job.
• Serves as network expert/lead and project leader of an enterprise network modernization effort
• Responsible for high-level network planning, design, and optimization
• Responsible for management of a network services team for operating, maintaining and enhancing an enterprise networking infrastructure environment
• Responsible for network planning, network architecture design and engineering
• Planning, forecasting, implementation, and identification of resource requirements for network systems
• Proficiency in working in a cross collaboration teaming structure with other IT infrastructure teams, including data center, storage, service desk, security, and applications
• Develops strategies and direction for network solutions and current and emerging technologies (wireless and VoIP)
• Approves and modifies network design and architecture to ensure compliance
• Translates business requirements into network or process designs
• Integrates and schematically depicts communication architectures, topologies, hardware and software, transmission and signaling links and protocols into complete network configurations
• Plans and recommends network hardware, systems management software and architecture
• Configures and maintains routers, switches, and hubs for network systems (including wireless and VoIP)
• Evaluates and recommends new products, maintains knowledge of emerging technologies for application to the enterprise
• Monitors network performance, ensures capacity planning is performed, and is proactive in assessing and making recommendations for improvement
• Provide technical assistance and knowledge during active network troubleshooting of the operational environment
• Provide technical write-ups and root cause analysis in the event of network degradations, outages, or anomalies
• Performs trouble shooting procedures and designs resolution descriptions
• Monitor solutions and recommendations for compatibility with the IT Operations strategic direction.
• Conduct risk assessments and business impact analysis to identify vulnerable areas and applications within the environment
• Create and prioritize remediation plans
• Review network operations designs to ensure that the infrastructure design continues to meet the needs of the business
• Ensure best practices, standards and guidelines are applied in developing, designing/implementing solutions, establishing work priorities, resolving problems and reporting on project status
• Assist in Development of SLAs for all organizational network and IP telephony applications
• Recommend and implement disaster avoidance strategies and impact reduction strategies and process
• Create and implement project plans, ensure adherence to project timelines, perform project risk assessment and develop contingency risk plans
• Advanced knowledge of Wide Area Network (WAN) management and configuration principles
• Advanced knowledge of networks, security guidelines and industry “best practices”
• Advanced knowledge of LAN/WAN hardware devices, specifically Cisco Firewalls, Routers, and Switches
• Advance knowledge or Palo Alto firewalls
• Advanced skills in solving complex technical problems involving integrated operating systems and hardware platforms
• Advanced skills in configuring and installing equipment to support LAN/WAN applications
• Advanced skills in analyzing data and implementing solutions
• Advanced skills in assessing and prioritizing multiple tasks, projects, and demands
• Advanced skills in establishing and maintaining cooperative working relationships with other employees, telecom companies, vendors, and other organizations
• Knowledge of a wide variety of operating and server systems
• Understanding of Disaster Recovery concepts and applications
Additional Responsibilities
• Special projects and other duties as assigned.
• All employees are expected to be in compliance with government and corporate laws, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures.
Requirements/Qualifications:
Bachelors degree and/or equivent years of experience
Specific Certifications: CCIE Certification or equivalent experience Minimum Experience:
• 10 or more years of applicable experience Preferred:
• Must have a minimum of 10+ years of data networking experience
• Must have a minimum of 10+ years in enterprise project/program management and managing network and other IT infrastructure technical teams and projects
• 10+ years experience - enterprise level network support, architecture, and design required.
• 8+ years experience - enterprise level telephony support and design required.
• Cisco VOIP experience and wireless networking experience required
• Extensive experience with major enterprise network infrastructure migrations required
• HP Procurve, 3 Com, or similar non-CISCO networking experience required
• CISCO ASA Firewall Architecture, Design, migration and networking experience required
• Checkpoint Firewall Architecture, Design, migration and networking experience highly desired
• Deep technical knowledge working across multiple applications, operating systems and devices required
• Strong knowledge of Storage Area Networking
• Candidate should be an expert with multiple devices, operating systems and applications
• Sense of urgency, ability to trouble shoot complex problems is required
• All aspects of connectivity Cisco Nexus/IOS, VOIP, Video conferencing, 3G/4G, Wi-Fi, VPN, Citrix, ex. Brocade/Cisco Fiber Networking, etc.
• Executive and technical level communication and presentation skills required
• Must be able to remain current and possess knowledge of emerging technologies
• Advises management of options, risk vs. cost, benefits and other impacts on Infrastructure technology solutions
• Creates "Position Statements", "Technical Approaches" and "Technical Designs" documents as technology guidelines
• Monitors and recommends current and future architecture trends
• Communicates to, educates, and mentors colleagues Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Minimum Required:
• Must be able to function collaboratively in a multi-vendor, outsourced environment
• Must be able to think and act both strategically and tactically
• Must possess strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Must be able to organize issues and prioritize in a fast paced environment with hard deadlines
• Must be able to properly tailor communication to and work effectively with both business and technical teams.
• Must be able to quickly identify and resolve issues and concepts. Possess strong troubleshooting and problem solving skills
• Must be a self-starter, be self-motivated, and able to effectively multi-task
• Must be able to work independently, as a member of the Architecture team, and able to lead and mentor
• Must be able to function collaboratively in a multi-vendor environment with Partners and Service Providers:
• IBM Global Services
• HP Enterprise Services
• Windstream Hosted Solutions
• Dynamix Group Inc.
• All other providers of hardware, software and services to the Belk organization
Specific Certifications: CCIE Certification or equivalent experience
• 10 or more years of applicable experience
• Must have a minimum of 10+ years of data networking experience
• Must have a minimum of 10+ years in enterprise project/program management and managing network and other IT infrastructure technical teams and projects
• 10+ years experience - enterprise level network support, architecture, and design required.
• 8+ years experience - enterprise level telephony support and design required.
• Cisco VOIP experience and wireless networking experience required
• Extensive experience with major enterprise network infrastructure migrations required
• HP Procurve, 3 Com, or similar non-CISCO networking experience required
• CISCO ASA Firewall Architecture, Design, migration and networking experience required
• Checkpoint Firewall Architecture, Design, migration and networking experience highly desired
• Deep technical knowledge working across multiple applications, operating systems and devices required
• Strong knowledge of Storage Area Networking
• Candidate should be an expert with multiple devices, operating systems and applications
• Sense of urgency, ability to trouble shoot complex problems is required
• All aspects of connectivity Cisco Nexus/IOS, VOIP, Video conferencing, 3G/4G, Wi-Fi, VPN, Citrix, ex. Brocade/Cisco Fiber Networking, etc.
• Executive and technical level communication and presentation skills required
• Must be able to remain current and possess knowledge of emerging technologies
• Advises management of options, risk vs. cost, benefits and other impacts on Infrastructure technology solutions
• Creates "Position Statements", "Technical Approaches" and "Technical Designs" documents as technology guidelines
• Monitors and recommends current and future architecture trends
• Communicates to, educates, and mentors colleagues
Minimum Required:
• Must be able to function collaboratively in a multi-vendor, outsourced environment
• Must be able to think and act both strategically and tactically
• Must possess strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Must be able to organize issues and prioritize in a fast paced environment with hard deadlines
• Must be able to properly tailor communication to and work effectively with both business and technical teams.
• Must be able to quickly identify and resolve issues and concepts. Possess strong troubleshooting and problem solving skills
• Must be a self-starter, be self-motivated, and able to effectively multi-task
• Must be able to work independently, as a member of the Architecture team, and able to lead and mentor
• Must be able to function collaboratively in a multi-vendor environment with Partners and Service Providers:
• IBM Global Services
• HP Enterprise Services
• Windstream Hosted Solutions
• Dynamix Group Inc.
• All other providers of hardware, software and services to the Belk organization
