Network Architect

Location : Bangalore/ Chennai ( but needs to work in night shifts)
Experience range : 10-15 years
Shift timing if any. : preferred night shift, may be rotational - Night 8 - 5 or morning 5 - 2 but 6- 8 months will have to be in the night shifts.Primary skills : CCIE certified CISCO ACI Fabric architecture, CISCO ACI leaf and SPINE architecture, Data center routing and switchingGood to have skills : MS Azure, AWS networkingIndustry: Healthcare Provider (HIPAA-Regulated Environment)Location: Hybrid - On-Prem Data Centers & Microsoft Azure CloudReports To: Program Manager InfrastructureEmployment Type: Full-TimePosition OverviewWe are seeking a CCIE-certified Network Lead / Manager to architect, implement, and manage enterprise-grade Cisco network infrastructure across a hybrid healthcare ecosystem. The environment includes Cisco ACI spine-leaf fabrics, multi-site data centers, Azure cloud integration, and mission-critical clinical workloads such as PACS, Cerner, and MS SQL clusters.This role is responsible for ensuring high availability, performance, segmentation, disaster recovery alignment, and regulatory compliance across all network domains.Key Responsibilities1. Cisco ACI Fabric Architecture & OperationsDesign, implement, and manage Cisco ACI spine-leaf fabrics (Single-site, Multi-Site, Multi-Pod).Configure tenants, VRFs, Bridge Domains, EPGs, and contracts.Manage BGP/OSPF/EVPN integrations and policy-based networking.Lead firmware upgrades and lifecycle management of ACI fabrics.Perform proactive health monitoring via APIC.2. Data Center & On-Prem Network ManagementManage Nexus and Catalyst core network infrastructure.Oversee VLAN/VXLAN architecture and L2/L3 segmentation.Troubleshoot MAC flapping, BUM storms, latency issues, and replication traffic.Ensure stable connectivity for clinical systems and SQL clusters.3. Multi-Site DR & ResiliencyArchitect ACI Multi-Site disaster recovery strategy.Align network failover with RTO/RPO objectives.Conduct bi-annual DR failover testing and validation.4. Cloud Integration (Azure)Design ExpressRoute and VPN connectivity.Integrate on-prem ACI with Azure workloads.Optimize routing, segmentation, and failover between on-prem and cloud.5. Network Security & ComplianceImplement micro-segmentation using ACI contracts.Apply Zero Trust principles and firewall integrations.Maintain HIPAA-aligned encryption and audit documentation.6. Performance & MonitoringMonitor latency, packet loss, and fabric health scores.Develop proactive alerting for fabric degradation and endpoint instability.Reduce recurring network incidents through RCA and optimization.7. Leadership & GovernanceLead L2/L3 network engineers and operational teams.Own change management and vendor engagement (Cisco TAC).Contribute to long-term network modernization roadmap.Required QualificationsCCIE (Routing & Switching or Data Center) - Mandatory.12-18+ years in enterprise networking.5+ years hands-on Cisco ACI experience.Experience with multi-site data center networks.Strong Azure cloud integration experience.Healthcare or regulated industry experience preferred.Technical ExpertiseCisco ACI (Multi-Site, VXLAN, EVPN, L4-L7 service insertion).BGP, OSPF, EIGRP, MPLS (preferred).Azure ExpressRoute and hybrid routing design.QoS for latency-sensitive clinical workloads.Load balancing (F5 preferred).Preferred CertificationsCCIE Data Center (Highly Preferred).Azure Network Engineer (AZ-700).CISSP (Preferred).ITIL v4.Success Metrics (First 12 Months)Zero major ACI fabric outages.Successful DR network failover validation.Fabric health score maintained above 95%.25% reduction in recurring network incidents.Documented ACI governance framework implemented.