IT Solutions Architect Senior - Networking

Arizona Public Service generates clean, reliable and affordable energy for 2.7 million Arizonans. Our service territory stretches across the state, from the border town of Douglas to the vistas of the Grand Canyon, from the solar fields of Gila Bend to the ponderosa pines of Payson. As the state’s largest and longest-serving energy provider, our more than 6,000 dedicated employees power our vision of creating a sustainable energy future for Arizona.

 

Since our founding in 1886, APS has demonstrated a strong commitment to our customers in one of the country’s fastest growing states, earning a reputation for customer satisfaction, shareholder value, operational excellence and business integrity.

 

Our present and future success depends on the creative and dedicated people of our company who demonstrate the principles outlined in the APS Promise: Design for Tomorrow, Empower Each Other and Succeed Together.  

IT Solutions Architect III/Sr - Networking

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced IT Solutions Architect III/Senior with a specialized focus on Networking to join our dynamic IT team. In this role, you will be responsible for designing and implementing robust and scalable networking solutions that align with the organization's business goals and technology strategy. The ideal candidate will possess in-depth knowledge of networking technologies, protocols, and best practices, along with a proven track record of architecting and implementing enterprise-level network infrastructure.

Network Architecture:

• Design and develop comprehensive networking architectures that support the organization's strategic objectives.

• Provide expertise in areas such as network design, routing, switching, load balancing, and network security.

• Own and ensure the successful realization of overall networking a solutions by connecting various groups to create and manage an integrated solution and plan.

Minimum Requirements

Level III

• Bachelors' degree in Information Technology or related field and 7 years of prior relevant experience or equivalent combination of education and directly related experience.

• Requires in-depth level of technical knowledge within a job area and working knowledge of other technical areas.

Senior Level

• Bachelors' degree in Information Technology or related field and 10 years of prior relevant experience or equivalent combination of education and directly related experience.

• Requires mastery level technical knowledge, typically obtained through advanced education and experience across multiple business areas or systems to improve technology planning and development

Special Skills, Knowledge or Qualifications:

• Proven experience as an Enterprise Architect with a focus on networking, including the design and implementation of complex network solutions.

• In-depth knowledge of networking protocols, technologies, and security best practices.

• Relevant certifications (e.g., Cisco CCIE, CompTIA Network+, AWS Certified Advanced Networking) are highly desirable.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to balance technical and business considerations.

Key Responsibilities

Technology Strategy:

• Provide thought leadership in networking/infrastructure solutions by delivering current state architecture documentation, future state network/infrastructure architecture, and technology-specific application architecture.

• Oversee the technical delivery of custom networking solutions, infrastructure improvements, and integration projects across internal and external teams.

• Stay abreast of emerging technologies and trends in networking to drive innovation and maintain a competitive edge.

• Serve as a credible advisor to peers and leadership on the appropriateness of current and future networking and infrastructure technologies, considering TCO, ROI, scalability, and strategic value to our business.

• Define principles, guidelines, standards, and solution patterns to ensure technical decisions are aligned with the enterprise's future-state networking and infrastructure architecture.

• Visualize and plan for future outcomes, defining roadmaps and transition architectures to bridge the gap from current to future state for business, information, and technology capabilities.

• Make high-level design choices focused on manageability, scalability, usability, resiliency, availability, security, and safety for the networking and infrastructure structure.

Infrastructure Optimization:

• Evaluate and optimize the existing netwo