Network Architect

CompanyFederal Reserve Bank of Richmond

When you join the Federal Reserve—the nation's central bank—you’ll play a key role, collaborating with leading tech professionals to strengthen and protect our economic, financial and payments systems. We invest in contemporary and emerging technology each year to support the Federal Reserve and our economy, and we’re building a dynamic team for our future.
Bring your passion and expertise, and we’ll provide the opportunities that will challenge you and propel your growth—along with a wide range of benefits and perks that support your health, wealth, and life. In addition to competitive compensation, we offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes tuition assistance, generous paid time off, top-notch health care benefits, child and family care leave, professional development opportunities, a 401(k) match, pension, and more. All brought together in a work environment where you can truly find balance.

About the Opportunity

As an architect you will be a leader that is expected to set strategic technical direction for the Federal Reserve. This position is expected to be able to advise and influence across the Federal Reserve organization. As an architect you will need to align technical strategic directions and roadmaps for network products with the FRS business and security strategies. Work with peers and leaders in the Network Product Line to influence their roadmaps including ensuring that they are enabling Infrastructure Architecture and Security strategic priorities. As an architect you will be communicating and presenting at all levels of the organization, including non-technical audiences. Participate in planning, design, and execution of critical and strategic efforts with a focus on recognizing, providing resolutions, and escalating issues before they have impact. Work closely with architects around the Federal Reserve System and business/product owners to understand and advance NIT strategic directions from a network and security infrastructure strategy perspective. This position will require an individual who is a self-starter and can work well in multiple roles including leading a team, participating as a member of a team, and also alone.

What You Will Do:

• Develop and maintain strategic network and security infrastructure architectural roadmaps with a 2-5 year outlook taking into account business direction, customer experience, and technology trends.

• Develop and maintain network and security infrastructure capability map.

• Be an active participant providing tactful advice and guidance during all Architecture Review Board activities.

• Partner with internal customers to provide guidance on architectural patterns. Recommend and implement changes to business information and technical architecture requirements.

• Partner with our clients and other resources in detecting critical architectural and infrastructure gaps or deficiencies in the IT environment. Recommend solutions for improvement.

• Provide input and directional guidance for network and security infrastructure automation.

• Work with peer architects to create integration patterns that inform and set standards for various traffic patterns in a hybrid enterprise environment.

• Oversee and direct major, critical, and emerging technology studies. Assess merit and impact, work with NPL Architects on architecture standards and influence designs.

• Understand inherited risks related to network and security infrastructure environment that encompasses colocation data centers, multiple CSPs, SaaS and on-premise sites that are interdependent on each other.

• Support Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Delivery (CD) efforts to ensure adherence to CI/CD principles.

• Maintain working relationships with peers and business partners and communicate with key executives and stakeholders on successes, opportunities, and challenges.

• Initiate and oversee project development, system/design/testing, requirement direction and investigation of alternatives for implementation of feasible new technology.

• Provide key consultative leadership on system projects focused on planning, development and implementation of strategic technological directives.

• Provide strategic foresight and long-term development planning for future technology impacting the Federal Reserve System.

• Work with a team of highly motivated and skilled professionals to solve business critical challenges.

• Embrace the System IT Principles, to guide daily decisions and strategic decision-making processes.

• Occasional travel may be required, including overnight stays.

• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in applicable discipline or the equivalent is required.

• 10+ years of technical experience in a complex enterprise IT environment, for large-scale systems across multiple hardware and software platforms.

• 7+ years of experience in network and security infrastructure technology engineering (e.g., routing and switching, firewall).

• DevOps/Automation: TerraForm, Ansible, Python.

• In-depth knowledge of the following:

  • Network Routing protocols: BGP, OSPF, EIGRP.

  • Network WAN technologies MPLS over mGRE, DMVPN, IPSEC VPN, WAN MACSec.

  • Juniper and Palo Alto Firewalls.

  • Algosec or similar firewall policy tool.

  • Cisco Nexus Hardware (ACI & Nexus Mode), Cisco Catalyst 8500, 9k Series, ASR and ISR series.

• Expert at network fundamentals including the OSI model, TCP/IP, IPv4 and IPv6.

• Must be comfortable with Linux commands/file system.

• Strong technical knowledge of IT enterprise systems and tools.

• Experience with IDS/IPS, network access control, load balancers preferred.

• Experience learning, sharing, and implementing best practices with the ability to determine operational processes.

• Progressive leadership experience with responsibility for leading technical staff and matrixed teams within large mission-critical systems with complex network requirements, or the equivalent required.

• Experience implementing network and security infrastructure for large critical enterprise environment that is a target of Nation-State attackers.

• Deep understanding of network and security infrastructure capabilities and gaps.

• Understanding of NIST and FedRAMP security requirements.

Discover the Reason Why So Many People Love It Here!

When you join Federal Reserve’s National IT organization, not only will you find a challenging and purposeful career, you’ll also have access to a wide range of benefits and perks that support your health and wealth, including:

• Great medical benefits

• Pension and 401(k) with employer match

• Paid time off

• Tuition reimbursement

• Paid volunteer leave

• Onsite amenities that make working here fun

Other Requirements and Considerations:

• Candidates should review the Bank’s Employee Code of Conduct to ensure compliance with conflict of interest rules and personal investment restrictions.

• If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please notify [email protected].

• Sponsorship is not available for this role. The selected candidate will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information. Eligibility for this specific position requires U.S. Citizenship.

• The hiring range for this Network Architect role is $173,000 to 216,000.

• For candidates located near other National IT locations, outside of Richmond, VA, the listed hiring and salary ranges may be adjusted based on your geographic location.

• Salary offered will be based on the job responsibilities and the individual’s knowledge, skills, and experience as defined in the job qualifications.

• Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Interested candidates are strongly encouraged to apply by August 13, 2025.

• Always verify and apply to jobs on Federal Reserve System Careers or through verified Federal Reserve Bank social media channels.

Full Time / Part TimeFull time

Regular / TemporaryRegular

Job Exempt (Yes / No)Yes

Job CategoryInformation Technology Family Group

Work ShiftFirst (United States of America)

The Federal Reserve Banks are committed to equal employment opportunity for employees and job applicants in compliance with applicable law and to an environment where employees are valued for their differences.

Always verify and apply to jobs on Federal Reserve System Careers (https://rb.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/FRS) or through verified Federal Reserve Bank social media channels.

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