Principal Cloud Network Architect

iQuila is a rapidly growing technology company specialising in advanced networking, telecommunications, automation and AI-driven network intelligence solutions.

As we continue to expand our global footprint and deliver large-scale solutions with leading telecommunications providers and enterprise customers, we are seeking an exceptional Principal Cloud Network Architect to lead the design and delivery of our next-generation cloud networking platform.

This is a rare opportunity to shape a carrier-grade architecture that integrates cloud, telecommunications and AI technologies at scale.

This is a senior, high-impact role for someone who wants to influence platform architecture, work directly with major telecommunications partners and help build carrier-grade cloud networking services at international scale.

You will be responsible for designing, implementing and operating a highly scalable networking platform hosted within Microsoft Azure that integrates with major telecommunications providers and other carrier partners.

The role combines deep cloud networking expertise with service provider technologies. You should be equally comfortable discussing BGP with a carrier architect, designing Azure landing zones, deploying EVPN/VXLAN infrastructures, leading technical governance and guiding complex customer-facing projects.

You will act as the senior technical authority for network architecture, cloud connectivity, automation and operational governance. You will help define the strategic direction of the iQuila platform, support customer engagements with major telecommunications providers and enterprise organisations, and provide architectural leadership across engineering, operations and commercial discussions.

Key Responsibilities

Network Architecture

• Design and deliver large-scale Azure networking solutions.

• Build carrier-grade, multi-tenant network architectures.

• Develop EVPN and VXLAN overlay environments.

• Architect Azure hub-and-spoke, transit and multi-region networking models.

• Design highly available, resilient and secure cloud network services.

• Lead technical reviews, architecture governance and network strategy initiatives.

• Define networking standards, design patterns and reference architectures.

• Evaluate emerging networking technologies and recommend strategic adoption.

Telecommunications Integration

• Integrate major telecommunications providers, carrier Ethernet services and network connectivity platforms.

• Design solutions involving Carrier Ethernet, Layer 2 services, Layer 3 services, EVPN, VXLAN, MPLS, SD-WAN and cloud interconnects.

• Provide technical leadership during service onboarding and customer deployments.

• Work directly with carrier engineering and operations teams.

• Design and operate carrier interconnects, peering environments and large-scale BGP routing domains.

• Collaborate with Tier 1 telecommunications providers, wholesale carriers and cloud connectivity partners.

• Support customer solution design workshops and architecture reviews.

Azure and Cloud Infrastructure

• Design Azure landing zones and network connectivity architectures.

• Define secure hybrid cloud connectivity models.

• Lead Azure networking best practice across the organisation.

• Design and support solutions using Azure ExpressRoute, Azure Route Server, Azure Virtual WAN, Azure Firewall, Azure Load Balancer, Azure Gateway Load Balancer, Azure Availability Zones and Azure VMware Solution.

• Develop cloud network security architectures aligned to Zero Trust principles.

• Use Infrastructure as Code to support scalable, repeatable and controlled deployments.

Platform Engineering

• Deploy and manage virtual routing platforms.

• Design virtual network functions and cloud-native networking services.

• Build automation and orchestration solutions.

• Integrate network telemetry into the iQuila platform.

• Develop monitoring, observability and operational tooling.

• Support platform scalability, resilience and performance optimisation.

• Drive automation-first operational models.

Operational Leadership

• Own the ongoing operation of the platform.

• Lead root cause analysis and major incident management.

• Define and implement operational standards, processes and procedures.

• Mentor engineering and operations teams.

• Create and maintain clear technical documentation.

• Lead architecture reviews and technical governance forums.

• Provide technical leadership across engineering, operations and customer-facing teams.

Essential Skills and Experience

Cloud Networking

• Minimum 10 years of network architecture experience, including at least 5 years designing and operating Azure networking environments.

• Extensive knowledge of Azure ExpressRoute and Azure network architecture.

• Strong experience designing Azure landing zones, hub-and-spoke networks, network security groups, route tables and private connectivity models.

• Proven ability to design secure, scalable and resilient Azure network architectures for enterprise or service provider environments.

• Extensive experience designing carrier-grade, highly available and resilient cloud networking solutions.

• Proven experience operating within enterprise, telecommunications or service provider environments.

• Strong knowledge of network security architecture, Zero Trust principles, segmentation, firewalls, secure cloud connectivity and DDoS protection.

Service Provider Networking

• Deep knowledge of BGP, MPLS, Carrier Ethernet, Layer 2 and Layer 3 VPN technologies, SD-WAN and multi-tenant networking.

• Deep knowledge of EVPN and VXLAN, including overlay design, control-plane design, route types, segmentation, multi-tenancy, underlay integration and service integration.

• Strong understanding of routing design, route propagation, route filtering, peering models and network segmentation.

• Strong understanding of internet routing, ASN management, route policies, route filtering and traffic engineering.

• Experience designing and operating carrier interconnects and peering environments.

• Proven experience working directly with Tier 1 telecommunications providers is essential.

Routing and Network Platforms

Strong experience with one or more of:

• FRR (Free Range Routing)

• Juniper MX / vMX

• Cisco Catalyst 8000V

• Nokia SR Linux

• Arista EOS

• Hands-on experience troubleshooting complex routing, overlay networking and connectivity issues across cloud and carrier environments.

• Ability to design and operate large-scale routing infrastructures.

• Strong understanding of control-plane and data-plane architectures.

Linux and Automation

• Linux administration

• Python scripting

• Terraform

• Ansible

• Git

• CI/CD pipelines

• Experience developing reusable automation frameworks, deployment templates and operational runbooks.

• Strong understanding of Infrastructure as Code methodologies.

• Experience with network orchestration, automated provisioning, monitoring and observability tooling.

Desirable Skills

• Kubernetes networking

• Network observability platforms

• DPDK

• eBPF

• XDP

• Cloud Native Network Functions (CNFs)

• AI and analytics platforms

• Service provider operational environments

Relevant Certifications

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Network Engineer Associate

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert

• Cisco CCNP Enterprise or CCNP Service Provider

• Cisco CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure or CCIE Service Provider

• Juniper JNCIP-SP, JNCIE-SP or equivalent

• Nokia Service Routing Architect, Professional or Expert certification, or equivalent

• Arista Certified Engineering Associate or Professional

• Relevant cloud networking, security, automation or service provider certifications

Equivalent demonstrable experience in large-scale service provider, cloud networking or carrier environments will also be considered in lieu of formal certifications.

We are particularly interested in candidates from telecommunications providers, cloud networking teams, service provider environments, carrier engineering teams, network vendors or large-scale enterprise networking backgrounds.

What We Are Looking For

We are looking for someone who combines deep technical credibility with strong commercial awareness, excellent communication skills and the ability to lead complex architecture discussions with customers, carriers and internal teams.

• Deep technical expertise across cloud, carrier and enterprise networking.

• Strong commercial awareness and the ability to align technical decisions with customer and business outcomes.

• Excellent written and spoken English, with the ability to produce clear technical documentation.

• Confidence presenting technical solutions to major telecommunications providers, enterprise customers and senior stakeholders.

• A hands-on engineering mindset with the ability to support complex troubleshooting when required.

• Ability to act as the technical authority during customer engagements, executive briefings and strategic architecture reviews.

• Experience leading cross-functional engineering teams and delivering large-scale transformation programmes.

• Ability to balance technical excellence with commercial and operational objectives.

• Strong stakeholder management and leadership capability.

You should able to lead architecture discussions with Tier 1 telecommunications providers, design Azure networking solutions, troubleshoot complex routing issues, mentor internal teams and present strategic solutions to customers and executive stakeholders.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to shape the future technical direction of the platform and, as the business grows, help define the engineering standards, operating model and architecture governance that support international expansion.