Telecoms Network Design Architect in Central London

Job Title: Senior Telecoms Network Design Architect

Location: Hybrid working London or Reading | Type: Contract | Rate: £600 per day Outside

Role Overview:

We are seeking a highly experienced TelecomsNetwork Infrastructure Architect with deep expertise in, Telecoms infrastructure, data centre networking, and cloud-native technologies. The successful candidate will design, implement, and support complex, scalable, and secure telecoms infrastructure solutions across data centre and cloud environments, with a strong focus on automation, virtualisation, and software-defined networking.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design and implement data centre fabric architectures (Clos, VXLAN, EVPN, multi-domain routing, DCI, anycast, micro-segmentation).
• Develop and support SDN solutions including distributed switching, routing, and security policy enforcement.
• Architect network solutions for VNF and CNF applications, considering performance, scalability, and resilience.
• Support container-based environments with Kubernetes, including CNI plugins, ingress/egress, and network policies.
• Design and maintain services in virtualised and cloud-native platforms (OpenStack, OpenShift, WindRiver).
• Drive infrastructure automation using Ansible, Terraform, Python, and Infrastructure-as-Code practices.
• Ensure end-to-end service provider core and data centre network design, including expert-level BGP, inter-AS, and policy/routing configurations.
• Apply Linux expertise across PaaS, IaaS, SaaS, and CaaS environments.
• Work with supporting services such as DNS, ADC, AAA, firewalls, SIEM, protocol inspection, and network visibility tools.
• Align architecture with 3GPP mobile standards (Rel. 15+), IMS, RAN, and CUPS/WWC models.
• Contribute to security and compliance requirements, including alignment with the Telecom Security Act.
• Liaise with vendors and standards bodies; contribute to white papers and industry groups (desirable).

Required Skills & Experience:

• Proven experience designing and managing data centre and telecom networks at scale.
• Network and security requirements and approaches for:

3GPP mobile architectures, particularly 3GPP Release 15 and onwards.

IMS

RAN architectures (e.g. C-RAN functional split models)

• Expert-level knowledge of routing protocols (BGP), network resilience, and service provider architectures.
• Strong experience in Kubernetes, Linux networking, and container networking interfaces (CNIs).
• Hands-on skills in SDN overlays (VXLAN/Geneve), network virtualisation, and service chaining.
• Familiarity with eBPF, telemetry, firewalling, and protocol-aware services (e.g., ALGs).
• Strong scripting and automation skills: Python, Terraform, Ansible.

Desirable but not essential

• Experience with Cisco/Arista platforms, CloudVision, NDFC, NDO (desirable).
• Familiarity with intent-based networking concepts (desirable).
• Experience in RedHat OpenStack/OpenShift and WindRiver environments (desirable).

Certifications (Preferred):

• CCIE, JNCIE, or equivalent expert-level routing certifications.
• SDN certifications (e.g., ONF).
• Security certifications (e.g., CISSP, ISC2).
• Relevant telecom/vendor-specific certifications.

Ideal Candidate Profile:

You are a strategic thinker with hands-on technical depth across networking, cloud, and telecom domains. You have extensive experience in designing secure, resilient infrastructure, and thrive in high-complexity environments where automation, performance, and innovation are critical.