Senior Network Architect (VLAN/Segmentation) (m/f/d)

Summary: The Senior Network Architect (VLAN/Segmentation) role involves conducting comprehensive assessments and strategic planning for VLAN structures within the energy industry. The position requires the development and execution of migration plans, risk assessments, and compliance alignment, ensuring minimal service disruption during transitions. The architect will also maintain detailed documentation and provide expert-level support to internal stakeholders. Fluency in German and English is essential for effective communication with clients and teams.

Key Responsibilities:

• VLAN Discovery, Assessment & Cleanup Strategy
• Conduct a full assessment of existing VLAN structures across all of the client's locations
• Identify unused, obsolete, conflicting, or non-compliant VLANs
• Develop a strategic cleanup and redesign plan that aligns with the client's network architecture standards, segmentation requirements, and resilience objectives
• Present the cleanup concept and proposed redesign to the client for sign-off prior to execution
• VLAN Migration Planning & Execution
• Develop site-specific and global migration plans, including fallback procedures, maintenance windows, and change execution sequences
• Coordinate with internal teams and external vendors to prepare each site for VLAN transitions
• Oversee or perform VLAN migrations, ensuring minimal service disruption and adherence to change management processes
• Present migration results and documentation for each site to the client for sign-off
• Network Risk Assessment & Mitigation
• Identify risks associated with VLAN redesign and migrations, including dependencies with firewalls, routing, OT/IT boundaries, and legacy systems
• Develop mitigation strategies and present all findings, alternatives, and recommended urgent initiatives to the client for review and sign-off
• Compliance & Information Security Alignment
• Validate that the new VLAN structure and migration approach comply with the client's information security policies, industry best practices, and audit requirements
• Provide recommendations to resolve any compliance gaps and present results to stakeholders
• Documentation & Reporting
• Maintain detailed, accurate documentation of VLAN structures, cleanup activities, migrations, and dependencies
• Produce weekly progress reports for senior management
• Prepare and deliver presentations summarizing status, risks, and next steps
• Alignment with Network Security Team
• Proactively support internal stakeholders and with expert-level input on VLAN design, migration strategy, and network segmentation practices

Key Skills:

• VLAN & Network Segmentation: Design, assessment, cleanup, and migration
• Layer 2/3 Networking: STP, OSPF, BGP, VRRP, inter-VLAN routing
• Switching & Routing: Multi-vendor (Cisco, Juniper, Aruba) configuration and troubleshooting
• Network Security: Firewall policies, ACLs, OT/IT segmentation, compliance with security standards
• Risk & Compliance: ISO 27001, NIST, audit readiness, gap analysis
• Migration Planning & Execution: Change management, rollback strategies, minimal downtime
• Documentation & Reporting: Network diagrams, migration plans, executive presentations
• Stakeholder Communication: Technical and non-technical audiences, vendor coordination
• Project Management: Multi-site migrations, timeline control
• Fluent German & English
• Bonus: SASE/Zero Trust

Salary (Rate): undetermined

City: Düsseldorf

Country: Germany

Working Arrangements: undetermined

IR35 Status: undetermined

Seniority Level: undetermined

Industry: IT