Principal Cloud Solutions Architect (Hybrid or Remote – Columbia, SC)

AgFirst is seeking a strategic and technically proficient Principal Cloud Solutions Architect with deep expertise in networking and cloud-native network architecture. This role is pivotal in designing and implementing end-to-end network solutions that support scalable, secure, and high-performance hybrid cloud environments. The ideal candidate will bridge traditional infrastructure with modern cloud technologies to drive digital transformation initiatives.

What you’ll do
– Lead the design of hybrid network solutions that integrate on-premises infrastructure with public and private cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP)
– Develop reference architectures and blueprints for secure, scalable, and resilient network topologies.
– Translate business and technical requirements into comprehensive network solutions.
– Help lead the architecture, design, and deployment of a landing zone using one of the major CSP providers (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP) for purposes of building out a multi-environment technology landscape that leverages a well-architected segmentation of the accounts/environments (e.g. development, test, production)
– Architect and implement cloud networking components such as VPCs, VNets, subnets, route tables, NAT gateways, and load balancers
– Design and manage interconnectivity solutions including VPNs, Direct Connect, ExpressRoute, and Transit Gateways
– Co llaborate with infrastructure teams to align cloud network designs with existing physical network infrastructure.
– Support the design and deployment of physical network components including routers, switches, firewalls, and SD-WAN.
– Implement network security controls such as firewalls, security groups, NACLs, and zero-trust principles.
– Serve as a trusted advisor to stakeholders, guiding network architecture decisions.
– Create and maintain detailed documentation of network designs, configurations, and operational procedures.
– Partner with the DevOps and IaC teams to develop a strategy for network infrastructure automation that coincides with the general IaC and DevOps strategy of the Bank

What you’ll need
– A college degree and/or comparable years of relevant job experience are required.
– Prior data center and/or network migration to the cloud experience
– Experience in Network Architecture/Engineering and/or Cloud Architecture
– Experience with Network and/or General Technology Operations in a major cloud provider (AWS, Azure, or GCP)
– Experience in Network Security best practices and operations
– Certifications (particularly in the areas of Network Architecture, Solutions Architecture, Operations, and/or Security) with any of the big three (3) cloud providers (AWS, Azure, GCP) are preferred but not required.
– At least ten (10) years, of experience in a cloud architecture and/or network architecture/engineering role
– At least five (5) years, of experience with at least one (1) or more of the major cloud service providers (CSPs) – Azure, AWS, Google Cloud (GCP)
– Strong knowledg e of networking protocols (TCP/IP, BGP, OSPF, DNS, DHCP) and network security principles
– Hands-on experience with cloud platform (AWS, Azure, GCP) networking services
– Prior knowledge in leveraging the Cloud in a disaster recovery scenario from a physical data center and developing the network infrastructure (both physical and virtual (cloud)) to support it
– Experience with networking to and within the cloud (both east-west and north-south)
– Experience with network security design within the cloud (e.g., firewall, IDS, IPS, WAF) using both CSP-native (e.g. AWS, Azure) as well as 3rd party best of breed technologies (e.g. Palo Alto, Cisco, F5)
– Experience with network automation and monitoring/alerting best practices
– Experience in multi-cloud security frameworks such as NIST, CSA, etc.