Principal Architect – Technology, Infrastructure

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Washington.

📋 Description

• Take charge of the hypervisor and private cloud strategy, which encompasses OpenStack/KVM architecture, cluster configuration, operational models, and VMware migration.

• Specify Proxmox deployment architecture, cluster design, storage integration, and operational protocols.

• Design bare metal server infrastructure, including provisioning automation, lifecycle management, firmware governance, and platform integration.

• Spearhead the VMware-to-OpenStack migration by conducting workload assessments, sequencing, dependency mapping, and ensuring zero-impact cutover.

• Define and manage the Kubernetes platform architecture for both on-premise and cloud settings.

• Implement Docker image lifecycle governance, registry management, vulnerability scanning, and build pipeline integration.

• Create CI/CD pipelines for infrastructure and network function delivery utilizing GitOps workflows, automated testing, and rollout orchestration.

• Lead the PostgreSQL database platform architecture, ensuring high availability, replication, backup, and disaster recovery.

• Outline block, object, and file storage architecture, including backup, replication, and RPO/RTO targets.

• Set database governance standards, migration tools, performance monitoring, and operational documentation.

• Define hybrid and multi-cloud integration methods, workload placement strategies, cloud bursting, and interconnect architecture.

• Establish infrastructure-as-code standards using Terraform, Ansible, or similar technologies.

• Manage redundancy and geographic diversity planning across various infrastructure tiers.

• Design active-active and active-passive carrier-grade architectures featuring load balancing, failover automation, and health monitoring.

• Create and validate disaster recovery playbooks, ensure runbook accuracy, and address gaps identified post-exercise.

• Set infrastructure architecture standards, take ownership of the architecture, influence technical direction, mentor engineers, and make cross-functional decisions as a senior independent contributor.

⛳️ Requirements

• High school diploma or GED is required.

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, Telecommunications, or a related field, or a combination of education and relevant infrastructure architecture experience.

• Over 10 years of infrastructure engineering experience in virtualization, private cloud, and data center operations within a network operator or telecom environment.

• Experience as a senior independent contributor in establishing infrastructure architecture standards, influencing technical decisions, mentoring engineers, and guiding cross-functional architecture choices without direct management responsibilities.

• Expert-level knowledge of OpenStack, including Nova, Neutron, Cinder, Glance, and Keystone, at a production scale.

• Practical experience with Kubernetes, focusing on production cluster design, CNI/CSI selection, RBAC, and multi-cluster management.

• Strong expertise in PostgreSQL regarding high availability, replication, performance tuning, and production operations.

• Proven track record in delivering VMware-to-OpenStack or equivalent hypervisor migration programs.

• Experience with bare metal provisioning and lifecycle management using Ironic, MAAS, or similar tools.

• Knowledge in redundancy and geographic diversity planning, failure domain analysis, RTO/RPO definition, and disaster recovery execution.

• Proficiency in infrastructure-as-code using Terraform, Ansible, or equivalent in a network or telecom production environment.

• Ability to work independently, apply sound judgment, collaborate effectively, multitask, meet critical deadlines, and adapt to changing priorities.

• Strong verbal and written communication, organizational, analytical, and systems-thinking skills.

• Senior-level technical leadership, mentoring capabilities, standards-setting, executive presence, and stakeholder communication skills.

• Must have authorization to work in the US for any employer; sponsorship is not available.

• Must meet physical requirements, including prolonged sitting and occasional lifting or moving of up to 25 pounds.

• A pre-employment background check is required; drug screening may also be necessary.

• At all times, Ziply Fiber must be your primary employer; any outside or self-employment requires written approval.

🏝️ Benefits

• Medical insurance

• Dental insurance

• Vision insurance

• 401(k)

• Flexible spending account

• Paid sick leave

• Paid time off

• Parental leave

• Quarterly performance bonus

• Training

• Career growth programs

• Education reimbursement programs