Executes the vision, future direction, and initiative roadmap for strategic infrastructure technology programs, with a focus on network and cloud security architectures, including Palo Alto Networks firewall platforms and Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange services. Defines reference architectures that enable secure, scalable, and compliant enterprise infrastructure across on premises, cloud, and remote access environments.

**This hybrid role (in office Tues-Wed-Thurs) can be based in Charlotte, NC, Dallas, TX, Wayne, PA, or Scottsdale AZ**

Responsibilities:

• Provides the architectural leadership in shaping strategic, infrastructure technology programs and planning
• Leverages knowledge capital available through subscription research services and critical resources for related knowledge capital, inclusive of blogs, podcasts, webinar, etc.
• Produces technology roadmaps, defines reference and implementation architectures, and develops proof-of-concept prototypes and initial implementation models.
• Ensures implementation solutions support architecture objectives (availability, scalability, performance, security, etc.), as appropriate, and monitors implementation activities to ensure architecture and design principles are upheld.
• Utilizes partnership skills especially in the areas of persuasion, influence, conceptualizing solutions and problem solving.
• Communicates complicated technical concepts effectively to a broad group of stakeholders.
• Establishes relationships with IT leaders, architects, and technical specialists for the purpose of advancing proposed architectural solutions, and ensuring availability of infrastructure technologies and support.
• Possesses deep understanding of the competitive landscape and corporate and business unit strategies to provide context for architectural decision making.
• Identifies and mitigates risks of introducing architecture technology enhancements, ensures that IT project teams comply with IT Governance policies and procedures.
• Participates in special projects and performs other duties as assigned.
• Defines enterprise and data center network security architectures leveraging modernized firewall implementations and cloud‑delivered security services.
• Provides architectural leadership for Palo Alto Networks firewall deployments, including policy design, segmentation strategies, traffic inspection models, and integration with enterprise routing and application delivery architectures.
• Establishes standards for north‑south and east‑west traffic security, including integration across data center, campus, cloud, and remote access environments.
• Defines and governs Zero Trust access architectures using Zscaler Internet Access (ZIA) and Zscaler Private Access (ZPA), enabling secure user‑to‑application connectivity without traditional network‑based trust models.
• Leads architectural patterns for secure internet access, private application access, and SaaS security, including traffic steering, identity‑based access controls, and policy enforcement across hybrid and remote work scenarios.
• Ensures firewall and Zscaler architecture align with Zero Trust principles, regulatory requirements, and enterprise security standards, including data protection and compliance controls.
• Partners with security operations teams to ensure architectures support operational visibility, threat prevention, user experience monitoring, and lifecycle management across both on‑prem and cloud‑delivered security platforms.

Education & Experience:

• 8 years related work experience, with at least 3 years of technology architect experience.
• Deep knowledge of network and cloud security architecture principles, segmentation strategies, and Zero Trust design models.
• Architectural experience with Palo Alto Networks firewalls, including enterprise policy frameworks, large‑scale deployments, and integration with data center and cloud environments.
• Architectural experience with Zscaler platforms, including ZIA and ZPA, and their role in secure internet access, private application access, and Zero Trust network transformations.
• Strong understanding of integrating firewall and Zscaler architectures with identity providers, routing, load balancing, application delivery, and hybrid cloud connectivity models.