Principal Technical Consultant, Network Security Architect at thinkahead

AHEAD builds platforms for digital business. By weaving together advances in cloud infrastructure, automation and analytics, and software delivery, we help enterprises deliver on the promise of digital transformation.   At AHEAD, we prioritize creating a culture of belonging, where all perspectives and voices are represented, valued, respected, and heard. We create spaces to empower everyone to speak up, make change, and drive the culture at AHEAD.    We are an equal opportunity employer, and do not discriminate based on an individual's race, national origin, color, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, marital status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law, whether actual or perceived.    We embrace all candidates that will contribute to the diversification and enrichment of ideas and perspectives at AHEAD.  Key Responsibilities: Architecture & Design • Lead the end‑to‑end architecture of enterprise network and security solutions across data center, campus, WAN, and cloud environments. • Design scalable, resilient architectures leveraging: • Cisco networking • Palo Alto Networks firewalls (PA‑Series, Panorama, HA architectures) • Palo Alto Prisma Access and Prisma SASE • Palo Alto SD‑WAN • Develop high‑level and low‑level designs, migration plans, and implementation frameworks. • Evaluate new technologies and provide strategic recommendations to leadership. Customer Leadership & Engagement • Serve as the primary architectural lead in customer workshops, whiteboard sessions, and executive briefings. • Translate complex technical concepts into clear, business‑aligned narratives. • Build trusted advisor relationships with customer stakeholders at all levels. • Lead technical discussions, drive consensus, and guide customers through architectural decisions. Implementation Oversight • Provide expert‑level guidance during deployment, configuration, and cutover activities. • Mentor engineering teams and ensure architectural integrity throughout project execution. • Troubleshoot complex issues across networking, security, and cloud domains. Cloud Architecture • Design and integrate secure network architectures for Azure and AWS, including: • VNET/VPC design • Cloud firewalls and security groups • Transit gateways and cloud routing • Hybrid connectivity (IPSec, ExpressRoute, Direct Connect) • Align cloud network security with enterprise security frameworks and zero‑trust principles. Required Qualifications: Technical Expertise • 10+ years of experience in enterprise networking and network security. • Expert‑level proficiency with: • Cisco routing, switching, and data center technologies • Palo Alto Networks firewalls, Panorama, HA, and advanced security features • Palo Alto Prisma Access and SD‑WAN • Strong understanding of: • BGP, OSPF, EVPN/VXLAN, MPLS, QoS, segmentation • Zero Trust, threat prevention, SSL decryption, URL filtering, WildFire • Solid working knowledge of Azure and AWS networking and security constructs. Soft Skills & Leadership • Exceptional communication and presentation skills—able to lead a room of customers with confidence. • Strong consultative presence; able to influence decisions and drive architectural direction. • Ability to simplify complex topics for both technical and non‑technical audiences. • Proven experience mentoring engineers and guiding cross‑functional teams. Certifications (Preferred but not required) • CCNP/CCIE (Routing & Switching, Security, or Data Center) • Palo Alto PCNSE • AWS Solutions Architect or Azure Architect certifications What Success Looks Like: • You become the go‑to architect for complex customer engagements. • You elevate the technical maturity of the engineering team. • You deliver architectures that are secure, scalable, and operationally sound. • Customers trust your guidance and request you by name. The compensation range indicated in this posting reflects the On-Target Earnings (“OTE”) for this role, which includes a base salary and any applicable target bonus amount. This OTE range may vary based on the candidate’s relevant experience, qualifications, and geographic location.     Why AHEAD:   Through our daily work and internal groups like Moving Women AHEAD and RISE AHEAD, we value and benefit from diversity of people, ideas, experience, and everything in between.   We fuel growth by stacking our office with top-notch technologies in a multi-million-dollar lab, by encouraging cross department training and development, sponsoring certifications and credentials for continued learning.   USA Employment Benefits include:  - Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance  - 401(k)  - Paid company holidays  - Paid time off  - Paid parental and caregiver leave  - Plus more! See benefits [Upgrade to PRO to see link] for additional details.    Use of AI: We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, assessing responses, or to capture recordings and create transcriptions or summaries during interviews. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans.   If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please refer to the Candidate Privacy Notice or contact us at [Upgrade to PRO to see contact].    You may opt-out of the review or analysis of your application and resume by AI tools by using the General Application. Please include the role you wish to apply for in the Additional Information field. You may also choose to opt-out of recording and transcription at any time, including after joining an interview.  Candidates will not be penalized for choosing to opt-out.