Technical Architect- Enterprise Networking

Role Type: Contract to Hire

Start: Immediate

Work Status:  US Citizen or Green Card Holder 

Location: Greater Chicagoland/ Central IL/Downstate Preffered

Hourly Rate: $90-$100/hr

Our Story & Purpose

At Burwood Group, we’re more than a technology consulting firm, we’re a team of innovators, problem-solvers, and collaborators who help organizations turn technology into meaningful business outcomes. Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Oak Brook, IL, we’ve grown into a nationwide team of experts committed to making a real difference. Our purpose starts with Customer Focus. We put our clients at the center of everything we do - listening, understanding their challenges, and delivering solutions that drive impact.

We believe in ownership, collaboration, and growth. Our people aren’t just employees; they are innovators shaping the future of our clients’ success. At Burwood, you’ll work alongside talented professionals, tackle exciting challenges, and develop skills that elevate your career. If you’re ready to make an impact, learn continuously, and grow within a culture that values your unique strengths, Burwood Group is the place for you.

Inside the Enterprise Networking Team 

The Enterprise Networking Team at Burwood Group is a dynamic group of technology professionals dedicated to designing, implementing, and supporting advanced network and security solutions for clients across a wide range of industries. Known for its innovative, customer-focused approach, the team blends deep technical expertise with a strong commitment to collaboration, continuous improvement, and delivering meaningful outcomes.  

Our Technical Architects bring deep technical expertise within their specialty areas and serve as trusted Subject Matter Experts across the Practice. They partner closely with our Pursuit Teams, including Solution Architects and Account Executives—to shape winning solutions that align to client needs and support Practice growth. Technical Architects play a key role in driving Practice strategy, defining our point-of-view, and ensuring that our solutions reflect Burwood’s commitment to customer impact, innovation, and technical excellence. 

How You’ll Make an Impact 

To be successful in the Technical Architect role, you must bring strong interpersonal, business, and technical skills that enable you to engage effectively at all levels of an organization. Our Technical Architects excel in a consultative approach, with a holistic understanding of both business and IT operations and a commitment to delivering meaningful outcomes for our clients.   

In this role, your responsibilities will include: 

• Serving as an expert in Burwood’s Enterprise Networking solutions and partnering with Sales and Marketing to craft go-to-market offerings and scope for new opportunities. 

• Leading the architectural and strategic planning process for clients, including defining requirements, creating scoping documents, and mapping tools, processes, and services to their strategic business and IT initiatives. 

• Collaborating closely with Burwood and partner sales teams to identify and advance Enterprise Networking opportunities using a consultative, customer-focused approach. 

• Building strong, ongoing relationships at all levels of client organizations, becoming a trusted advisor for all Enterprise Networking technologies. 

• Providing technical oversight and subject matter expertise across the Enterprise Networking portfolio—from initial engagement through solution design, delivery guidance, and hand-off to project teams. 

• Acting as a mentor, coach, and escalation point for Enterprise Networking Practice team members. 

• Delivering architectural guidance and consultative support across the full solution lifecycle, from high-level roadmaps to assessments and hands-on implementation planning. 

• Partnering with Practice Leadership to develop team capabilities and ensure alignment with Burwood’s Secure Networking strategy and portfolio. 

• Driving process improvements, delivery efficiency, and practice profitability. 

Your Core Skills & Certifications 

• Expert-level proficiency in enterprise networking & security, across many platforms, including:  

• Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFW) & SASE: Deep expertise in Palo Alto Networks and Fortinet firewall deployment, configuration, and policy design, as well as Prisma Access & FortiSASE.  Experience with Cisco ASA & Firepower is also desirable.  

• Routing & Switching: Advanced experience with Cisco Catalyst and Nexus platforms & HPE/Aruba Campus & Datacenter products.  

• Software-Defined Solutions: Hands-on experience with Cisco Catalyst and HPE Aruba Networking EdgeConnect SD-WAN solutions, additionally, Fortinet and VMware SD-WAN experience is a plus.  

• Network Access Control: Deployment and integration of Cisco ISE and Aruba ClearPass for identity-based access control and policy enforcement.  

• Fabric Management: Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (NDFC) experience is preferred.  

• Strong understanding of Data Center Layer 3/Layer 2 technologies and interconnects (MPLS, VPLS, VXLAN, and BGP EVPN).  

• Experience deploying enterprise-level SDN architectures such as Cisco ACI or Arista Cloud Vision.  

• Solid understanding of Data Center and Public Cloud interconnectivity across hybrid environments, Mega port, Azure ExpressRoute, AWS Direct Connect.  

• Proven hands-on experience with campus network products from Cisco, Aruba, or Arista. 

• Certifications: CCIE and/or HPE Aruba Certified Expert preferred.  

Life at Burwood

Our employee-owned culture shapes how we work and grow together. We’re driven, innovative, and always ready to support one another. Even as a contractor, you’ll experience the collaboration, care, and integrity that defines how we show up for our clients and each other.

Contract roles that maintain a consistent schedule of 32 hours per week.

Here’s what you can expect as part of your Burwood experience:

• Health & Wellness
   Access to health, dental, and vision coverage options (based on contract terms and eligibility)
• Financial Well-Being
  401(k) and Roth 401(k) participation with company match (if eligible under contract terms)

Belonging & Culture

We are not intent on being the largest company, but rather the best. These are the words we live by. We welcome top talent, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, religion, or age. 

By embracing all cultural backgrounds, life experiences, perspectives, and ideas, we not only continue to strengthen our company culture, but also foster innovation and drive organizational success. We believe that diversity fuels creativity and enables us to deliver exceptional results for our clients.

Our Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion 
 
We are not intent on being the largest company, but rather, the best. These are the words we live by. This means we welcome all the best talent, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, religion, or age.  

Being open to all cultural backgrounds, life experiences, thoughts, and ideas not only strengthens company culture but also encourages different-in-kind thinking and promotes economic success.