Job Title: SASE Network Architect

Duration: Initial 6 months with 1 x 6-month extension

Industry: Information Technology

Functional Expertise: Infrastructure Architecture

Sub-functional Expertise: SASE Network Architecture

Location of work: ACT

Working arrangements: Hybrid

Closing date: 9AM Friday, 4 September 2026

Description:

Our client is seeking a SASE Network Architect to provide independent, specialist SASE and Zero Trust architecture expertise and lead technical discovery for a future secure access capability.

The successful candidate will assess the current environment, define a vendor-neutral future-state direction and develop architecture and requirements artefacts for a future implementation partner. This is an advisory and discovery role and does not include product selection, detailed design, implementation, migration or managed service delivery.

Responsibilities:

• Lead assessment of the current network, security and access environment, including campus and remote access, internet egress, application access, identity integration, endpoint posture, security controls and operational processes.
• Define a vendor-neutral, high-level target architecture and design principles for a SASE-aligned secure-access environment.
• Define functional and non-functional requirements, including security, availability, resilience, scalability, performance, reporting, compliance, operational supportability and user experience.
• Work with the Senior Technical Business Analyst and stakeholders to translate current-state findings, use cases and requirements into coherent architectural outcomes.
• Identify integration points, assumptions, constraints, dependencies and transition considerations across network modernisation, identity, cloud, endpoint, security operations and service management.
• Produce architecture artefacts suitable for a future market approach, including conceptual architecture, capability model, design principles, technical requirements, evaluation criteria and high-level transition considerations.
• Provide independent architectural input to procurement strategy and documentation, ensuring requirements are clear, testable and not biased towards a particular product, vendor or implementation approach.
• Facilitate and contribute to workshops with technical and business stakeholders, clearly explaining complex architecture decisions and trade-offs to varied audiences.
• Work collaboratively with Business Analysts, Architects, Change Managers and other specialists engaged through separate providers, using shared documentation, governance and ways of working.
• Draw on provider reachback capability where required while retaining accountability for the quality, coherence and timeliness of agreed deliverables.
• Provide clear handover and knowledge transfer so client teams can confidently use the discovery outputs in subsequent procurement and implementation phases.

Requirements:

• Demonstrated specialist experience as a network-security architect delivering SASE, Secure Service Edge, Zero Trust or comparable secure-access transformation in large, complex production environments.
• Strong knowledge of relevant capability domains, such as secure web gateway, cloud access security broker, Zero Trust network access, firewall as a service, SD WAN, identity aware access, segmentation, security telemetry and policy enforcement.
• Proven ability to assess complex current state environments and develop pragmatic, vendor-neutral target architectures, roadmaps and requirements.
• Experience contributing architecture and technical content to procurement activities, such as requirements schedules, evaluation criteria, reference architectures and acceptance conditions.
• Ability to work effectively in a multi provider model, collaborating with a BA or other specialists from a different organisation while maintaining shared outcomes and clear accountability.
• Excellent written, verbal and facilitation skills; able to communicate technical findings, risks and choices in clear language for technical teams, executives and business stakeholders.
• Experience in a large, decentralised, regulated or security-sensitive environment; higher-education experience is desirable.
• Access to relevant specialist reach back capability within the provider organisation, with practical expertise available to support complex architectural questions or assurance activities.

Key Capabilities:

• SASE and Secure Service Edge architecture.
• Zero Trust architecture.
• Network and security architecture.
• Vendor-neutral target architecture development.
• Secure web gateway and cloud access security broker.
• Zero Trust network access and firewall as a service.
• SD WAN, segmentation and identity aware access.
• Security telemetry and policy enforcement.
• Architecture discovery and requirements definition.
• Stakeholder workshop facilitation and knowledge transfer.

Essential Criteria:

• Demonstrated specialist experience as a network-security architect delivering SASE, Secure Service Edge, Zero Trust or comparable secure-access transformation in large, complex production environments.
• Strong knowledge of relevant capability domains, such as secure web gateway, cloud access security broker, Zero Trust network access, firewall as a service, SD WAN, identity aware access, segmentation, security telemetry and policy enforcement.
• Proven ability to assess complex current state environments and develop pragmatic, vendor-neutral target architectures, roadmaps and requirements.
• Experience contributing architecture and technical content to procurement activities, such as requirements schedules, evaluation criteria, reference architectures and acceptance conditions.

Desirable Criteria:

• Access to relevant specialist reach back capability within the provider organisation, with practical expertise available to support complex architectural questions or assurance activities.
• Experience in a large, decentralised, regulated or security-sensitive environment; higher-education experience is desirable.

How to apply:

Please submit your application including your resume and a completed application form addressing the essential and desirable criteria. Ensure your application highlights your experience and any relevant certifications