Network Architect

<p><strong>Role Summary</strong></p> <p>Firmus is seeking a skilled Network Architect / Senior Network Architect to join our Engineering and Technology team. The ideal candidate will play a crucial role in leading the design and deployment of both our physical network infrastructure and network architecture for our AI infrastructure projects.</p> <p>This role offers an exciting opportunity to work at the forefront of AI networking technology and contribute to the growth of Firmus’ AI infrastructure capabilities. Deep hands-on experience with network hardware is required, particularly with fibre optic systems. Also necessary to succeed in the role is a strong architectural mindset to guide the evolution of scalable, secure and high-performance networks for AI.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Key Responsibilities</strong></p> <p>Network Architecture &amp; Design</p> <ul> <li>Architect and maintain low-latency, high-throughput interconnects (e.g. InfiniBand 100/200/400/800GbE) for HPC and AI workloads.</li> <li>Collaborate with other network engineers and cross-functional teams to develop network infrastructure roadmaps, aligned with business and technical strategy.</li> <li>Lead the design of our layer 1/2/3 network infrastructure in our data centre deployments, our AI Factories, and the cluster interconnects with considerations for redundancy, scalability, and performance.</li> <li>Evaluate new technologies, architectures, and design patterns to improve network performance and efficiency.</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Network Hardware &amp; Physical Infrastructure</p> <ul> <li>Lead the design, configuration, and deployment of highly scalable physical networks optimised for AI workloads.</li> <li>Oversee the planning and implementation of fibre optic cabling systems (single-mode &amp; multi-mode), including backbone connections, patch panels, and structured cabling.</li> <li>Plan the capacity and integration of optical technologies (DWDM, CWDM) and long-haul fibre for intersite connectivity.</li> <li>Ensure physical infrastructure aligns with architectural standards and supports scalability, availability, and security goals.</li> <li>Create and maintain accurate and up-to-date documentation of network architecture, hardware and cabling.</li> <li>Work closely with other engineering disciplines to coordinate the network infrastructure with other services (e.g. mechanical, electrical, security etc.) within the data centre.</li> <li>Participate in the operations standby roster and on-call support from time to time.</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Network Security and Policy</p> <ul> <li>Plan and implement firewall and security devices. Apply firewall rules, VLAN segmentation, ACLs adhering to zero-trust principles to safeguard internal and external communications.</li> <li>Collaborate with SMC Security and Risk team to enforce policies and respond to security incidents.</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Operation Support</p> <ul> <li>Respond and resolve escalate network issues, outages and performance degradations across the SMC Corporate and Compute network infrastructure.</li> <li>Analyze logs, run diagnostics and coordinate with vendors, carriers as needed.</li> <li>Work with internal observability team to setup and maintain monitoring tools to proactively identify bottlenecks, errors and abnormal behaviours.</li> <li>Analyze trends for bandwidth, hardware utilization, and growth to inform scaling and make recommendation to procurement decisions.</li> <li>Design and rest redundant paths, failover mechanisms and DR playbooks to ensure uninterrupted connectivity during outages or maintenance.</li> <li>Participate in operation standby roster and on-call for time to time.</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Project Management</p> <ul> <li>Support the deployment team with defining project timelines and resource allocation for the network portion of AI cluster installations.</li> <li>Create Bill of Materials and develop budgets for network deployments.</li> <li>Coordinate with cross-functional teams to ensure successful project delivery.</li> <li>Technology Expertise</li> <li>Maintain and expand expertise in physical network hardware and advanced networking technologies, including: <ul> <li>Optical Transport Network</li> <li>NVIDIA InfiniBand</li> <li>Spectrum Ethernet Platform</li> <li>RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCE)</li> </ul> </li> <li>Familiarity with open-source network operating systems such as Cumulus Linux and Sonic.</li> <li>Provide technical support and troubleshooting for advanced networking technologies, escalating to vendors as needed.</li> <li>Mentor junior network engineers, assisting with their technical development.</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Stakeholder Management &amp; Collaboration</p> <ul> <li>Work closely with both Firmus Engineering and Commissioning teams to align network infrastructure with customers’ requirements.</li> <li>Facilitate knowledge sharing and communication between teams and create and maintain comprehensive technical documentation.</li> <li>Maintain and build strong relationships with key technology partners and vendors and proactively manage and coordinate partner engagement on site.</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Skills &amp; Experience</strong></p> <ul> <li>Bachelor’s degree in Network Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field.</li> <li>5+ years of experience in network engineering, with a focus on AI infrastructure.</li> <li>Strong project management skills and experience leading complex technical projects.</li> <li>Solid understanding of advanced networking technologies, particularly those related to AI.</li> <li>Hands-on experience with NVIDIA InfiniBand, Spectrum Ethernet Platform, and RoCE.</li> <li>Strong experience with network cabling systems, both fibre optic and copper.</li> <li>Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.</li> <li>Ability to work independently and as part of a team.</li> <li>Strong communication skills, both written and verbal.</li> <li>Willingness to travel domestically and internationally for on-site deployments and commissioning as required.</li> </ul> <p><em>&nbsp;</em></p> <p><strong>Key Competencies</strong></p> <ul> <li>AI/HPC network architecture (InfiniBand, 100–800GbE)</li> <li>L1/L2/L3 data centre and cluster design</li> <li>Fibre &amp; optical infrastructure (SM/MM, DWDM/CWDM)</li> <li>Advanced networking tech (RoCE, Spectrum, Cumulus/SONiC)</li> <li>Network security, resilience &amp; DR</li> <li>Incident response, monitoring &amp; capacity planning</li> <li>Project delivery, BoMs &amp; vendor management</li> <li>Clear communication and team mentoring</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Success Metrics</strong></p> <ul> <li>Networks meet latency, throughput &amp; scalability targets</li> <li>AI cluster deployments delivered on time and within budget</li> <li>High availability with minimal unplanned outages</li> <li>Fast incident resolution and proactive risk identification</li> <li>Accurate, current network documentation</li> <li>Strong stakeholder and vendor feedback</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Location &amp; Reporting</strong></p> <ul> <li>Singapore</li> <li>Reporting to Senior Manager, Networking</li> </ul> <p><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p> <p><strong>Employment Basis</strong></p> <p>Full-time</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Diversity</strong></p> <p>At Firmus, we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. We encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds who are passionate about creating a more sustainable future through innovative engineering solutions.</p> <p>Join us in our mission to revolutionize the AI industry through sustainable practices and cutting-edge engineering. Apply now to be part of shaping the future of sustainable AI infrastructure.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>