Five Rivers IT, Inc.

F5 Distributed Cloud (F5XC) is the #1 requirement; we need someone that knows this platform well.

Network Architect – F5 Distributed Cloud / MuleSoft / AWS

Duration: 6 months
Start Window: June or July 2026
Work Location: Onshore or Nearshore
Work Hours: Must support U.S. Eastern Time business hours

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced Network Architect to lead the architecture, design, implementation, testing, and operationalization of a cloud-based global load balancing solution using F5 Distributed Cloud Services within AWS. This role will support a multi-region architecture where application and employee journeys continue without interruption across AWS regions and platform instances.

The primary focus of this engagement is to design and deliver a resilient, secure, and reusable load balancing architecture for MuleSoft APIs that support critical enterprise platforms such as Salesforce, SAP RISE, and Amazon Connect. The solution must provide per-API routing, automated failover, continuous health monitoring, and seamless integration with existing security and operational tooling.

Key Responsibilities

Architecture and Discovery

• Lead discovery sessions and stakeholder workshops with application, infrastructure, cloud, security, and enterprise architecture teams
• Validate functional and non-functional requirements for multi-region API load balancing
• Assess current AWS network architecture, MuleSoft deployment topology, and security/compliance constraints
• Translate business requirements into scalable and supportable technical architecture

Solution Design

• Produce High-Level Design (HLD) and Low-Level Design (LLD) documents
• Define a reference architecture for enterprise reuse across application teams
• Design global and local load balancing patterns using F5 Distributed Cloud Services
• Define per-API routing strategies for active/active and active/passive MuleSoft services
• Design for IP-level health awareness of ingress controller instances within each region
• Ensure the solution supports automated failover without manual reconfiguration of the load balancer
• Incorporate future extensibility so additional APIs and platforms can be onboarded without redesign

Security and Integration

• Preserve and extend current security controls, including:
  • WAF
  • TLS / mTLS
  • identity and policy enforcement
• Integrate with enterprise platforms and tooling, including:
  • AWS
  • CloudFront
  • API Gateway
  • Azure AD
  • CyberArk
  • CloudWatch
  • Splunk
  • ServiceNow for CMDB, catalog, incidents, and alerting workflows

Infrastructure as Code and Deployment

• Define and implement a Terraform-based IaC approach
• Build reusable, modular deployment components with clear separation for non-prod and prod
• Develop implementation plans, configuration standards, and deployment runbooks
• Deploy and configure the F5 Distributed Cloud solution in non-production and production environments

Testing and Operational Readiness

• Lead testing strategy and execution, including:
  • functional testing
  • API routing validation
  • failover and resiliency testing
  • security validation
  • load and performance testing
• Support UAT and production cutover activities
• Develop operational runbooks, SOPs, and support model documentation
• Conduct knowledge transfer sessions for engineering and operations teams
• Support hypercare and transition to internal support teams

Governance and Leadership

• Lead architecture review sessions with enterprise architecture and cybersecurity teams
• Prepare approval artifacts and address design feedback
• Drive delivery as an enterprise-grade reusable service, not a one-off implementation
• Provide strong technical leadership, documentation discipline, and stakeholder communication throughout the engagement

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in network architecture, application delivery, or cloud networking
• Deep hands-on experience with F5 Distributed Cloud Services
• Strong experience with AWS networking and multi-region architecture
• Experience designing global load balancing and local load balancing solutions
• Strong understanding of API traffic management and per-application/per-API routing models
• Experience supporting active/active and active/passive failover architectures
• Expertise in health monitoring, automated failover, and resilient application delivery patterns
• Strong experience with TLS, mTLS, WAF, and security policy continuity
• Hands-on experience with Terraform and reusable Infrastructure as Code design
• Experience integrating enterprise platforms with logging, monitoring, and ITSM tools
• Strong documentation skills, including architecture, design, test, and operational artifacts
• Ability to work across technical and business teams in a consulting-style delivery role

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with MuleSoft, especially MuleSoft APIs and Private Spaces
• Experience with F5 Distributed Cloud in hybrid or multi-cloud enterprise environments
• Familiarity with CloudFront, API Gateway, Splunk, CloudWatch, and ServiceNow
• Experience with Azure AD and CyberArk integration patterns
• Prior experience supporting architecture review boards, cybersecurity review processes, and enterprise governance
• Experience delivering reusable shared services in large enterprise environments

Key Technical Skills

• F5 Distributed Cloud Services
• AWS networking and multi-region design
• Global load balancing and DNS-based traffic management
• API-level routing and traffic steering
• MuleSoft integration architecture
• Health checks and failover design
• WAF, TLS, mTLS, and security controls
• Terraform / IaC
• CloudWatch, Splunk, and monitoring integration
• ServiceNow CMDB, alerting, and service catalog integration
• Enterprise architecture and cybersecurity governance

Deliverables Expected from This Role

• Requirements validation documentation
• Current-state assessment
• Use-case definitions for MuleSoft API routing
• High-Level Design and Low-Level Design
• Reference architecture for reuse
• Security and compliance design artifacts
• Terraform module design and code structure
• Architecture review materials and approvals
• Implementation plan and runbook
• Production-ready configuration documentation
• Test plans and test results
• Operational runbooks and KT materials
• Production deployment and handoff documentation

Success Criteria

The successful consultant will deliver a solution that:

• Routes each MuleSoft API call to the correct healthy and eligible instance or region based on per-API routing rules
• Automatically fails over across regions without manual intervention
• Maintains compatibility with the current MuleSoft operating model
• Preserves existing security and policy controls
• Provides real-time visibility into API health and traffic flows
• Supports future onboarding of additional APIs and platforms through a reusable design model

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a senior architect who combines:

• strong F5 and cloud networking expertise,
• deep experience with secure API traffic management,
• practical AWS and Terraform delivery skills,
• and the ability to lead an enterprise architecture engagement from discovery through production handoff.