About the Role

Cisco is looking for a senior technology leader to help Service Providers across APJ modernise the networks that underpin their businesses.

As a Solutions Development Architect (SDA) within Cisco Customer Experience, you will work with senior technology leaders across telecommunications, service providers and telco-cloud organisations to shape solutions that modernise IP routing, optical transport, automation and network assurance .

You will engage with customers at Senior Director, VP and Technology Director level , understanding their business and technology challenges and translating them into practical transformation and services strategies.

This is a role for someone who can operate at both strategic and technical levels — someone who can have a conversation about network transformation with a CTO or Technology Director, then work with architects and engineers to turn that vision into an achievable solution.

You will work across APJ, with a particular focus on Australia and New Zealand, partnering with Cisco Sales, Service Sales, delivery teams, Systems Integrators and technology partners.

We're interested in people who have operated at a senior level within Service Providers, Telecommunications, Technology Services or large enterprise environments .

What You'll Do:

- Shape customer transformation (entire lifecycle)
- Engage senior technology and network leaders to understand their priorities, challenges and transformation objectives.
- Help customers develop practical roadmaps for modernising their transport networks.
- Connect technology decisions to business outcomes such as cost reduction, network scale, operational efficiency,



reliability and faster service delivery .
- Build trusted relationships and become a strategic technology advisor to Service Provider customers.
- Lead solution strategy
- Shape CX Professional Services solutions across Service Provider Routing, Optical Transport, Routed Optical Networking, Automation and Observability .
- Apply industry best practices and Cisco architectures to solve complex customer challenges.
- Identify opportunities to simplify networks, improve capacity and reduce operational complexity.
- Work with Sales and customers to develop compelling solutions and support RFI/RFP activity.
- Identify opportunities to expand customer adoption and support long-term transformation journeys.
- Bring deep technical expertise

You will bring significant experience in one or more of the following areas:

- Service Provider IP Routing and Core
- IOS XR, Cisco 8000, ASR 9000 or equivalent platforms
- Segment Routing / SRv6 and MPLS
- Routed Optical Networking and IP-over-DWDM
- DWDM / ROADM and coherent optics
- ZR / ZR+ pluggables
- Network automation and programmability
- Network telemetry, observability and assurance
- Closed-loop automation and AI-enabled network operations
- You don't need to be an expert in every technology listed. Deep expertise in one core domain,



combined with a strong understanding of the broader transport ecosystem, is what matters.
- Connect architecture with delivery
- Ensure proposed solutions are practical, commercially viable and deliverable.
- Work closely with CX delivery teams to establish realistic scope, effort, timelines and migration approaches.
- Use your technical and delivery experience to anticipate implementation risks and customer challenges.
- Support the transition from solution design into successful delivery and customer adoption.
- Lead through influence
- Act as a technical advisor and SME across Cisco, customers and partners.
- Mentor and guide architects and engineers.
- Work across Sales, CX, engineering, delivery and partner organisations.
- Bring new ideas around automation, AI and modern network operations to customer and internal conversations.

You will demonstrate:

- Significant experience designing or transforming large-scale service provider or telecommunications networks.
- Deep expertise in IP routing, optical transport or both .
- Experience engaging senior customer stakeholders and translating technical challenges into business outcomes.
- Strong consulting, architecture and solution-development skills.
- Experience working across complex, multi-vendor or multi-country environments.
- The ability to move comfortably between executive conversations, architecture discussions and technical delivery teams .
- A solid interest in automation, observability and the future of AI-enabled network operations.

Certifications

An expert-level networki

📌 Solutions Development Architect (Sydney)
🏢 Cisco Systems
📍 Sydney