Solution Architect

Job Description

About AppGate

AppGate secures and protects an organization's most valuable assets with its high performance Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) solution. AppGate is the only direct-routed ZTNA solution built for peak performance, superior protection and seamless interoperability. AppGate safeguards Fortune 500 enterprises worldwide. Learn more at appgate.com. 

About the Role

As an AppGate ZTNA subject matter expert, the Solution Architect (SA) owns the technical engagement and, working from clear and validated client requirements and an end-state vision, is also responsible for designing, deploying, and clearly articulating a solution that fully realizes the customer’s requirements.

The Solution Architect responsibilities include technology whiteboard sessions, solution design and configurations executing proofs of concept (POCs) and customer evaluations. The ideal candidate will have a strong mix of technical skills, business acumen and a strong desire to serve as a trusted customer advocate. The Solution Architect will work closely with internal AppGate Business Units including Professional Services, Customer Success, Support, R&D and Sales teams and strategic partners to propose and implement complex AppGate ZTNA-integrated solutions for customers.  The SA will also work with Product and R&D Teams to help prioritize and define feature enhancements based on customer needs. This will include Production and Partner Demo deployments and Testing platform deployments, on-premises, and on private and public cloud platforms.

The Solution Architect will be part of the pre-sales delivery organization, and will have responsibility for creating, designing and documenting all proposed architectures derived from customer communications and POC work, while working as the primary technical escalation for the post-sale delivery teams during deployments of the AppGate ZTNA solution. As the customer transitions from product delivery to support and lifecycle services the Solution Architect will work with the Customer Success Manager (CSM) as needed to support expansion and retention efforts. In addition, the SA will act as an escalation point for the CSM and support teams to help troubleshoot break/fix issues by acting as a buffer for escalation to developers.

Key Responsibilities

• Designs, delivers, and supports customer deployment projects of AppGate ZTNA solutions.
• Helps drive value and validate the solution to ensure the customer is getting maximum value from the solution.
• Participates in strategic and tactical account planning discussions.
• Helps inspire new AppGate ZTNA product features
• Provides technical support in presentations, customer success and deployment meetings, trade shows, and other forums, including leading in-depth technical requirements sessions.
• Articulates AppGate value proposition relative to competitors during the deployment evaluation process.
• Delivers evaluations and demonstrations on documented technical and business requirements necessary for the customer to make design decisions on proposed solution.
• Develops technical solutions to solve communicated customer use cases.
• Provides technical, design, presentation, and implementation support for new services and upgrades.
• Serves as technical resource to assist and collaborate with the post-sale delivery team to support new customer implementations.
• Responsible for being a technical escalation resource for post-sale delivery team.
• Prepares and presents customer-facing technical presentations regarding AppGate security offerings and customer-specific solutions. 
• Participates in Q&A sessions to help prospective customers validate the value of AppGate ZTNA compared to competitive and legacy products.
• Works with prospective customer's security teams during Red/Purple/Blue team events for AppGate ZTNA security validations.
• Develops strong relationships with customers, engineering and product teams as a trusted advisor facilitating solution improvements.
• Works with Customers, Prospects, and AppGate, Inc. internal Engineering teams to drive new features within the AppGate ZTNA product line.
• Conducts deep dive technical training of AppGate products and solutions for internal and external stakeholders.
• Leads testing and evaluation of new features providing feedback to developers and exposing feature deficiencies ensuring the new feature set is ready for production use.

Required Qualifications

• 5-15 years of experience as a Pre-Sales Solution Architect within the Cybersecurity or Networking space.
• 5-15 years of experience delivering software / network solutions in the Cybersecurity or Networking space.
• Communicates effectively with security, network, and IT operations stakeholders.
• Familiarity with Zero Trust Network concepts and Software Defined Perimeter (desired).
• Familiarity with Single Packet Authorization (desired).
• Familiarity with Identity Platforms, Endpoint Security tools, Compliance and UEBA, SIEM, SOAR, and ITSM.
• Demonstrate Architect level knowledge and experience designing, articulating, and implementing connectivity solutions to public cloud services such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) and IBM Cloud.
• Demonstrate Architect level knowledge and experience designing, articulating, and implementing complex Network integrations and Cybersecurity solutions.
• Familiarity with common virtualization technologies such as VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, Citrix Xen, and Red Hat OpenStack.
• Familiarity with integration of access solutions with IDP (e.g., MS AD, OAuth 2.0, OIDC, LDAP, SAML, Radius) and MFA technology (e.g., TOTP, FIDO, Radius).
• Familiarity with systems integration and workflow automation using REST API, JavaScript, JSON operating within an API-first, Security-as-Code/Everything-as-Code architecture.
• Build and troubleshoot REST API integrations with external systems, including Microsoft Graph API, Service Desk REST APIs (example: ServiceNow), Identity, ITSM, logging, NGFW, and security platforms.
• Direct experience with scripting, including RESTful APIs and JavaScript (desired). Apply strong understanding of RESTful API design and consumption and JSON data models and schema validation.
• Design and implement Infrastructure as Code (IaC) using Terraform and Ansible.
• Implement Configuration as Code (CaC) and GitOps workflows.
• Integrate Zero Trust deployments into CI/CD pipelines aligned with DevSecOps standards.
• Ensure all automations are Version-Controlled, Repeatable, Auditable, API-Driven.
• Familiarity with process frameworks such as MOF, ITIL or ITSM.
• Architect level familiarity with network security solutions such as firewalls/next generation firewalls, network access control and VPNs, Logging / SYSLOG integration, IT Operations, IT Security Operations, SDWAN, WAN, and other Layer3/4 Network technology.
• Familiarity and experience architecting and deploying network systems using the OSI model for Networking.
• Current CCNA, CCNP, CCIE, or equivalent networking certification or experience required.
• Architect level familiarity with IP routing, VPN systems, Encryption using TLS/dTLS/mTLS, SSH, Certificate Signing and Authentication, ARP and Proxy ARP, Network Segmentation / Micro-segmentation, ACLs / FW rulesets.
• Holder of current valid certificate of competency from a major public cloud provider (e.g., AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate).
• Familiarity with authentication protocols & services such as Active Directory, LDAP, Radius, Kerberos, SAML, SSL and authentication mechanisms including Machine certificate-based authentication on Windows and PKI Trust chains, certificate lifecycle, and revocation and tokens.
• Familiarity with encryption standards such as AES, PKI, RSA.
• Experience with compliance engineering in support of frameworks such as SOC 2, ISO 27001, NIST CSF, and PCI-DSS.

Travel

• 25%

AppGate is An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and a federal contractor subject to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 as amended, and their corresponding regulations. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status, age or any other federally protected class.  Further, AppGate is an affirmative action employer committed to taking positive steps to employ, advance in employment and otherwise afford equal employment opportunity to protect veterans and individuals with disabilities.  In furtherance of AppGate’s policy regarding affirmative action and equal employment opportunity, AppGate has developed a written affirmative action program. This program is available for review upon request by any applicant or employee during normal business hours by contacting the company’s EEO Coordinator.