Job description

Job Type: Full-Time | Location: Dallas/Fort-Worth | Department: Network | Reporting to: Associate Director, Network | Work Location Type: #onsite

The Global WAN Architect is the primary owner for global WAN, fibre, and ISP connectivity delivery across current and future AI/HPC infrastructure deployments. The Global WAN Connectivity Lead is responsible for ensuring every site is delivered with sufficient bandwidth capacity, carrier diversity, resiliency, and operational readiness to support large-scale GPU and high-performance compute environments.

The role has a singular operational focus: bandwidth delivery and connectivity readiness. You will relentlessly drive ISPs, carriers, dark fibre providers, colocation partners, and telecommunications vendors to accelerate fibre installs, circuit turn-ups, capacity upgrades, route diversity, and remediation activities across rapidly scaling infrastructure deployments.

This is an execution-heavy leadership role operating at the intersection of network engineering, carrier operations, deployment coordination, and infrastructure delivery. The successful candidate will own connectivity timelines end-to-end, aggressively escalate blockers, and ensure WAN infrastructure is operationally resilient before customer and infrastructure go-live events.

This is not a passive vendor management role. It requires a technically credible operator with deep experience in carrier delivery, WAN infrastructure, fibre deployment, and escalation management within high-availability environments.

The role reports to the Associate Director - Network Engineering and partners closely with Infrastructure Deployment, Procurement, Site Operations, Systems Engineering, and external carrier organizations.

Job requirements

• 8+ years of experience in WAN infrastructure, fibre deployment, telecommunications delivery, carrier operations, or large-scale network connectivity roles.
• Strong understanding of WAN architecture, fibre infrastructure, carrier provisioning processes, route diversity, colocation networking, and high-capacity connectivity environments.
• Proven experience managing ISPs, telecommunications providers, dark fibre operators, or carrier delivery programs within mission-critical infrastructure environments.
• Demonstrated ability to aggressively manage escalations, drive provider accountability, and remove delivery blockers under high-pressure timelines.
• Experience coordinating connectivity deployments across data centers, AI/HPC environments, enterprise infrastructure, or hyperscale deployments.
• Strong operational understanding of resiliency design, failover planning, bandwidth scaling, and high-availability network infrastructure.
• Familiarity with long-haul transport, DWDM, IX connectivity, backbone infrastructure, and carrier interconnection models is highly desirable.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and cross-functional stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to operate effectively across engineering, procurement, deployment, operations, and vendor organizations.
• Strong organizational and execution capabilities with the ability to manage multiple concurrent deployment programs globally.
• Experience supporting GPU compute, AI infrastructure, HPC, or hyperscale infrastructure environments is preferred.
• Highly execution-oriented with strong ownership mentality, urgency, and operational discipline.

Job responsibilities

Global WAN & connectivity ownership

• Own end-to-end WAN, fibre, ISP, and carrier connectivity delivery across all existing and future infrastructure sites.
• Maintain accountability for bandwidth readiness, route diversity, resiliency, redundancy, and carrier delivery timelines across deployments.
• Develop and maintain WAN connectivity roadmaps aligned to AI/HPC infrastructure growth and customer deployment schedules.
• Ensure all sites are provisioned with scalable and resilient connectivity architectures capable of supporting high-density GPU compute environments.
• Drive continuous improvement of global connectivity standards, operational readiness, and deployment execution processes.

Carrier & ISP escalation management

• Act as the primary escalation owner for all ISP, carrier, fibre provider, and telecommunications delivery issues.
• Relentlessly drive providers to accelerate installs, upgrades, cross-connects, provisioning, and remediation activities.
• Coordinate daily with carriers, dark fibre operators, colocation providers, and field delivery teams to remove deployment blockers.
• Escalate aggressively through operational and executive channels to maintain delivery schedules and bandwidth readiness targets.
• Build strong working relationships with carrier account teams, service delivery managers, field operations groups, and executive escalation contacts.

Deployment execution & operational readiness

• Partner with Network Engineering, Infrastructure Deployment, Site Operations, and Procurement teams to align WAN delivery with infrastructure readiness milestones.
• Coordinate fibre turn-ups, circuit acceptance, failover testing, route validation, and operational readiness activities.
• Maintain detailed visibility into all active connectivity deployments, dependencies, delivery risks, and critical path milestones.
• Ensure route diversity and redundancy standards are implemented consistently across all production infrastructure locations.
• Support rapid deployment execution across new data center builds, expansion sites, and high-growth AI infrastructure programs.

Resiliency, capacity & risk management

• Identify and mitigate risks related to insufficient bandwidth, delayed carrier delivery, single-provider exposure, or operational fragility.
• Drive implementation of diverse fibre paths, backup connectivity strategies, and resilient WAN architectures across all critical infrastructure sites.
• Coordinate outage escalations, carrier restoration activities, and operational recovery efforts during connectivity incidents.
• Forecast bandwidth growth requirements and ensure carrier capacity planning aligns with future infrastructure scaling demands.
• Improve operational resiliency and reduce customer-impacting connectivity risks across the global infrastructure footprint.

Process improvement & governance

• Establish standardized processes for WAN deployment tracking, carrier escalation management, connectivity acceptance, and operational reporting.
• Lead or co-lead procurement activities for WAN circuits, dark fibre agreements, colocation cross-connects, and capacity contracts in partnership with the Procurement team.
• Develop dashboards and reporting mechanisms for install progress, provider performance, SLA adherence, and deployment readiness.
• Improve forecasting, long-lead tracking, and operational planning processes for connectivity infrastructure.
• Contribute technical input into carrier strategy, connectivity procurement, and infrastructure expansion planning initiatives.
• Drive accountability frameworks and governance processes across internal teams and external providers.

Other important requirements

• Pre-employment screening, including background check and substance testing may be required according to company policies.
• Must be able to reliably commute to the work site daily or have plans to relocate before starting work.

Job benefits

At IREN, we offer a highly competitive compensation package that includes base salary, annual performance incentives, and opportunities to build long-term wealth through equity programs. These offerings are part of our broader total rewards package , thoughtfully designed to support your health, well-being, and long-term success.

Compensation

• Total Compensation package may be inclusive of annual incentive bonus, equity (long-term incentive).
• Relocation or Living-out-allowance / per diem (as appliable and based on successful candidate circumstances)

Health & Wellness

• 100% company paidhealth insurance premiums(medical, dental, and vision)for employees, 75% company paid coverage for dependents
• Company-paidshort-term and long-term disability insurance
• Voluntary life, critical illness, and accident coverage available
• Health Savings Accounts (HSA) - when combined with the High Deductible Health Plan
• Employee Assistance Program and wellness resources

Retirement & Financial Wealth

• 401(k) retirement plan with company match
• Access to financialplanning and legalservices

Time Off & Leave Programs

• Paid Time Off (PTO) and paid holidays

Growth & Development

• Internal skills training and advancement pathways
• Professional development to support certifications, continuing education, or role related training

Community & Culture

• Company events and team-building activities

We value diverse perspectives and believe that skills can be developed. If you're passionate about this role, we want to hear from you - whether you meet every criteria or not. Your unique experiences might be exactly what we need!