Network Operations Center Team Lead

We are seeking an experienced Network Operations Lead to oversee the day-to-day operation, monitoring, support, and continuous improvement of the organization's network infrastructure. This role combines advanced technical expertise with operational leadership, ensuring high availability, performance, security, and reliability of enterprise network services.

The Network Operations Lead will be responsible for leading network operations activities, managing incident and problem resolution, driving operational excellence, supporting infrastructure projects, and mentoring network engineers while ensuring compliance with SLAs and business objectives.

Key Accountabilities and Activities

Network Operations Leadership

• Lead and coordinate daily Network Operations Center (NOC) activities.
• Act as the primary escalation point for complex network incidents and service outages.
• Ensure network availability, performance, and reliability targets are consistently achieved.
• Monitor and report on operational KPIs, SLAs, and service performance metrics.
• Mentor and support network engineers and NOC personnel in troubleshooting and operational best practices.
• Participate in shift planning, workload allocation, and operational governance activities.

Network Infrastructure Management

• Manage enterprise LAN, WAN, WLAN, NAC, and data center network environments.
• Oversee the configuration, implementation, and optimization of network infrastructure.
• Ensure network capacity planning aligns with business growth requirements.
• Lead network upgrades, migrations, and infrastructure enhancement initiatives.
• Support network architecture reviews and recommend improvements.

Incident, Problem & Change Management

• Lead the investigation and resolution of major incidents.
• Conduct root cause analysis (RCA) and implement preventive measures.
• Ensure adherence to change management processes and governance standards.
• Review and approve network changes, maintenance activities, and implementation plans.
• Coordinate maintenance windows and ensure minimal business disruption.

Monitoring & Performance Optimization

• Ensure proactive monitoring of network infrastructure using enterprise monitoring platforms.
• Analyze network performance including availability, utilization, throughput, latency, and capacity.
• Identify recurring issues and implement permanent corrective actions.
• Drive automation initiatives to improve operational efficiency and reduce manual intervention.

Security & Compliance

• Collaborate with cybersecurity teams to implement network security policies and controls.
• Support vulnerability remediation and network hardening initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with organizational security standards and regulatory requirements.
• Participate in security incident investigations affecting network infrastructure.

Documentation & Reporting

• Maintain accurate network diagrams, operational procedures, and technical documentation.
• Produce regular operational reports, incident summaries, and performance dashboards.
• Develop and maintain operational runbooks and escalation procedures.

Stakeholder & Vendor Management

• Coordinate with vendors, service providers, and internal stakeholders for issue resolution and project delivery.
• Manage vendor escalations and support contracts.
• Work closely with infrastructure, systems, security, and application teams to ensure seamless service delivery.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Minimum 7 years of experience in enterprise network operations and infrastructure support.
• Minimum 2 years of experience in a senior network engineering, team lead, or network operations leadership role.
• Experience managing critical enterprise network environments and supporting business-critical services.
• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Network Engineering, or a related field.
• CCNP Enterprise certification is mandatory.
• CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure, CCIE Enterprise Wireless, or equivalent certification is highly desirable.

Technical Skills

• Strong knowledge of BGP, OSPF, EIGRP, MPLS, VRF, VLAN, STP, VTP, HSRP, QoS, and enterprise routing and switching technologies.
• Hands-on experience with Cisco Routers, Switches, Wireless LAN Controllers, Access Points, Cisco ISE, Cisco DNA Center, and SD-WAN solutions.
• Experience with network monitoring and management platforms such as SolarWinds, Cisco DNA Center, Cisco Prime, PRTG, and Wireshark.
• Strong troubleshooting skills across LAN, WAN, WLAN, NAC, and security infrastructure.
• Familiarity with network automation and scripting technologies is advantageous.