Job Specification: IT Senior Network Engineer

Job Title: Senior Network Engineer

Reporting To: Head of Infrastructure & Networks

Department

Information Technology

Location

Tygerberg Office Park, Uys Krige Drive, Plattekloof, Cape Town, South Africa

(Hybrid/On-site) Non Negotiable 

Role Summary

The Senior Network Engineer is responsible for the design, implementation, and support of complex enterprise network infrastructure across on-premises and cloud environments. This role requires deep expertise in firewalls, switches, VPNs, and network tunneling, as well as advanced knowledge of cloud networking in AWS, Azure, and GCP. The engineer will also lead architectural documentation efforts, mentor junior team members, and drive knowledge transfer across the team.

Key Responsibilities

Network Architecture & Design

• Design and document scalable, secure, and high-performance network architectures (on-prem and cloud)
• Lead network modernization and cloud migration initiatives 

Infrastructure Implementation & Support

• Configure and maintain enterprise firewalls, switches, routers, and VPN appliances
• Manage network tunnels (IPSec, GRE, SSL) and hybrid connectivity (Direct Connect, ExpressRoute, Cloud VPN)

Cloud Networking

• Architect and support VPCs, VNets, subnets, peering, routing, and security groups in AWS, Azure, and GCP
• Implement cloud-native network services (e.g., Transit Gateway, Azure Firewall, GCP Cloud Router)

Security & Compliance

• Enforce network segmentation, access control, and encryption standards
• Support audits and ensure compliance with internal and external security frameworks

Monitoring & Troubleshooting

• Use tools like Wireshark, NetFlow, CloudWatch, Azure Monitor, and GCP Operations Suite for diagnostics
• Lead root cause analysis and resolution of complex network incidents

Documentation & Standards

• Maintain detailed network diagrams, runbooks, and change control documentation
• Define and enforce network engineering standards and best practices 

Mentorship & Leadership

• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior engineers
• Lead knowledge-sharing sessions and contribute to team skill development

Collaboration & Leadership

• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to cross-functional projects.
• Work closely with IT leadership to align infrastructure with business goals.

Personal Attributes

Passionate about innovation and continuous improvement.

Committed to delivering high-quality, cost-effective solutions.

Comfortable working in fast-paced, dynamic environments.

Key Skills & Competencies

Technical Skills

Expert-level knowledge of:

• Firewalls (e.g., Palo Alto, Fortinet, Cisco ASA)
• Switching & Routing (Layer 2/3, VLANs, STP, OSPF, BGP)
• VPNs & Tunnels (IPSec, SSL, GRE, DMVPN)
• Advanced cloud networking experience in AWS, Azure, and GCP
• Proficiency in network automation and scripting (e.g., Python, Terraform, Ansible) is a plus
• Strong documentation and diagramming skills
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and mentoring abilities

Soft Skills

• Team-oriented with strong collaboration skills
• Out-of-the-box thinker and problem solver
• Proactive and self-driven
• Strong analytical and decision-making abilities
• Excellent communication and documentation skills 

Certifications (Preferred)

• Fortigate Network Security Expert (NSE)
• AWS Certified Advanced Networking
• Azure Network Engineer Associate
• Google Cloud Network Engineer

Qualifications

Minimum 5–7 years of experience in enterprise network engineering.

Work Environment:

Hybrid with 4 days onsite / 1 day remote

Participation in on-call / standby rotation and occasional after-hours / overtime work.