Senior Network Engineer

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 57 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.