Principal Datacenter & Campus Network Engineer

Employer: Safaricom Telecommunication Ethiopia

Employment: Full-Time | Permanent

Place of Work: Addis Ababa, Addis Abeba - Ethiopia

Posted date: 1 day ago

Deadline: March, 06/2025 (6 days left)

Role purpose: Responsible for designing, implementing, and managing complex Data Center and Campus Network infrastructure, ensuring seamless and secure connectivity across the organization, network stability, high performance and leading network projects.

This role requires advanced technical expertise in networking, security, and cloud systems, along with leadership and strategic planning capabilities to support the organization's network infrastructure needs.

Key accountabilities and decision ownership:

Network Design and Architecture: Lead the design and implementation of scalable, reliable, and secure network infrastructure including network upgrades, expansions and new installations. Evaluate and select technologies to meet the needs of the organization while ensuring optimal performance, scalability, redundancy, and security

Network Infrastructure Management and Administration: Oversee the day-to-day operation of the network, including routers, switches, firewalls, load balancers, and entire Data Center and Campus Network. Ensure proper configurations, monitoring, and troubleshooting of network components, while offering continuous improvement to the critical operations.

Produce the teams 24×7 network on-call rotation schedule. Provides day-to-day leadership to ensure a high performance work environment.

Be available 24x7 to resolve any Network issues/escalations as required

Support, Troubleshooting and Problem resolution: Provide out-of-hours support as an escalation point, resolve escalated issues by providing advanced technical support, and utilizing network analysis tools to troubleshoot and lead the resolution of complex network problems.

Documentation & Training: Maintain detailed network documentation, create training materials, and ensure knowledge transfer across teams.Author system configuration documents for on-going reference

Capacity Planning & Optimization: Proactively monitor network capacity and performance, perform growth analysis, and plan for system upgrades to meet future requirements and maintain global security standards. Lead and propose solutions to optimize bandwidth, latency, speed and overall network performance

Leadership & Collaboration: Lead network engineering efforts by providing technical leadership and guidance, mentor junior engineers, and collaborate with internal teams to distill business requirments to technical solutions.

Collaboration and Project Management:Collaborate with cross-functional teams to implement network-related changes and new projects.

Security & Compliance: Recommend and implement network and security solutions, address vulnerabilities and conduct risk assessements ensuring compliance with industry standards regulations and best practices.

Vendor Management: Participate in vendor evaluations, make recommendations for new technologies, and manage relationships with network vendors and service providers. Negotiate contracts, manage warranties and oversee vendor support for network equipment and services

Network Monitoring & Automation: Implement network monitoring tools, perform system analysis, and promote automation to improve efficiency.

Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity: Ensure network infrastructure can recover from disruptions and maintain continuity of critical operations. Lead in the implementation and testing of disaster recovery and BCP for critical network infrastructure

Budgeting & Planning: Prepare budgets(CAPEX and OPEX), timelines, and workflows for network projects and anticipaate future needs.

Incident & Change Management: Oversee network incidents and changes, ensuring proper procedures and documentation are followed. Lead the resolution of critical incidents and collaborate with other teams to identify the root cause

Evaluation & Recommendations: Analyze and recommend network upgrades, new technologies, and performance improvements to enhance overall system efficiency. Review BoQs against designs for the DC Networks solutions.

Strategy: Develop and maintain strategic plans related to areas of areas of responsibility. Evaluate reliability and cost effectiveness of trials/POCs introduced in the network and their ability to keep up with emerging technologies

Research: Research and evaluate new technologies and software products to determine feasibility and desirability of incorporating their capabilities within the company and evolve the network infrastructure. Review End of Support/Sale matters and vulnerability notices, and make recommendations

Design and Solution Reviews: Lead network design reviews and provide quality assurance on all proposed designs within owned and related architectures for quality and adherence to the Architectural Standards. Continous process review and process improvement.

Reporting and presentation: Prepare and coordinate work reports, attend meetings, represent the department/section with other divisions, departments, senior management and vendors on network designs and operations. Develop and make technical presentations, proposals, and recommendations regarding network performance, incidents and improvements to audiences of all levels

Team Task Scheduling: Plan, manage, assign, delegate, control, review, and evaluate the work of staff engaged in the delivery of network infrastructure activities. Objectives setting

Core competencies, knowledge, and experience:

Business Competencies:

·Expertise understanding of Arista and Cisco networks environments.

·Expertise understanding of Router, Switches and NG firewall configuration and troubleshooting skills (Arista, Cisco, FortiGate, Checkpoint and Huawei)

·Expertise understanding of Load Balancer configurations and troubleshooting skills (F5, Radware and Citrix)

·Expert Mastery of IPsec Configuration and Troubleshooting Skills

·Expertise in network design and implementation, including expert knowledge of IP addressing, TCP/IP Protocols, LAN, and WAN configurations.

·Deep knowledge of telephony systems for Voice and Video Communications.

·Deep Data Center Cloud networking experience including NSX-T and hybrid environments (AWS,Azure)

·Expertise in end-to-end network monitoring and management tools

·In-depth experience with Data Center Interconnect solutions

·Expertise in corporate internet edge and DMZ connectivity

·Strategic planning, design, implementation, optimization and support of the Data Center and Campus network.

·In-depth knowledge of running network RFPs to get the best possible solution.

·Proficient in network automation and scripting (e.g., Python, Ansible, or similar tools)

·Knowledge of network management and orchestration tools

·Experience in large-scale Wi-Fi deployment and management

·Understanding of disaster recovery and business continuity planning for network infrastructure

·Experience with SDN (Software-Defined Networking) and NFV (Network Function Virtualization) is preferred

Business Know how

· Ability to multi-task and prioritize multiple objectives and initiatives

· Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to work well with both technical and non-technical teams.

· Skilled in making technical presentations to varied audiences

· Ability to establish credibility and build strong working relationships through technical expertise and effective collaboration.

Project and Program Management

· Skilled in planning, managing, and delegating network infrastructure activities

Functional Competencies:

· Strong organization, time management skills and attention to detail, with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.

· Experience in providing subject matter expertise for Network Infrastructure issues

· Deep technical expertise, leadership abilities, and strong communication skills to effectively manage and optimize network infrastructure while maintaining high levels of performance and security.

· Strong leadership abilities with experience in mentoring and guiding a team

· Excellent problem-solving and troubleshooting skills.

· Effective communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.

Must have technical / professional qualifications:

· Above 7 years’ experience in a busy I.T or Telecommunications environment –Involved in strategy modeling, planning, design, implementation, optimization and support of Datacenter and Campus Networks environment

· Education: Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Technology, or a related field.

· Expertise in end-to-end network support and monitoring

· In-depth experience with Data Center Interconnect solutions

· Expertise in corporate internet edge and DMZ connectivity

· In-depth knowledge of running network RFPs to get the best possible solution.

· CCNP or HCNA Network Certifications and training courses in any line (RS, Security, Wireless, Voice) or Equivalent R/S training and certifications

· Fortinet NSE training, Fortinet certified professional in network security or any Equivalent Firewall training