The Head of Network Infrastructure Operations is responsible for defining and executing the organization's network infrastructure strategy while ensuring operational excellence across all network services.

This role oversees network operations, infrastructure modernization, automation initiatives, security compliance, vendor management, and the delivery of highly available, scalable, and secure network environments aligned with business objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Excellence & NOC Management

Lead and oversee the 24/7 Network Operations Center (NOC) to ensure proactive monitoring and rapid incident response.
Establish, measure, and continuously improve network Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and Service Level Objectives (SLOs).
Manage engineering teams operating in high-pressure, mission-critical environments with strict uptime requirements.
Collaborate with business stakeholders and event organizers to translate operational requirements into technical network solutions.
Lead the response to major incidents and ensure detailed Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and corrective action plans are completed.

Strategic Infrastructure Roadmap

Develop and execute the long-term network infrastructure strategy.
Design and implement scalable enterprise network architectures across LAN, WAN, Data Center, and Cloud environments.
Evaluate and adopt emerging technologies such as SD-WAN, WiFi 6E, and Secure Access Service Edge (SASE).
Lead infrastructure transformation initiatives, including the retirement of legacy platforms and migration to modern network technologies.

Network Automation & Innovation

Drive automation initiatives to reduce manual operational activities and improve efficiency.
Implement CI/CD pipelines and automated change management processes for network operations.
Standardize infrastructure deployment and configuration management using tools such as Ansible, Terraform, and Python.
Promote innovation and continuous improvement across network engineering and operations teams.

Risk Management & Security Compliance

Partner with Information Security teams to implement Zero Trust networking principles and enterprise firewall policies.
Ensure compliance with industry standards and regulatory frameworks including ISO 27001 and SOC 2.
Develop and maintain disaster recovery (DR) strategies and business continuity plans.
Conduct regular testing and validation of recovery procedures and operational resilience capabilities.

Financial & Vendor Management

Own and manage annual network infrastructure CAPEX and OPEX budgets.
Lead negotiations with Internet Service Providers (ISPs), hardware vendors, and managed service providers.
Manage vendor performance and conduct regular business reviews with strategic technology partners.
Ensure investments deliver measurable business value and operational efficiency.

Experience

12–15 years of experience in Network Engineering, including at least 5 years in a senior leadership position.
Proven experience managing large-scale, multi-vendor enterprise network environments including Cisco, Arista, HPE, and related technologies.
Deep expertise in global backbone and enterprise networking technologies, including BGP, MPLS, SD-WAN, and VXLAN.
Strong experience with hybrid cloud connectivity solutions, including Google Cloud Platform (GCP), AWS Direct Connect, and Azure ExpressRoute.
Proven hands-on experience with data center networking technologies, including Cisco ACI, Cisco Nexus Switching, Cisco UCS, and VMware NSX.

Competencies

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field.
Expert-level knowledge of centralized network controllers and software-defined fabrics such as Cisco ACI, VMware NSX, or equivalent technologies.
Deep expertise in enterprise and service provider routing protocols including BGP, OSPF, and EVPN.
Strong understanding of encapsulation and transport technologies such as VXLAN and MPLS.
Proven ability to design and manage virtual overlays, logical network segmentation, and micro-segmentation security policies.
Strong knowledge of network automation and orchestration using Python, Ansible, Terraform, and related technologies.
Advanced expertise in Layer 4–Layer 7 technologies including load balancing, traffic engineering, and Global Server Load Balancing (GSLB).
Expertise in integrating firewalls, IDS/IPS solutions, and Zero Trust security frameworks within enterprise network architectures.
Advanced knowledge of deep packet inspection, flow telemetry, network observability, and proactive performance monitoring.
Ability to optimize latency, throughput, availability, and overall network performance.

Preferred Certifications

Valid CCIE Certification (Mandatory).
CCNP
ITIL Foundation
PMP
Azure Certified Advanced Networking