Network Team Lead

• *Role / Job Summary**

We are looking for a Network Lead to provide senior technical leadership and team management across our networking practice. This is a broad networking leadership role — not limited to any single technology domain — spanning routing and switching, WAN (Wide Area Network) and SD\-WAN (Software\-Defined WAN), data center networking, network security, wireless, cloud networking, and automation. The Network Lead will head a team of engineers (including automation\-focused specialists), own recruitment and technical interviewing, define technical standards and architecture direction, and serve as the senior escalation point and client\-facing authority for all networking matters. The ideal candidate combines deep, hands\-on networking breadth with proven people leadership and delivery ownership.

• *Key Responsibilities**

• Provide senior technical leadership across the full networking stack: routing and switching, WAN/SD\-WAN, data center networking, wireless, network security, and cloud networking (Azure, AWS or equivalent).
• Lead, mentor and manage a multi\-skilled networking team, including automation engineers, owning technical growth, workload allocation and delivery quality.
• Drive end\-to\-end recruitment across networking roles: define role requirements, screen candidates, conduct technical interviews, and make hiring recommendations in partnership with the Practice Head.
• Own network architecture design, review and troubleshooting across enterprise and service\-provider environments, including interoperability with OSPF (Open Shortest Path First) and BGP (Border Gateway Protocol).
• Provide senior\-level oversight of service\-provider routing scenarios covering IP/MPLS (Internet Protocol / Multi\-Protocol Label Switching), BNG (Broadband Network Gateway) and L3VPN (Layer 3 Virtual Private Network).
• Set direction for network automation adoption, guiding and reviewing Python\-based tooling for configuration, testing and operational workflows across the team.
• Own network security posture in collaboration with security teams: firewalls, network access control, segmentation, and zero\-trust architecture principles.
• Oversee test strategy and execution, including traffic validation using industry\-standard test and traffic\-generation platforms, and sign off on test evidence before client delivery.
• Act as the senior escalation point for issues spanning network configuration, automation code, and virtualised infrastructure (for example VMware ESXi).
• Act as the primary client\-facing technical authority for networking: translating client requirements into architecture and delivery plans, managing expectations, and reporting progress and risks.
• Establish and enforce engineering standards for configuration and code quality using Git for version control, and drive delivery tracking through Jira.
• Own technical documentation standards, architecture diagrams, test evidence quality, and knowledge\-transfer material for client and internal stakeholders.
• Drive capacity planning, onboarding, and continuous upskilling of the team across networking domains — not limited to any single technology.
• Contribute to practice\-level initiatives: technology roadmaps, tooling standardisation, and networking capability building.
• *Must\-Have Skills**

• Broad, hands\-on expertise across the full networking domain — routing and switching, WAN/SD\-WAN, data center networking, wireless, and network security — not limited to any single vendor or technology.
• Strong depth in service\-provider and enterprise routing: MPLS (Multi\-Protocol Label Switching), BGP (Border Gateway Protocol), OSPF (Open Shortest Path First) and L3VPN (Layer 3 Virtual Private Network).
• Practical experience with software\-defined WAN (Wide Area Network) technologies — configuration, optimisation and troubleshooting.
• Working knowledge of network security fundamentals: firewalls, access control, segmentation, and secure network design principles.
• Working proficiency in Python for network automation and test automation, sufficient to set direction and review team output.
• Demonstrated experience leading or mentoring technical teams, including workload management and performance oversight.
• Proven experience recruiting and technically interviewing networking engineers across multiple specialisations.
• Working experience with Git for version control and Jira for collaboration and delivery tracking.
• Industry\-recognized networking certifications at associate and professional level as a baseline, with evidence of continued technical currency.
• Excellent client\-facing communication skills with professional English proficiency in a multicultural, delivery\-focused environment.
• *Good\-to\-Have Skills**

• Exposure to cloud networking constructs (virtual networks, VPN gateways, cloud\-native security groups) on Azure, AWS or equivalent.
• Network Services Orchestrator platforms and YANG (Yet Another Next Generation) model\-based service orchestration.
• Test tooling exposure such as industry\-standard traffic\-generation and network testing platforms.
• SDN/NFV (Software\-Defined Networking / Network Functions Virtualisation) virtualisation platforms.
• Expert\-level or equivalent advanced\-tier networking certification.
• Familiarity with CI/CD (Continuous Integration / Continuous Deployment) pipelines and infrastructure\-as\-code practices for network estates.
• Prior experience in a Managed Services or Staff Augmentation delivery model, ideally across multiple client accounts.
• Exposure to zero\-trust architecture and modern network access control frameworks.
• *Experience Required**

12–18 years of overall networking experience across multiple domains (routing/switching, WAN, security, data center or cloud networking), including at least 2 years in Python\-based network or test automation, and a minimum of 4 years in a team lead, technical lead or people\-management capacity — including direct involvement in hiring and interviewing.