Job Summary
We are seeking an experienced People Manager – Network Operations with 10+ years of hands-on networking experience and proven leadership capabilities. The ideal candidate will lead a team of network engineers responsible for managing enterprise LAN/WAN infrastructure while driving operational excellence, employee engagement, technical mentoring, and performance management. This role requires a balance of strong technical expertise and people leadership to ensure high-quality service delivery and continuous team development.
Key Responsibilities
Key Responsibilities
People Leadership, Lead, mentor, and develop a team of network engineers. Conduct regular 1:1 meetings, coaching sessions, and career development discussions. Drive employee engagement initiatives to build a high-performing and motivated team. Manage quarterly and annual performance reviews, goal setting, and performance ratings for direct reports. Identify skill gaps and create development plans to improve technical and leadership capabilities. Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous learning. Support hiring, onboarding, succession planning, and retention of top talent.
Technical Leadership
Provide technical guidance for enterprise LAN/WAN infrastructure. Oversee network implementation, troubleshooting, and operational support. Ensure high availability and performance of routing, switching, wireless, and WAN technologies. Lead major incident management and root cause analysis. Drive network standardization, automation, and process improvements. Collaborate with architecture, security, cloud, and cross-functional teams to deliver business requirements. Ensure adherence to SLA, KPI, compliance, and security standards.
Operational Excellence
Monitor service delivery and operational performance. Review incidents, problems, and change management activities. Drive continual service improvement initiatives. Prepare operational dashboards and present performance metrics to senior leadership. Manage resource planning, shift coverage, and workload distribution.
Product Launch & Documentation
Participate in new product or service launches, providing operational readiness inputs. Develop and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), runbooks, and operational documentation. Ensure smooth transition from engineering teams to operations.
Team & Shift Management
Plan and manage shift schedules for the network operations team to ensure 24x7 support coverage. Support team performance management, appraisals, and development plans. Maintain high team engagement and operational discipline.
Automation & Process Improvement
Identify opportunities for network automation and operational efficiency improvements. Develop scripts or automation workflows to reduce manual intervention and improve response times. Promote automation-first mindset across the operations team.
RCA & Operational Excellence
Conduct detailed Root Cause Analysis (RCA) for major incidents and recurring issues. Create and maintain runbooks and troubleshooting guides. Implement corrective and preventive actions to avoid future incidents.
Client Engagement & Performance Metrics
Track and drive client KPIs, SLAs, and operational metrics. Participate in service review meetings and ensure delivery against contractual obligations. Implement initiatives to improve customer satisfaction and operational performance.
Skill Requirements
Required Technical Skills
Strong knowledge of LAN/WAN technologies. Expertise in Routing & Switching (BGP, OSPF, EIGRP, RIP). VLAN, STP, HSRP, VRRP.
MPLS, SD-WAN, VPN technologies. Cisco Catalyst/Nexus, Juniper, Aruba, or equivalent platforms. Network monitoring and troubleshooting tools. Understanding of DNS, DHCP, TCP/IP, QoS, Wireless networking. ITIL Incident, Change, and Problem Management.
Leadership Skills
Proven experience managing technical teams. Strong coaching and mentoring skills. Performance management including quarterly ratings and feedback. Employee engagement and retention. Stakeholder and customer management. Conflict resolution and decision-making. Excellent communication and presentation skills.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Technology, Electronics, or related field.
10+ years of networking experience with significant hands-on expertise.
3–5+ years of experience managing network engineering teams.
CCNA required; CCNP or equivalent certification preferred.
ITIL Foundation certification is an advantage.
Preferred Experience
Experience supporting enterprise or global network environments.
Exposure to cloud networking (AWS, Azure, GCP).
Experience with network automation using Python, Ansible, or similar tools.
Knowledge of network security technologies including Firewalls, NAC, IDS/IPS, and VPNs.
Key Success Metrics
SLA and KPI achievement. Network availability and operational stability. Employee engagement and retention. Quarterly performance reviews completed on time. Team skill development and certification progress. Reduction in incidents through automation and process improvements. High customer and stakeholder satisfaction.
This role is ideal for a technically strong networking professional who enjoys developing people, driving operational excellence, and leading high-performing infrastructure teams.
Other Requirements
1. ITIL Foundation or Practitioner certification (optional but valuable).
2. Six Sigma Green Belt or Lean certification (optional but valuable).