Principal Network DevOps Engineer

Job summary

Provides technical leadership for an enterprise network vulnerability management and hardening uplift, combining large-scale networking expertise with automation, secure engineering, and Network DevOps practices. The role guides network architecture, develops Python and Ansible automation and Git/CI/CD workflows, leads vulnerability remediation and patch validation, and mentors engineers while coordinating with cybersecurity, architecture, operations, project teams, and vendors.

Benefits

Qualifications

• Extensive experience designing, engineering, and supporting large-scale enterprise network environments.
• Strong expertise in routing and switching, BGP, WAN/SD-WAN, data centre networking, firewalls, load balancing, and network security.
• Experience providing technical leadership to senior engineers and engineering teams.
• Strong experience in network automation and Network DevOps using Python, Ansible, REST APIs, and infrastructure or network-as-code approaches.
• Practical experience with Git and CI/CD, including peer review, automated testing, deployment controls, and rollback.
• Experience with network management, security, or automation platforms such as Cisco Catalyst Center, Cisco FMC, and F5 BIG-IQ, or equivalent technologies.
• Experience with vulnerability remediation, security patching, infrastructure hardening, and configuration compliance.
• Strong architecture and solution design skills, including assessment of technical options, risks, dependencies, and operational impacts.
• Experience establishing engineering standards, technical governance, and design assurance.
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills in complex production environments.
• Experience mentoring engineers and building sustainable engineering capability.
• Strong stakeholder management and ability to communicate complex technical issues as clear recommendations and decisions.
• Ability to collaborate across network services, cybersecurity, architecture, operations, project teams, and vendors.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical direction to Network DevOps Engineers across network engineering, automation, and security uplift activities.
• Lead architecture and engineering decisions across enterprise networking environments, including routing, switching, WAN/SD-WAN, data centres, firewalls, and load balancing.
• Establish Network as Code and DevOps practices using Git, CI/CD, peer review, automated testing, and controlled deployment.
• Lead network automation using Python, Ansible, APIs, and platform-native capabilities.
• Lead vulnerability remediation, patching, hardening, and configuration compliance.
• Develop repeatable pre-change and post-patch validation to protect network availability and resilience.
• Establish engineering standards, reusable automation patterns, design principles, and technical governance.
• Assess automation and orchestration opportunities and lead proofs of concept where appropriate.
• Coordinate with cybersecurity, architecture, and operations teams on technical risks, vulnerabilities, exceptions, and remediation dependencies.
• Provide technical leadership during complex incidents and critical or zero-day vulnerability responses.
• Mentor engineers and develop sustainable engineering capability.
• Ensure new engineering capabilities are supportable and transition effectively into business-as-usual operations.

Skills

Industry

Contract length

Relocation