Director of Networking

Position Summary

The Director of Networking is responsible for the strategic leadership, architecture, engineering, operations, security, and lifecycle management of the organization's global network infrastructure. This role leads a team of network engineers and architects responsible for delivering highly available, scalable, secure, and modern networking solutions that support business objectives across data centers, cloud platforms, branch offices, and remote workforce environments.

The ideal candidate combines strong technical expertise with executive-level leadership experience and a proven ability to drive network transformation initiatives across complex enterprise environments.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and execute the enterprise networking strategy aligned with business objectives.
• Establish network standards, policies, architecture frameworks, and operational procedures.
• Drive modernization initiatives including cloud networking, automation, SD-WAN, and zero trust architectures.
• Provide technology roadmaps and investment recommendations to executive leadership.
• Lead vendor evaluation, selection, and contract negotiations.

Network Architecture & Engineering

• Oversee the design and implementation of:
  • Enterprise LAN/WAN environments
  • Data center networking
  • Cloud networking (AWS, Azure, GCP)
  • Internet connectivity
  • SD-WAN solutions
  • Wireless infrastructure
  • Network security integrations
• Ensure network infrastructure supports scalability, resiliency, performance, and security requirements.
• Review and approve high-level solution designs and architecture standards.

Operations & Service Delivery

• Lead network operations teams responsible for 24x7 support.
• Ensure adherence to service-level agreements (SLAs) and operational excellence standards.
• Establish monitoring, incident response, change management, and problem management processes.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance network performance and reliability.
• Oversee disaster recovery and business continuity planning.

Security & Risk Management

• Partner with Information Security teams to ensure network compliance with corporate and regulatory requirements.
• Support implementation of:
  • Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA)
  • Network Access Control (NAC)
  • Segmentation strategies
  • Secure remote access solutions
  • DDoS mitigation solutions
• Ensure network security controls are maintained and regularly audited.

Leadership & Team Management

• Lead, mentor, and develop network engineering, architecture, and operations staff.
• Establish department goals, performance metrics, and development plans.
• Build and maintain succession planning strategies.
• Foster collaboration across infrastructure, security, cloud, and application teams.
• Manage staffing, budgeting, and resource allocation.

Financial Management

• Develop and manage annual operating and capital budgets.
• Evaluate technology investments and optimize vendor relationships.
• Manage hardware refresh cycles and licensing programs.
• Drive cost optimization initiatives through automation and technology modernization.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, or related field.
• 10+ years of networking experience in enterprise environments.
• 5+ years of leadership experience managing engineering or operations teams.
• Deep expertise in:
  • Enterprise routing and switching
  • Data center networking
  • WAN technologies
  • Cloud networking
  • Network security
  • High-availability architectures
• Experience managing large-scale enterprise network environments supporting multiple locations.
• Strong understanding of infrastructure governance, change management, and ITIL principles.
• Proven success leading infrastructure transformation initiatives.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in a related field.
• CCNP Enterprise, CCIE, or equivalent certifications.
• Cloud certifications (AWS, Azure, or GCP).
• Experience with:
  • Cisco
  • Arista
  • Juniper
  • Palo Alto
  • F5
  • Fortinet
• Experience supporting global enterprise environments.
• Experience implementing automation and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) solutions.

Technical Competencies

Networking

• BGP
• OSPF
• MPLS
• EVPN/VXLAN
• SD-WAN
• DNS/DHCP/IPAM
• IPv4/IPv6

Cloud

• AWS Networking
• Azure Networking
• Hybrid Cloud Connectivity
• Direct Connect / ExpressRoute

Security

• Firewalls
• VPN Technologies
• Zero Trust
• NAC
• Secure Access Service Edge (SASE)
• DDoS Protection

Automation

• Python
• Ansible
• Terraform
• Infrastructure as Code
• API Integrations

Monitoring & Operations

• SolarWinds
• ThousandEyes
• Datadog
• Splunk
• Network Performance Monitoring Tools

Success Measures

• Network availability of 99.99% or higher.
• Successful execution of infrastructure modernization initiatives.
• Reduced incident frequency and resolution times.
• Improved security posture and compliance adherence.
• Increased automation and operational efficiency.
• High employee engagement and team retention.

Typical Background

Candidates often come from roles such as:

• Senior Network Architect
• Network Engineering Manager
• Director of Infrastructure
• Principal Network Engineer
• Director of Network Operations
• Head of Network Engineering

This role is ideal for a leader who can balance executive strategy with technical depth, guiding the organization's networking roadmap while ensuring exceptional operational performance and security.