Senior Network Engineer

GIG Gulf; United Arab Emirates; On-site; USD 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player seeks a Senior Network Engineer to oversee IT networking and security infrastructure. This role involves hands-on management of complex IP networks, including firewalls, routers, and cloud environments. The ideal candidate will possess strong analytical skills and excellent communication abilities to collaborate across various business units. You'll be responsible for ensuring optimal network performance and security while maintaining comprehensive documentation. Join a diverse and inclusive team dedicated to digital transformation and customer satisfaction, where your expertise will drive significant impact.

Qualifications

• 6+ years experience in IT Data Networking is essential.
• Hands-on with network security technologies and cloud security.

Responsibilities

• Manage IT Data network and Security infrastructure.
• Collaborate with vendors and implement new technologies.

Skills

IT Data Networking

Network Security

Communication Skills

Problem-Solving

Cloud Security

Quality of Service (QoS)

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in IT

Tools

Wireshark

Cisco Meraki

Fortigate

Palo Alto NGFW

F5 Load Balancers

Job description

Who we are:

GIG Gulf is part of the Gulf Insurance Group (GIG), the #1 largest regional composite insurer in the Middle East and North Africa, with presence in 13 markets including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, and Turkey. GIG Group reported consolidated assets of US$ 3.83 billion and $69 million net profit for the year 2023. The majority shareholder of GIG Group is Toronto based Fairfax Financia Holding, a global leader in insurance and reinsurance with a presence in 40 markets.

GIG Gulf is an A rated regional insurer with a top 5 position in each of its markets (UAE, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain). GIG Gulf has been present in the region for over 70 years with a strategic focus on both growth and investments and is a one stop shop offering a wide range of insurance products and services that cater to a broad variety of needs for corporates, SMEs and individual customers throughout UAE, Oman, Bahrain, and Qatar. GIG Gulf also owns a 50% stake in GIG Saudi. Our strategic objectives and guiding principles are focused on Regional Growth, Customer Experience and Digital Transformation.

GIG Gulf has created a diverse and inclusive working environment and culture with a workforce of over 800 employees, with over 60 nationalities, across 15 branches and retail shops region-wide and over 1 million customers. GIG Gulf is a caring partner that encourages customers to achieve their goals and live an inspiring and fulfilling life. We are obsessed with customer feedback and continuously evolving to become the region's digital insurer of reference, committed to running our operations in a responsible, sustainable way.

Job purpose:

Senior Network Engineer will be responsible for management and administration of the IT Networking and Security infrastructure including Firewalls, WAF's, Network Switches, Routers, SD-WAN setup, Internet Leased line's etc.

This role will also be required to manage specific networking and security infrastructure aspects related to the AWS and Azure cloud environments, including the contribution to the technical design decisions related to the on-premise and cloud infrastructure.

The ideal candidate should possess excellent communication skills, ability to take ownership and outstanding analytical skills.

Key Responsibilities:

Technical & Operational responsibilities:

• Responsible for IT Data network & Security infrastructure hands-on administration and management. It will include the following and not limited to the below:
• design, deployment, operation, monitoring, maintenance, and troubleshooting of complex IP networks and interconnected network security technologies.
• Hands-on administration of the overall IT network (LAN/WAN/WiFi/Mobile), network switches, firewalls, intrusion detection/intrusion prevention systems, VPN, application control, anti-SPAM, application load balancing, web application firewall, and endpoint security.
• Ensure that disaster recovery solutions are adequate, in place, maintained, and tested as part of the regular operational life cycle.
• Environments in scope include on-prem datacenters, Cloud(AWS/Azure), Offices and shops.
• Manage incidents, problems, and changes related to the network and security infrastructure. Daily triage, and update/resolution of tickets generated by the IT ticketing system and respond to inbound phone and electronic requests for technical assistance.
• Work collaboratively across a variety of business units to implement new technologies & projects, support existing platforms and requirements, and at times do so after normal business hours or during weekends/public holidays.
• Collaborate with external vendors and service providers to procure, implement, and maintain network and security solutions. Maintain vendor relationships and assist operations with vendor escalation and issue resolution within the agreed SLA's.
• Ensure patching, upgrading and vulnerability management is fully maintained in alignment with regulatory and internal standards and prescribed requirements.
• Strong understanding of common services (web, mail, FTP, DNS, etc.), network vulnerabilities and network attack patterns
• Follow project management methodology and demonstrate best practices in network & security documentation.
• Implement and continuously monitor Quality of Service (QoS) measures to optimize network performance.
• Leverage advanced troubleshooting tools such as Wireshark to diagnose and resolve complex network issues.
• Conduct capacity planning on network infrastructure and recommend enhancements to meet current and future demands.
• Proactively research and evaluate emerging networking technologies and solutions to enhance network performance and security.

Other responsibilities/descriptions:

• Document and maintain comprehensive network documentation including best practices, configuration details, processes, and procedures.
• Participate in internal and external audits related to the area of the role and execute necessary actions as per the timelines.
• Provide after-hours support for the in-scope Infrastructure related emergencies as well occasional weekend maintenance
• Maintain inventory and appropriate asset configuration documentation

Role Requirements:

Essential:

Qualifications & Technical Skills

• Bachelor or Master's degree in an IT related field is a must
• 6 plus years experience in the relevant role, especially in the IT Data Networking domain
• Sound understanding of ITIL processes.
• Hands-on experience preferred of the following technologies specific to the technology/products:
• Network Security: Fortigate, Palo Alto NGFWs, F5 Load Balancers cum Web Application Firewall (including Top 10 OWASP Exploits and Mitigation Techniques).
• Sound knowledge about Micro segmentation concepts.
• Intercommunication/WAN technologies: Hands on with any of the SDWAN products, services (preferably Cisco Meraki).
• Switching and Routing: Adequate hands on with Cisco Nexus Switching, ACI Fabric, OSPF Routing, Static and PBR.
• Cloud security (good to have): AWS & Azure cloud hosting, design, implementation, and maintenance of secure network in the cloud.
• Familiarity with additional network security technologies including IDS/IPS and VPN.
• In-depth understanding of Quality of Service (QoS) mechanisms for network performance optimization.
• Proficiency in using advanced network analysis tools like Wireshark for troubleshooting.

Communication and Soft Skills

• Excellent communication skills in English, both verbal and written
• Effective problem-solving skills
• Active listening and empathy ability to listen and understand users to address their needs
• Team player ability to work with a team and influence a positive collaborative culture
• Ability to prioritize workload appropriately based on the impact to the business
• Demonstrated ability to work independently while efficiently managing multiple engagements simultaneously.

Certifications:

Technical certifications and Training

• Cisco professional-level certifications, such as CCNP, CCIE, CCDP.
• Fortinet NSE3/4 or Palo Alto/F5 Certification (optional)