Network Patching SME

Cognizant; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Cognizant in Canada seeks a Network Patching Tower Lead (Onshore) to own firmware patching and security upgrades across 147,000+ devices, spanning Cisco IOS/IOS-XE, NX-OS, Juniper, and F5 estate. You will coordinate change windows and lead on-site Canada hours with the client NetOps.

The role requires expert Cisco & network redundancy knowledge, managing escalations, and delivering structured patch waves while maintaining compliance, CMDB accuracy, and KPI reporting to the Patch Service Lead.

Qualifications

• CCNP Enterprise or CCNP Data Centre is mandatory.
• ITIL 4 Foundation required.
• CCIE Enterprise or CCIE Data Centre is a strong plus.
• Juniper/JNCIP/JNCIA-Junos and F5-CA are advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Plan and execute IOS/IOS-XE/NX-OS firmware upgrades and security patches for Cisco, Juniper, and F5 devices.
• Design patching sequences leveraging redundancy (HSRP/VRRP, VSS/StackWise) and validate failover.
• Take backups, perform staged upgrades, and verify post-change stability.
• Coordinate maintenance windows with NOC and NetOps; maintain CMDB and asset records.
• Perform RCA for failed upgrades; escalate as needed.
• Track CVE notices and plan upgrade waves; report KPIs to governance leads.

Skills

Cisco IOS

Cisco NX-OS

BGP

OSPF

EIGRP

HSRP/VRRP

VSS/StackWise

MPLS/VPN

Ansible (network modules)

Python (Netmiko/Napalm)

NETCONF/RESTCONF

RANCID/Oxidized

Education

CCNP Enterprise or CCNP Data Centre

ITIL 4 Foundation

CCIE Enterprise or CCIE Data Centre

Tools

Cisco DNA Center

Cisco Prime

TFTP/SCP image transfer

Kron/EEM scheduler

Job description

ROLE SUMMARY

The Network Patching Tower Lead (Onshore) is the primary network interface to client NetOps/L2/L3 during Canada hours. This role owns IOS/IOS-XE/NX-OS firmware patching and security upgrades across a 147,000+ device estate — spanning Cisco core routers, campus and data center switches, Juniper devices, and F5 load balancers. Zero-tolerance for unplanned outages during change windows drives the need for expert-level Cisco expertise and deep understanding of network redundancy patterns.

ROLE IN THE OPERATING MODEL

• Tower/pod lead and SME for Network patching — primary network interface to client NetOps/L2/L3 during Canada hours and weekend windows
• Coordinates change windows with the NOC and client NetOps; owns Network tower compliance reporting
• Operates as network execution layer under client direction; network architecture/design changes remain client L2/L3 owned
• Directs offshore network SMEs during onshore hours; manages escalation within agreed SLTs

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Plan and execute IOS/IOS-XE/NX-OS firmware upgrades and security patches for Cisco, plus Juniper Junos and F5 TMOS devices
• Design patching sequences leveraging redundancy — HSRP/VRRP failovers, VSS/StackWise rolling upgrades, NSF/SSO capabilities
• Take pre-change configuration backups (TFTP/SCP), perform staged upgrades (core → distribution → access), and validate redundancy/failover post-change
• Coordinate maintenance windows with the NOC and client NetOps; align to golden-config standards
• Maintain device EOL/EOS tracking and compliance posture; update CMDB and asset records
• Perform RCA for failed upgrades; execute rollback; escal to L2/L3 NetEng and vendor (via client) as needed
• Track Cisco PSIRT security advisories and Field Notices; prioritise CVE-driven firmware upgrades within wave cycles
• Own Network tower compliance reporting; present KPIs to the Patch Service Lead for governance reviews

TECHNICAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE SCOPE

• Execute IOS/IOS-XE/NX-OS firmware upgrades and Cisco security patches; Juniper Junos and F5 TMOS upgrades
• Design redundancy-aware patching sequences — HSRP/VRRP failover, VSS/StackWise rolling, NSF/SSO validation
• Take config backups (TFTP/SCP); perform staged upgrades (core → distribution → access)
• Validate redundancy, routing protocol convergence, and spanning tree stability post-change
• Maintain EOL/EOS tracking; update CMDB device firmware levels; close vulnerability tickets
• Author RFC/CAB documentation; coordinate maintenance window scheduling with NOC and NetOps
• Track Cisco PSIRT and Field Notices; plan CVE-driven upgrade waves

SKILLS, TOOLS & COMPETENCIES

Primary Skills

Network Platforms: Cisco IOS/IOS-XE · Cisco NX-OS (Nexus) · Cisco ASA/FTD · Juniper Junos · F5 TMOS

Protocols: BGP · OSPF · EIGRP · STP/RSTP/MSTP · HSRP/VRRP · VSS/StackWise · MPLS/VPN

Patching Tools: Cisco DNA Center · Cisco Prime · TFTP/SCP image transfer · Kron/EEM scheduler · Ansible (network modules)

Automation: Ansible (ios_command/nxos_command) · Python (Netmiko/Napalm) · NETCONF/RESTCONF · RANCID/Oxidized

ITSM & Vuln: ServiceNow (Change/CMDB) · BMC Network Discovery · Tenable/Qualys · RFC/CAB · KEDB

Secondary Skills

• Firewall and load-balancer patching — Cisco ASA/FTD upgrade, F5 TMOS upgrade procedures
• SD-WAN awareness and Cisco DevNet automation
• Splunk/Dynatrace for network event correlation

CERTIFICATIONS

Mandatory

• CCNP Enterprise or CCNP Data Centre (mandatory)
• ITIL 4 Foundation

Preferred (one or more)

• CCIE Enterprise or CCIE Data Centre — strong plus
• Juniper JNCIP/JNCIA-Junos
• F5 Certified Administrator (F5-CA / 201) for load-balancer estate
• Cisco DevNet Associate (network automation) — advantageous

NICE TO HAVE

• Experience patching large Cisco estates (50,000+ devices)
• Cisco DNA Centre and SD-Access operational familiarity
• Firewall policy-aware patching — ASA/FTD upgrade experience with rule-set validation

WORK MODEL & COMMITMENT

Hours: Canada business hours + weekend change window coverage

Shift Model: Hybrid onshore; scheduled network maintenance windows

On-Call: Yes — emergency network firmware events and routing outage escalations

Language: English (mandatory)

Compensation:

We are offering between $60,000 – $85,000. Applications will be accepted until Aug 21, 2026.Cognizant will only consider applicants for this position who are legally authorized to work in Canada without requiring employer sponsorship, now or at any time in the future.

Disclaimer

The salary, other compensation, and benefits information is accurate as of the date of this posting. Cognizant reserves the right to modify this information at any time, subject to applicable law.

*Please note, this role is not able to offer visa transfer or sponsorship now or in the future*