NetSecOps Tech Lead

International Committee of the Red Cross - ICRC; Genf; On-site; CHF 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

The ICRC in Geneva, Switzerland is seeking an experienced NetSecOps Tech Lead to automate, secure and modernize our network and security services across data centers, regional hubs and field delegations. You will champion an open-source‑first approach, implement IaC and GitOps pipelines, secure Kubernetes/OpenShift platforms, and guide cross‑functional teams to deliver auditable, reliable operations.

Strong collaboration and mentoring across Network, Security, Platform and DevOps teams is

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering or related field.
• 10+ years in network, DevOps, platform, SRE or security engineering roles, incl. lead/senior IC.
• Agile delivery experience; SAFe certification preferred.
• Experience with Kubernetes, Fortinet and security engineering.
• Experience in international, multicultural environment is a plus.
• Excellent written and spoken English; French is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Own network and security automation strategy using IaC and GitOps across firewall, ZTNA, SD-WAN, DNS/IPAM and load balancing.
• Operate open-source network and security solutions and advise on build-versus-buy and total cost of ownership.
• Secure and automate networking for Kubernetes and container platforms, incl. policy and micro-segmentation.
• Build network-as-code foundations with data models and API-driven integrations.
• Embed security into automation with policy-as-code, scanning and PKI integration.
• Provide observability with open-source telemetry and dashboards for networks and security.
• Lead AI-assisted operations with safe, auditable processes and human-approved changes.
• Collaborate across Network, Security, Platform and DevOps; mentor engineers and set standards.
• Govern open-source use and ensure license compliance.

Skills

IaC automation

Terraform

Ansible

Python

GitOps

Kubernetes

Network security

DevSecOps

Open-source engineering

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Computer Science or related field

Tools

OpenShift

Fortinet

Azure DevOps

OPNsense

Job description

About The ICRC

Since 1863, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has worked to preserve human dignity and relieve suffering caused by war and armed violence.

Purpose of the Role

The ICRC is seeking an experienced NetSecOps Tech Lead to automate, secure and modernize the network and network security services that connect ICRC data centers, regional hubs and field delegations, in support of the ICRC’s mandate of protecting and assisting victims of armed conflict and other situations of violence.

The NetSecOps Tech Lead brings an open-source-first engineering approach to Technology Foundations, covering Infrastructure as Code, GitOps, Kubernetes-based platforms and AI-assisted operations. They are the technical reference for automation and open-source adoption on network and security topics, set engineering standards, and act as the bridge between network engineering, DevOps, security and operations.

Main Duties & Responsibilities

• Own the network and security automation strategy: Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, Ansible) and GitOps workflows covering firewall, ZTNA, SD-WAN, DNS/IPAM and load-balancing configuration, delivered through peer-reviewed, tested and auditable pipelines on Azure DevOps (validation, drift detection, rollback).
• Adopt and operate open-source network and security solutions (e.g. OPNsense) where they are a sound alternative or complement to proprietary products, and provide build-versus-buy, risk and total-cost-of-ownership input to the Network team and the architects.
• Secure and automate networking for Kubernetes and container platforms (including OpenShift): CNI selection and policy, network policies and micro-segmentation, ingress/egress control, service connectivity and certificate lifecycle.
• Build network-as-code foundations: a network source of truth, configuration generation from data models, API-driven integrations with network and security platforms, and pre-production validation.
• Embed security into automation (DevSecOps for network code): policy-as-code, IaC and container scanning, secrets and PKI integration with OpenBao, and SBOM and CVE triage for the open-source components in use.
• Provide observability for network and security services: open-source telemetry and monitoring (e.g. Grafana), alerting integration and actionable dashboards for the Network and Security teams.
• Introduce AI-assisted operations responsibly: LLM-based assistants and agents for configuration review, change-impact analysis, log triage and runbook generation, with human approval of changes, full traceability and strict handling of sensitive data in line with ICRC AI and data-protection policies.
• Act as the bridge between the Network, Security, Platform and DevOps teams: contribute to design reviews, translate operational needs into reusable automation modules, and provide third-level expertise during business hours. Out-of-hours incidents are escalated to the Network team; this role has no on-call rota.
• Govern open-source use: ensure license compliance, an upstream-first approach and minimal internal forks, in alignment with the ICRC OSPO on governance and contribution policy.
• Set standards and mentor: define coding, testing and documentation standards for network and security automation, coach engineers, and enable ICT colleagues, including field ICT teams, to use centrally managed automation.
• Collaborate with security and compliance teams to ensure all configurations and toolchains meet ICRC data-protection policies, audit requirements and relevant regulatory frameworks, with particular attention to services supporting the Protection programs.

Education & Professional Background

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering or a related field.
• 10+ years in network, DevOps, platform, SRE or security engineering roles, including at least 3 years in a lead or senior individual-contributor capacity.
• Agile delivery experience; SAFe certification preferred.
• Relevant technical certifications (e.g. Kubernetes, Fortinet) are a plus, not a requirement.
• Experience in a complex and diverse international, multicultural environment is a plus.
• Excellent written and spoken English is a must; French is a plus.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong hands‑on automation and IaC experience: Ansible, Terraform, Python, Git-based workflows and CI/CD pipelines (Azure DevOps).
• Proven open-source engineering practice: experience deploying, patching and upgrading open-source components in production, understanding of licensing and supply‑chain risks, and experience following or contributing to community projects.
• Knowledge of Kubernetes and Linux administration, with an understanding of container security and cluster networking.
• Solid networking foundations: TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, BGP, OSPF, VLAN/VXLAN, NAT, VPN, TLS and PKI.
• Network security knowledge: firewall policy design, segmentation, zero‑trust principles, IDS/IPS and hardening best practices.
• Demonstrated practical use of AI and LLM tools in engineering work, with awareness of their risks (data leakage, hallucination, prompt injection).

Technical Skills (nice To Have)

• Experience with Fortinet, SD‑WAN or ZTNA implementations.
• Experience with OpenBao and GitOps tooling.
• Experience with network source‑of‑truth and network testing tools.
• Contributions to open‑source projects.
• Experience with MCP or agent‑based tooling for operations.
• Knowledge of ITIL practices and incident management frameworks.

Non-technical Skills

• Strong analytical, problem‑solving and communication skills.
• Knowledge of data privacy regulations.

Additional Information

• Location: Geneva, Switzerland
• Type of Contract: Open-ended
• Length of Assignment: Long term assignment
• Activity Rate: 100%
• Start date: January 2027
• Application deadline: Thursday, 19 November 2026

Please note that the finalization of this recruitment is subject to the validation of the 2027 PfR.

The ICRC values diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive working environment. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates.

Our Values

At the ICRC, we value impact, collaboration, respect, and compassion. We seek candidates who demonstrate behaviors based on these shared values. For more information on the ICRC values, please visit this page.