Network SME / Technical Project Manager

Randstad; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 2,500,000 - 4,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Randstad is seeking a highly skilled Network SME / Technical Project Manager to lead the architecture, delivery, and lifecycle management of our enterprise network infrastructure.

This dual-role bridges technical strategy with execution, acting as the authority on complex network designs and driving transformations from initiation to deployment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience in CS/IT/Network Eng.
• 7+ years as Network Engineer/Architect in enterprise settings.
• 7+ years managing technical network projects or leading eng teams.
• Experience delivering large-scale network migrations or SD-WAN deployments.

Responsibilities

• Lead architecture, delivery, and lifecycle management of enterprise network infrastructure.
• Act as primary technical authority on WAN/LAN, SD-WAN, cloud connectivity and security.
• Drive network transformation projects from initiation through deployment.
• Mentor Tier-1/Tier-2 engineers and deliver knowledge-transfer sessions.
• Ensure designs meet quality standards and pass UAT.

Skills

Network design & architecture

Project leadership

Vendor management

Troubleshooting

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science / IT / Network Engineering

Tools

BGP/OSPF

SD-WAN

Firewalls (Palo Alto, Fortinet, Cisco)

Cloud connectivity (AWS DirectConnect, Azure ExpressRoute)

IaC (Python, Ansible, Terraform)

Job description

Role & responsibilities

We are seeking a highly skilled Network Subject Matter Expert (SME) / Technical Project Manager to lead the architecture, delivery, and lifecycle management of our enterprise network infrastructure.

In this dual-focus role, you will bridge the gap between technical strategy and execution. You will act as the primary technical authority on complex network designs (WAN/LAN, SD-WAN, Cloud Connectivity, Security) while driving network transformation projects from initiation through deployment.

• Serve as the primary technical authority for network architecture, routing protocols (BGP, OSPF), SD-WAN, firewalls (Palo Alto, Fortinet, Cisco), and hybrid cloud networking (AWS DirectConnect / Azure ExpressRoute).
• Design high-availability, scalable network blueprints for data centers, branch offices, and cloud environments.
• Perform high-level escalated troubleshooting (L3/L4) for complex network outages and performance bottlenecks.
• Evaluate emerging network technologies and conduct Proof of Concepts (PoCs) to modernize infrastructure.
• Act as the final technical sign-off authority for High-Level Designs (HLDs), Low-Level Designs (LLDs), and network migration runbooks.
• Establish network standard operating procedures (SOPs), golden configuration templates, and operational reference architectures.
• Drive Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) initiatives to automate routine network deployments and compliance audits using Python, Ansible, or Terraform.
• Review technical proposals, vendor RFPs, and architectural changes submitted by external partners or internal engineering teams
• Provide technical advisory services to software development, DevOps, and business unit leaders for network-dependent initiatives.
• Mentor Tier-1/Tier-2 network engineers and deliver knowledge-transfer sessions to operations teams.

Project & Delivery Management

• Lead end-to-end network projects including migrations, data center expansions, SD-WAN rollouts, and hardware refreshes.
• Define project scope, deliverables, work breakdown structures (WBS), and key milestones.
• Manage project budgets, hardware procurement timelines, and third-party telecom/ISP vendors.
• Proactively identify technical risks, dependency conflicts, and change management risks; develop clear mitigation strategies.
• Lead cross-functional alignment between network engineers, cybersecurity, cloud team, and business stakeholders.
• Track project performance against baselines using Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Earned Value Management (EVM) techniques.
• Manage day-to-day operational aspects of network projects, ensuring tasks are completed on schedule and technical dependencies are resolved.
• Proactively identify, analyze, and log project risks, developing robust mitigation and contingency plans.
• Manage change requests (Scope, Schedule, Budget) through formal Change Control processes to prevent scope creep.
• Facilitate technical risk assessments with engineering teams regarding maintenance windows, planned downtime, and business continuity impacts.
• Ensure all technical deliverables meet quality standards, pass User Acceptance Testing (UAT), and successfully transition to IT Operations.
• Facilitate formal project sign-off and post-implementation reviews (Lessons Learned / Retrospectives).
• Guarantee complete project documentation, including network diagrams, runbooks, inventory records, and support handoffs.

Qualifications & Requirements

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelors Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Network Engineering, or related field (or equivalent practical experience).
• 7+ years of hands-on experience as a Network Engineer / Architect in enterprise environments.
• 7+ years of experience successfully managing technical network projects or leading engineering teams.
• Proven experience delivering large-scale network migrations, SD-WAN deployments, or data center builds.

Preferred candidate profile