Senior Technical Consultant SDN

Ahead; Gurugram District; On-site; INR 4,000,000 - 7,000,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Paid time off

Flexible work arrangements

Learning and development

Wellness programs

Retirement benefits

Inclusive culture

Job summary

AHEAD is seeking a highly skilled SDN Specialist to lead design, deployment, and support of data center networking solutions. You will work with cross-functional teams and clients, delivering workshops and ensuring successful implementations.

The role emphasizes hands-on SDN expertise, with certifications like CCNP/CCIE and extensive experience in ACI, Arista, and VMware NSX. Strong communication and leadership are essential.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of data center experience in enterprise environments.
• Hands-on expertise in Cisco ACI, Arista, or VMware NSX large-scale deployments.
• Extensive ACI (multi-pod multi-site) experience from design to deployment.
• Strong ownership, problem solving, urgency, and proactive mindset.
• CCNP, ACI, or CCIE certification is required.

Responsibilities

• Serve as subject matter expert for software defined technologies.
• Participate in deployment of complex solutions and client workshops.
• Communicate architecture strategy clearly to client leadership.
• Implement design objectives aligned with client business goals.
• Deliver knowledge transfer to client teams for operations.

Skills

Data center experience

Cisco ACI / Arista / NSX

VxLAN design & deployment

CCNP / CCIE certification

VMware NSX design & deployment

Customer workshop delivery

Tools

Cisco ACI

Arista

VMware NSX

Job description

AtAHEAD, we prioritize creating a culture of belonging,where all perspectives and voices are represented, valued, respected, and heard. We create spaces to empower everyone to speak up, make change, and drive the culture at AHEAD.

We are an equal opportunity employer,anddo not discriminatebased onan individual''s race, national origin, color, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, maritalstatus,or any other protected characteristic under applicable law, whether actual or perceived.

We embraceall candidatesthatwillcontribute to the diversification and enrichment of ideas andperspectives atAHEAD.

We are looking for a highly skilled and experienced Software Defined Networking (SDN) Specialist to join our team. The ideal candidate will serve as a subject matter expert in software-defined technologies, with deep hands‑on expertise in Cisco ACI, Arista or Cisco VxLAN, and VMware NSX (V T). This role involves leading the design, deployment, and support of complex data center network solutions while ensuring alignment with business goals and customer success.

The SDN Specialist will work closely with cross-functional teams and clients, participating in architectural discussions, delivering workshops, and ensuring successful implementations. Strong communication, leadership, and problem‑solving skills are essential, as well as a passion for staying current with emerging technologies. A proven track record of executing large‑scale data center projects and holding relevant certifications such as Cisco CCNP/CCIE, ACI, or VMware is highly preferred.

Key Responsibilities

• Service as subject matter expert for software defined technologies
• Possess a strong understanding of Cisco ACI, Cisco or Arista VxLAN, and VMware NSX (V T) technologies
• Participate in the deployment of complex solutions, create written deliverables, and conduct client workshops
• Ability to communicate and execute architecture strategy approach in clear, concise, and understandable terms to client senior management and other client stakeholders
• Ability to implement design architecture objectives that align with client demand business goals
• Receptive listening skills with the ability to present ideas in a clear, concise fashion to technical and non-technical audiences
• Excellent situational leadership and timely decision-making skills
• Passionate about successful customer outcomes
• Ability to work effectively within all levels of an organization (internally externally)
• Ability to work both individually and in a team environment
• Demonstrated ability to deliver multiple IT projects on time and within budget
• Ensure knowledge transfer to relevant client teams for smooth operation of deployed solutions
• Obtain and maintain certifications with associated qualifications

Skills Required

• Minimum 10 years of data center experience in enterprise environments
• Deep hands‑on technical knowledge and expertise in: Cisco, Arista, or VMware NSX large scale data center deployments/migrations
• Extensive experience with ACI (multi-pod multi-site) from design to deployment
• Strong sense of ownership, problem solver, sense of urgency and ability to be proactive in resolving challenges
• Experience with VxLAN design, deployment a plus
• Experience with VMware NSX design, deployment, V to T migration a plus
• Depth of knowledge around underlay, overlay concepts, segmentation strategies, and solution interoperability
• Cisco CCNP, ACI, or CCIE certification required
• VMware or Arista certifications a plus

Why AHEAD:

Through our daily work and internal groups like Moving Women AHEAD and RISE AHEAD, we value and benefit from diversity of people, ideas, experience, and everything in between.

We fuel growth by stacking our office with top-notch technologies in a multi-million-dollar lab, by encouraging cross department training and development, sponsoring certifications and credentials for continued learning.

India Employment Benefits include:

• Comprehensive health insurance coverage for employees, with options to extend coverage to dependents
• Paid time off and company holidays, along with additional leave benefits as per policy
• Flexible work arrangements, supporting work-life balance
• Learning and development opportunities to support continuous growth and upskilling
• Employee wellness initiatives and programs focused on physical and mental well-being
• Retirement and statutory benefits in line with India regulations
• Inclusive and people-first culture, with a strong focus on collaboration and ownership

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.