Associate Director, Americas Network Lead - #21430

SKG Consulting; New Jersey; Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading consulting firm in the Americas is seeking an Associate Director, Americas Network Lead to oversee network infrastructure operations. You will lead the integration of SD-WAN and cloud solutions, ensure network performance, and manage vendor partnerships. A successful candidate will have over 10 years of experience in network engineering, a Bachelor’s degree, and strong leadership capabilities. This role demands a focus on operational excellence and adherence to security standards. Competitive compensation package offered.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience leading network engineering and operations teams in a complex, multi-site enterprise environment.
• Deep expertise in SD-WAN, LAN/WAN, Wi-Fi, and cloud networking.
• Strong understanding of network security and cybersecurity integration.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day operations of the network environment and manage vendor relationships.
• Ensure high availability, reliability, and performance of critical network services.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives and reduce repetitive incidents through root cause analysis.

Skills

Leadership skills

Troubleshooting

Network security

Stakeholder communication

Vendor management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in IT, Computer Science, or related discipline

Tools

Zscaler

AWS

Azure

SolarWinds

Job description

Job Summary

The Associate Director, Americas Network Lead will be responsible for end‑to‑end leadership of network infrastructure operations across all sites in the Americas region. This will include ownership of the company’s hybrid network ecosystem, encompassing SD‑WAN, campus/LAN networks, wireless, cloud connectivity, remote access solutions, Zscaler (ZIA/ZPA), global firewall standards, DNS/DHCP/IPAM, IDS/IPS, NAC, NDR and secure internet egress infrastructure.Reporting to the Americas Infrastructure Lead & Global Network Lead, this role will ensure high availability, reliability, and optimization of the network and adjacent infrastructure components that support business‑critical operations. The individual will collaborate with U.S. Regional Leads, Global Functional Lead, Global Infrastructure teams, IT Security, and site leadership to align operations with defined network standards, global architectures, Zero Trust principles, and compliance frameworks.The role will include oversight of onsite infrastructure resources, network vendors, and managed service partners, with a focus on operational excellence, security, and business continuity.

Essential Functions

Infrastructure & Network Operations Leadership

• Lead day‑to‑day operations of the network environment, including SD‑WAN architecture, LAN/WAN, Wi‑Fi, remote access, Zscaler ZIA/ZPA, and AWS cloud network connectivity (VPCs, Transit Gateway, routing, and segmentation).
• Ensure high availability, reliability, and performance of critical network services supporting research, manufacturing, labs, corporate offices, commercial operations, and cloud workloads.
• Oversee incident, problem, and request management for all network‑related issues, ensuring rapid remediation and adherence to SLA expectations.
• Implement proactive monitoring, telemetry, and performance optimization using tools such as ThousandEyes, SolarWinds, Zscaler analytics, and CloudWatch.
• Maintain standardized network configurations, ensuring adherence to global network architecture, Zero Trust, segmentation, and firewall policies.
• Lead annual and multi‑year regional network budget planning, ensuring forecasting accuracy and financial alignment to strategic priorities.
• Manage ongoing operational spend, licensing, carrier contracts, and cloud networking costs to ensure financial stewardship across the Americas region.

Service Desk & Technical Support Oversight

• Partner with the service desk and site support teams to streamline escalation paths for network issues and maintain clear troubleshooting runbooks.
• Create necessary KB documents to enable IT Service Desk team.
• Ensure frontline and L2 staff are equipped with accurate triage documentation and diagnostic guidelines related to network operations.
• Define and track KPIs tied to network reliability, incident response, service availability, and user experience.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives and reduce repetitive incidents through root cause analysis.

Vendor & Partner Management

• Manage strategic vendor relationships, including network carriers, SD‑WAN providers, Zscaler, firewall partners, monitoring vendors, and managed network services partners.
• Oversee SLA adherence, change management, and operational performance across all third‑party network support agreements.
• Conduct and lead quarterly business reviews (QBRs) with all strategic vendors.
• Collaborate with procurement and U.S. regional teams for contract renewals, licensing, bandwidth provisioning, and new network service onboarding.
• Evaluate technology upgrades, roadmap alignment, and cost optimization opportunities.

Backup, Recovery & Business Continuity

• Ensure connectivity resilience through redundant WAN paths, HA firewall clusters, diverse internet egress, and cloud failover mechanisms.
• Maintain and validate network‑specific DR procedures including SD‑WAN failover, DNS/DHCP/IPAM recovery, and cloud routing restoration.
• Coordinate with global teams to align network DR strategies with enterprise business continuity plans.

Collaboration & Communication

• Serve as the primary liaison between site operations, global network engineering, cloud networking teams, and IT Security.
• Communicate network performance, risks, planned maintenance, and major incidents to regional leadership and stakeholders.
• Represent Americas views in global architecture discussions related to Zero Trust, segmentation, cloud expansion, cyber controls, and service reliability.
• Plan, coordinate, and execute regional network projects including SD‑WAN upgrades, Zscaler policy rollouts, firewall refresh cycles, wireless modernization, cloud connectivity expansions, and site readiness for business initiatives.
• Ensure network projects are delivered on time, within budget, and aligned to global architectural standards.

Infrastructure Security & Compliance

• Maintain a strong network security posture through strict adherence to Zscaler policies, firewall standards, segmentation rules, and Zero Trust requirements.
• Partner with the Security team to analyze vulnerabilities, implement controls, enforce least‑privilege access, and support incident investigations.
• Ensure compliance with audit requirements, GxP guidelines, regulatory expectations, and enterprise security frameworks.
• Implement logging, alerting, and monitoring across critical systems.

Leadership & Team Management

• Mentor regional infrastructure personnel, including network engineers and site support teams.
• Support workforce planning and develop technical capability roadmaps for the team.
• Develop technical capability across the team through skill development, cross‑training, and knowledge‑sharing.
• Foster a culture of ownership, operational discipline, customer focus, and continuous improvement.

Requirements

Mandatory Experience Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in IT, Computer Science, or related discipline.
• The candidate must have a minimum of 10+ years of experience leading network engineering and operations teams in a complex, multi‑site enterprise environment.
• Deep expertise in SD‑WAN, LAN/WAN, Wi‑Fi, firewalls, DNS/DHCP/IPAM, cloud networking, and hybrid network design.
• Requires deep, practical experience with cloud networking in AWS and Azure, including VPC/VNet design, routing, security controls, and hybrid connectivity models.
• Experience with Zscaler ZIA/ZPA, Zero Trust access models, and secure internet egress architectures.
• Strong understanding of network security, segmentation, identity‑based access controls, and cybersecurity integration.
• Proven ability to lead technical teams and manage vendor partnerships.
• Strong troubleshooting, stakeholder communication, and operational leadership skills.
• Familiarity with regulated environments and audit requirements.

Nice‑to‑Have Skills/Experience

• Experience in pharmaceutical, biotech, manufacturing, or other regulated sectors.
• Experience managing MSP‑driven operating models.
• Familiarity with Fortinet, Cisco, Aruba, AWS/Azure networking tools, Zscaler, and enterprise monitoring solutions.
• ITIL certification or experience with ITIL‑based processes.
• Project management or leadership training certifications.

Success Criteria

• Deliver reliable, stable network services across all Americas sites.
• Ensure strong vendor/partner performance with consistent SLA/KPI compliance.
• Maintain predictable budgeting and cost‑efficient network operations.
• Align regional network operations with global architecture and Zero Trust standards.
• Reduce network‑related incidents and enhance overall user experience.
• Strengthen support capabilities for Network services across L1–L3 teams with clear processes and documentation.
• Represent Americas needs effectively in global planning and ensure alignment with global strategy.
• Ensure strict adherence to security, audit, and regulatory compliance requirements across all network services.