Director Network and Infrastructure Operations

Spinnaker Search; Clifton (NJ); Hybrid; USD 175,000 - 220,000; Full time

Job summary

Spinnaker Search is hiring a Director of Network and Infrastructure Operations, responsible for end-to-end leadership of network operations across the Americas. This hybrid role involves working on SD-WAN, cloud connectivity, and network security, greatly influencing standards and operations.

The ideal candidate possesses at least 10 years of experience in networking, a Bachelor's degree in IT or a related field, and strong leadership skills. Compensation ranges from $175,000 to $220,000 annually.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience leading network engineering and operations.
• Deep expertise in SD-WAN, LAN/WAN, Wi-Fi, firewalls, and cloud networking.
• Strong understanding of network security and cybersecurity integration.

Responsibilities

• Lead Americas network operations across SD-WAN, LAN/WAN, and cloud connectivity.
• Ensure high availability and performance of critical network services.
• Manage vendors and service partners for network operations.

Skills

SD-WAN

LAN/WAN

Wi-Fi

network security

cloud networking

Zscaler

troubleshooting

Education

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

Tools

AWS

Azure

Cisco

Fortinet

Job description

A growing pharmaceutical company with a strong mission-driven culture is hiring a Director of Network and Infrastructure Operations to take ownership of network operations across the Americas region. This is a highly visible infrastructure leadership role supporting business-critical environments across research, manufacturing, labs, corporate offices, commercial operations, and cloud platforms.

This is a strong fit for a network leader who enjoys both strategy and execution: setting direction, improving reliability, strengthening security, managing vendor performance, and making sure the network is ready for the business, not constantly chasing it from behind.

The environment is modern, complex, and global, with meaningful work around SD-WAN, cloud connectivity, Zscaler, Zero Trust, segmentation, monitoring, business continuity, and network modernization. The right person will have the opportunity to influence standards, improve operations, and be the Americas voice in global infrastructure planning.

This is a direct hire role based in Clifton, NJ with a hybrid schedule 3 days onsite each week.

The Role You’ll Play

As the Director of Network and Infrastructure Operations, you will be responsible for end-to-end leadership of network infrastructure operations across all Americas sites. You will own the regional hybrid network ecosystem, including SD-WAN, LAN/WAN, wireless, cloud connectivity, remote access, Zscaler, firewalls, DNS/DHCP/IPAM, IDS/IPS, NAC, NDR, and secure internet egress infrastructure.

You will report to the Americas Infrastructure Lead & Global Network Lead and work closely with U.S. regional leads, global infrastructure teams, IT Security, site leadership, network vendors, and managed service partners.

• Lead Americas network operations across SD-WAN, LAN/WAN, Wi-Fi, remote access, Zscaler ZIA/ZPA, and AWS cloud network connectivity
• Ensure high availability, reliability, and performance of critical network services across research, manufacturing, labs, corporate offices, commercial operations, and cloud workloads
• Oversee network incident, problem, and request management, including escalation paths, service desk runbooks, KB documentation, and root cause analysis
• Implement proactive monitoring, telemetry, logging, alerting, and performance optimization using tools such as ThousandEyes, SolarWinds, Zscaler analytics, and CloudWatch
• Maintain standardized network configurations aligned with global architecture, Zero Trust, segmentation, firewall policies, and secure internet egress requirements
• Lead regional network budgeting, forecasting, operational spend management, licensing, carrier contracts, and cloud networking cost control
• Manage vendors and managed service partners, including carriers, SD-WAN providers, Zscaler, firewall partners, monitoring vendors, SLA performance, QBRs, renewals, and service onboarding
• Ensure connectivity resilience and disaster recovery readiness through redundant WAN paths, HA firewall clusters, diverse internet egress, SD-WAN failover, DNS/DHCP/IPAM recovery, and cloud routing restoration
• Serve as the primary liaison between site operations, global network engineering, cloud networking teams, IT Security, procurement, regional leadership, and business stakeholders
• Plan and execute regional network projects, including SD-WAN upgrades, Zscaler policy rollouts, firewall refreshes, wireless modernization, cloud connectivity expansion, and site readiness initiatives
• Partner with Security to maintain a strong network security posture, support vulnerability remediation, enforce least-privilege access, and ensure compliance with audit, GxP, regulatory, and enterprise security requirements
• Mentor regional infrastructure personnel, support workforce planning, build technical capability, and foster a culture of ownership, operational discipline, customer focus, and continuous improvement

Background Profile

The ideal candidate is a senior network infrastructure leader with deep hands‑on technical experience, strong operational discipline, and the ability to lead teams, vendors, and global stakeholders in a complex enterprise environment.

• Bachelor’s degree in IT, Computer Science, or a related discipline
• 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
• Practical experience with AWS and Azure cloud networking, 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

Preferred experience includes

• Experience in pharmaceutical, biotech, manufacturing, or another regulated sector
  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

Compensation

$175,000-$220,000 per year