Vice President Network Operations

Atlas Search; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial services firm located in San Francisco is seeking a Vice President of Network Operations Engineering. This role plays a critical leadership role in ensuring the stability, security, and compliance of network infrastructure across the Americas region. The candidate must have extensive experience in Network Engineering, a strong technical background in network security, and proven leadership in operations. This position offers the chance to work within a highly regulated environment, focusing on service reliability and operational rigor.

Qualifications

• 8–12 years of experience in Network Engineering and Operations.
• 3–5 years in a senior or lead capacity in Operations.
• Experience in Financial Services or Global operations.

Responsibilities

• Drive operational reliability for network services supporting trading platforms.
• Oversee monitoring of network and security infrastructure.
• Manage patching programs and coordinate with cybersecurity teams.
• Lead major incident response for regional network issues.
• Govern regional change management processes.

Skills

Network Engineering

Network Security

Operational Management

Site Reliability Engineering

Regulatory Compliance

Analytical Skills

Communication Skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in information technology, Computer Science, Engineering

Tools

Network Monitoring Tools

Configuration Management Databases (CMDB)

Job description

The Vice President, Network Operations Engineering plays a critical leadership role in ensuring the stability, security, and regulatory compliance of network infrastructure across the Americas region. Operating within a highly regulated financial environment, this position is accountable for service reliability, operational rigor, and adherence to governance standards across all network services.

This role serves as the regional authority for network change approvals, the primary escalation point for critical issues, and a key liaison to global Level 2 Network Operations teams. The successful candidate will bring deep hands‑on expertise in enterprise campus wired and wireless networking, network security solutions, and financial‑sector operational controls, along with exposure to Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) practices and automation.

Key Responsibilities:

Regional Network Operations Leadership

• Drive best‑in‑class operational reliability for network services supporting trading platforms and corporate connectivity.
• Act as the regional approver for network changes, ensuring compliance with financial industry standards related to stability, risk management, and documentation.
• Serve as the single point of contact for regional network escalations, coordinating across Technology, Cybersecurity, Risk, and global operations teams.

Core Operational Functions

Monitoring & Event Management

• Oversee monitoring of network and security infrastructure, including performance, bandwidth utilization, latency, and security events.
• Ensure dashboards, alerts, KPIs, and thresholds align with business, regulatory, and resilience requirements.
• Lead early detection, triage, escalation, and resolution of incidents impacting regional services.
• Incorporate Site Reliability Engineering principles to enhance observability, automation, and continuous improvement.
• Implement automated monitoring and alerting capabilities to reduce manual effort and improve response times.

Inventory & Asset Management

• Maintain accurate and current inventories of network hardware, software versions, licenses, circuits, and configurations.
• Ensure inventory data meets audit standards and is regularly reconciled with CMDB and procurement systems.

Configuration Management

• Own configuration governance for all regional network devices, ensuring compliance with security baselines, hardening standards, and approved templates.
• Enforce configuration version control, backup standards, and drift detection.
• Partner with engineering and security architecture teams to deploy configuration changes in a controlled and automated manner.

Patch & Vulnerability Management

• Manage a structured patching program aligned with vulnerability severity, vendor guidance, and regulatory requirements.
• Coordinate with cybersecurity teams to remediate high‑risk vulnerabilities, maintaining complete audit trails.
• Communicate patching plans, risks, and impacts with stakeholders and global operations teams.

Incident, Problem & Change Management

• Lead major incident response for regional network issues, ensuring swift coordination and minimal business disruption.
• Produce thorough root‑cause analyses and drive corrective and preventive actions.
• Participate in problem investigations to eliminate recurring issues.
• Govern regional change management processes, ensuring proper planning, testing, documentation, rollback strategies, and communication.
• Ensure network operations comply with internal controls, security standards, and regulatory frameworks such as MAS‑TRM, CSA CCoP, and GDPR.
• Support internal and external audits by providing technical evidence, documentation, and subject‑matter expertise.
• Maintain comprehensive operational and technical documentation to meet regulatory and audit expectations.

Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in information technology, Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent experience.
• Experience: 8–12 years of experience in Network Engineering and Operations, with at least 3–5 years in a senior or lead capacity in Operations.
• Must work in Financial Services or on a Global level.

Other Preferred Skillsets:

• Strong technical leadership with a holistic understanding of network operations, security, resilience, and compliance interdependencies.
• Excellent analytical, problem‑solving, and communication skills for both technical and executive audiences.
• Ability to balance security rigor with operational practicality.
• Collaborative mindset with the ability to influence across architecture, operations, and compliance teams.