Core Network Engineer (BGP, MPLS & FTTH) | Ilitha Telecommunications | Rosebank, Gauteng

Ilitha Telecommunications; Rosebank; On-site; ZAR 700,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

On-call allowances

Site travel opportunities

Professional growth

Job summary

Ilitha Telecommunications seeks a Core Network Engineer to lead advanced backbone routing, backhaul expansion, and PoP design on-site in Rosebank, Gauteng, with travel to Eastern Cape regions. You’ll own core routing, capacity planning, and complex troubleshooting, coordinating with field teams and internal recruitment colleagues.

You will forward your CV to [e-mail] with the subject line 'Core Network Engineer' prior to the 20 November 2026 deadline.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field.
• Minimum of 5+ years in ISP/FTTH/telecom network ops.
• CCNP/HCIP/MTCRE/JNCIS or equivalent certification.
• Strong operational expertise in GPON, DWDM, PPPoE, RADIUS and enterprise firewall.
• Proficient with BGP, OSPF, MPLS and advanced routing optimization.
• Experience in capacity planning, backhaul design, and tier-3 incident troubleshooting.
• Legal work authorization, SA driver's license, and willingness to travel on-site.

Responsibilities

• Architect, design, deploy, and optimize scalable backbone routing architectures, backhaul routes, and PoP facilities for FTTH and WTTX.
• Plan and forecast network capacity to accommodate rapid subscriber growth.
• Own, configure, and maintain BGP, OSPF, and MPLS routing protocols for high-speed, secure forwarding.
• Provide tier-3 escalation support and resolve complex network incidents beyond runbooks.
• Manage GPON, DWDM, PPPoE, RADIUS and enterprise firewall administration.
• Participate in on-call rotation to ensure 24/7 backbone availability.
• Collaborate with field engineering, planners, and contractors during site installations and regional expansions.
• Maintain network documentation, topology diagrams, capacity reports, and post-mortems.

Skills

BGP

OSPF

MPLS

Capacity planning

NOC escalation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Telecommunications Engineering or related field

Tools

CCNP

HCIP

MTCRE

JNCIS

Job description

Position Summary

Driving advanced core network engineering, high-speed fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) expansion, and wireless (WTTX) backbone architecture across underserved communities in South Africa, Ilitha Telecommunications is actively seeking an accomplished Core Network Engineer for a permanent full-time professional engagement. In this vital technical leadership role, you will take full operational, tactical, and technical ownership of BGP, OSPF, and MPLS routing architectures, backhaul route planning, point of presence (PoP) design, and tier-3 NOC escalation support. Bringing 5+ years of progressive professional experience in ISP, FTTH, or telecommunications network operations, you will empower a landmark connectivity enterprise to achieve uncompromised backbone scalability, robust security, and reliable high-speed internet delivery to over 500,000 low-income homes. This prestigious career opportunity offers competitive remuneration, on-call rotational allowances, site travel opportunities, and professional growth within a mission‑driven telecommunications enterprise.

Detailed Job Description

As a Core Network Engineer supporting Ilitha Telecommunications on an on-site basis in Rosebank, Gauteng (with required site travel across the Eastern Cape and surrounding regions), you will take full operational, tactical, and technical ownership of core routing infrastructure, capacity planning, backhaul network expansion, and advanced troubleshooting. Your day‑to‑day responsibilities include designing robust backhaul routes and PoP facilities, managing BGP, OSPF, and MPLS routing protocols, resolving complex network incidents escalated beyond standard runbooks, collaborating with field deployment technicians, and interacting directly with internal recruitment teams like Kagiso. Furthermore, you will manage application requirements by forwarding your application letter and detailed CV via direct email to [e-mail] with ‘Core Network Engineer’ in the exact subject line prior to the application deadline on 20 November 2026.

Key Responsibilities

• Architect, design, deploy, and optimize scalable backbone routing architectures, backhaul routes, and Point of Presence (PoP) facilities for FTTH and WTTX networks.


• Plan and forecast network capacity proactively to accommodate rapid subscriber growth before congestion occurs.


• Own, configure, and maintain BGP, OSPF, and MPLS routing protocols to ensure high-speed, secure, and reliable packet forwarding.


• Provide tier‑3 escalation support and resolve complex network anomalies when the Network Operations Center (NOC) encounters issues beyond standard runbooks.


• Manage GPON, DWDM, PPPoE, RADIUS authentication servers, and enterprise firewalls within production core environments.


• Participate actively in an on‑call rotational schedule to guarantee 24/7 backbone availability and emergency incident response.


• Collaborate seamlessly with field engineering squads, network planners, and deployment contractors during site installations and regional expansions.


• Maintain meticulous network documentation, topology diagrams, capacity utilization reports, and incident post‑mortem records.

Required Qualifications & Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, or related technical discipline.


• Minimum of 5+ years of progressive professional hands‑on experience working within an Internet Service Provider (ISP), FTTH operator, or telecommunications carrier.


• Mandatory professional networking certification such as Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), Huawei Certified ICT Professional (HCIP), MikroTik Certified Routing Engineer (MTCRE), or Juniper Networks Certified Internet Specialist (JNCIS).


• Strong, demonstrable operational expertise in GPON, DWDM, PPPoE, RADIUS, and enterprise firewall administration.


• Comprehensive working knowledge and practical proficiency in BGP, OSPF, MPLS, and advanced routing protocol optimization.


• Deep practical experience in capacity planning, backhaul design, and tier‑3 incident troubleshooting.


• Exceptional analytical problem‑solving aptitude, crisis management capabilities, and professional stakeholder communication skills.


• Mandatory legal work authorization, valid South African driver’s license, and physical availability for on‑site operations and regional site travel.

Nice‑to‑Have Skills

• Hands‑on familiarity with MikroTik RouterOS and Ubiquiti networking hardware and management platforms.


• Prior professional working experience in rural broadband rollouts, peri‑urban connectivity projects, or township fiber deployments.


• Experience utilizing enterprise automation tools and scripting languages (Python, Ansible) for network configuration management.


• Experience utilizing enterprise agile tracking and IT service management (ITSM) ticketing platforms (Jira, ServiceNow).


• Active participation in network engineering communities, internet exchange associations, or telecommunications user groups.

Application Details

• Salary/Rate: Market Competitive / Enterprise Telecommunications Package


• Deadline: 20 November 2026


• Notice Period: Immediate to 30 Days Preferred


• Contract Duration: Permanent / Full‑Time On‑Site Engagement (Rosebank, Gauteng with site travel)