L2 Proactive Network Service Engineer

Mindmatch Consulting; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 300,000 - 400,000; Full time

Job summary

A technology consulting firm in Cape Town seeks a Proactive Network Engineer to maintain and optimize customer network infrastructures. The ideal candidate will manage firmware updates and security for devices from Cisco, FortiGate, and others. Strong experience in network automation, with proficiency in tools like Ansible and Python is essential. The role emphasizes independence and strong analytical skills.

Qualifications

• Experience maintaining and patching network devices such as Cisco and FortiGate.
• Strong knowledge of firewall policies and access control.
• Familiarity with routing and switching protocols (BGP, OSPF, VLANs, STP).

Responsibilities

• Review and apply firmware updates and security patches regularly.
• Conduct testing and validation before updates deployment.
• Develop and implement automation workflows for updates.

Skills

Network automation

Strong problem-solving skills

Documentation skills

Knowledge of network security

Education

CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate)

CCNP (Cisco Certified Network Professional)

Tools

Ansible

Python

Job description

Overview

Summary and purpose of the Job : We are seeking a highly skilled Proactive Network Engineer to perform the maintenance, patching, and optimisation of our customers network infrastructure. This role focuses on ensuring the security, stability, and efficiency of customer networks by proactively managing firmware updates, security patches, and configuration changes across devices from Cisco, FortiGate, and other key vendors. The ideal candidate will have strong experience in network automation to streamline updates and mass configuration rollouts while minimizing downtime and operational risks.

Responsibilities

• Regularly review and apply firmware updates and security patches for Cisco, FortiGate, Juniper and other network devices.
• Conduct thorough testing and validation before deploying updates to production environments.
• Develop and implement scripts and automation workflows for mass firmware updates and configuration changes.
• Utilise tools such as Ansible & Python to streamline network maintenance tasks.

Certifications

• CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) (Recommended or aiming to achieve)
• Strong preference for CCNP (Cisco Certified Network Professional)

Technical Skills

• Experience maintaining and patching Cisco, FortiGate, Juniper and other network devices
• Strong knowledge of network security, firewall policies, and access control
• Familiarity with mass configuration management and best practices for rolling out network changes
• Understanding of routing and switching protocols (BGP, OSPF, VLANs, STP, etc.)

Soft Skills

• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills
• Ability to work proactively and independently with minimal supervision
• Excellent documentation and communication skills

Preferred

• Experience working in enterprise or MSP environments
• Familiarity with cloud networking (AWS, Azure, GCP)
• Exposure to SIEM tools, network monitoring, and logging solutions
• Proficiency in network automation using Ansible, Python, or other scripting tools.