Senior Network Administrator

Datacentrix; Centurion; On-site; ZAR 600,000 - 900,000; Part time

Job summary

University of Fort Hare in Centurion seeks a Senior Network Engineer for a short-term contract through March 2027, bringing extensive enterprise networking expertise. You will design, implement, monitor, troubleshoot, and document resilient networks using Fortinet, OSPF, BGP, MPLS/VPN, SD-WAN, and WAN/LAN technologies.

The role requires hands-on experience with routers, switches, wireless, VPNs, high availability, and security-focused network architectures, plus strong monitoring and

Qualifications

• Matric plus a National Diploma or Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Information Systems, Network Engineering, or a related field.
• A minimum of 8 years of directly relevant enterprise network administration or engineering experience in a medium-to-large organisation.
• A Cisco certification such as CCNP Enterprise, or an equivalent senior networking certification.
• Certifications such as CCNA, Fortinet FCP/FCSS, Microsoft Azure Network Engineer Associate, CompTIA Network+, ITIL Foundation.
• Demonstrable experience in designing, implementing, supporting, and documenting resilient enterprise network solutions.
• Advanced practical knowledge of TCP/IP, IPv4/IPv6, subnetting, VLANs, spanning tree, routing, switching, DNS, DHCP, NTP, NAT, QoS, SNMP, syslog, and network monitoring.
• Hands-on experience with enterprise routers, switches, wireless infrastructure, firewalls, VPN technologies, and high-availability network designs.
• Practical experience with Cisco technologies and network operating systems. Experience with Fortinet network and security technologies.
• Experience with OSPF, BGP, MPLS/VPN, SD-WAN, Wi-Fi, network access control, network segmentation, and secure remote-access technologies.
• Experience using network monitoring, configuration-management, log-analysis, packet-capture, and troubleshooting tools such as PRTG, SolarWinds, FortiManager, FortiAnalyzer, Wireshark, or equivalent.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Windows Server network services, Azure networking, virtualisation, backup, disaster recovery, and cloud connectivity.
• Knowledge of ITIL-aligned incident, problem, change, configuration, capacity, and availability management practices.
• Knowledge of network security controls, hardening, vulnerability remediation, access control, encryption, certificate services, and relevant ICT governance standards.

Responsibilities

• Provide senior operational support for critical network services and ensure incidents, requests, problems, and changes are managed through approved ICT service-management processes.
• Configure and maintain switching, routing, VLANs, trunks, link aggregation, quality of service, access control lists, network address translation, DNS, DHCP, NTP, and secure remote access services.
• Administer and troubleshoot dynamic routing and connectivity technologies, including OSPF, BGP, MPLS/VPN, site-to-site VPNs, SSL VPNs, SD-WAN, and redundant internet links.
• Implement secure network segmentation, high-availability configurations, configuration backups, firmware upgrades, patching, hardening, and disaster-recovery arrangements.
• Analyse logs, packet captures, flow data, monitoring alerts, and performance trends to identify root causes and recommend sustainable corrective actions.
• Coordinate telecommunications and network service providers, track incidents and service levels, and verify that restoration and preventative actions are completed.
• Assess proposed network changes, prepare implementation and rollback plans, participate in Change Advisory Board processes, and validate changes after implementation.
• Conduct routine health checks, capacity reviews, vulnerability remediation, failover tests, and readiness assessments for election-related infrastructure.
• Work closely with security, server, cloud, application, database, service desk, facilities, and project teams to resolve issues and deliver integrated ICT services.
• Provide technical leadership, knowledge transfer, guidance, and mentoring to network support personnel and other ICT team members.
• Prepare clear daily, weekly, and monthly operational reports covering availability, incidents, risks, capacity, changes, service-provider performance, and outstanding actions.
• Comply with the Commission’s ICT policies, information-security requirements, operational standards, procedures, and organisational guidelines.

Skills

Fortinet

OSPF

BGP

MPLS/VPN

SD-WAN

Wi-Fi

Network access control

Network segmentation

Secure remote access

VLANs

Spanning tree

Routing

Switching

DNS

DHCP

NTP

NAT

QoS

SNMP

Syslog

Network monitoring

Cisco

Fortinet

Education

Matric plus a National Diploma or Bachelor’s degree in IT/CS/IS/Networking

CCNP Enterprise or equivalent

CCNA/Fortinet FCP/FCSS/Microsoft Azure Network Engineer/CompTIA Network+/ITIL Foundation

Tools

Fortinet FortiManager/FortiAnalyzer

PRTG

SolarWinds

Wireshark

Job description

Our client in Centurion is looking for a Senior Network Engineer on a short term contract until March 2027 with practical senior-level experience in enterprise network administration, troubleshooting, implementation, monitoring, documentation and operational support. This includes experience with Fortinet network and security technologies, OSPF, BGP, MPLS/VPN, SD-WAN, Wi-Fi, network access control, network segmentation and secure remote-access technologies.

Qualifications and Experience Required

• Matric plus aNational Diploma or Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Information Systems, Network Engineering, or a related field.
• A minimum of 8 years of directly relevant enterprise network administration or engineering experience in a medium-to-large organisation.
• A Cisco certification such as CCNP Enterprise, or an equivalent senior networking certification.
• Certifications such as CCNA, Fortinet FCP/FCSS, Microsoft Azure Network Engineer Associate, CompTIA Network+, ITIL Foundation.
• Demonstrable experience in designing, implementing, supporting, and documenting resilient enterprise network solutions.
• Advanced practical knowledge of TCP/IP, IPv4/IPv6, subnetting, VLANs, spanning tree, routing, switching, DNS, DHCP, NTP, NAT, QoS, SNMP, syslog, and network monitoring.
• Hands-on experience with enterprise routers, switches, wireless infrastructure, firewalls, VPN technologies, and high-availability network designs.
• Practical experience with Cisco technologies and network operating systems. Experience with Fortinet network and security technologies.
• Experience with OSPF, BGP, MPLS/VPN, SD-WAN, Wi-Fi, network access control, network segmentation, and secure remote-access technologies.
• Experience using network monitoring, configuration-management, log-analysis, packet-capture, and troubleshooting tools such as PRTG, SolarWinds, FortiManager, FortiAnalyzer, Wireshark, or equivalent.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Windows Server network services, Azure networking, virtualisation, backup, disaster recovery, and cloud connectivity.
• Knowledge of ITIL-aligned incident, problem, change, configuration, capacity, and availability management practices.
• Knowledge of network security controls, hardening, vulnerability remediation, access control, encryption, certificate services, and relevant ICT governance standards.

Responsibilities

• Provide senior operational support for critical network services and ensure incidents, requests, problems, and changes are managed through approved ICT service-management processes.
• Configure and maintain switching, routing, VLANs, trunks, link aggregation, quality of service, access control lists, network address translation, DNS, DHCP, NTP, and secure remote access services.
• Administer and troubleshoot dynamic routing and connectivity technologies, including OSPF, BGP, MPLS/VPN, site-to-site VPNs, SSL VPNs, SD-WAN, and redundant internet links.
• Implement secure network segmentation, high-availability configurations, configuration backups, firmware upgrades, patching, hardening, and disaster-recovery arrangements.
• Analyse logs, packet captures, flow data, monitoring alerts, and performance trends to identify root causes and recommend sustainable corrective actions.
• Coordinate telecommunications and network service providers, track incidents and service levels, and verify that restoration and preventative actions are completed.
• Assess proposed network changes, prepare implementation and rollback plans, participate in Change Advisory Board processes, and validate changes after implementation.
• Conduct routine health checks, capacity reviews, vulnerability remediation, failover tests, and readiness assessments for election-related infrastructure.
• Work closely with security, server, cloud, application, database, service desk, facilities, and project teams to resolve issues and deliver integrated ICT services.
• Provide technical leadership, knowledge transfer, guidance, and mentoring to network support personnel and other ICT team members.
• Prepare clear daily, weekly, and monthly operational reports covering availability, incidents, risks, capacity, changes, service-provider performance, and outstanding actions.
• Comply with the Commission’s ICT policies, information-security requirements, operational standards, procedures, and organisational guidelines.