Senior Network Engineer (Cisco Certified)

Placements24; Mbombela (Nelspruit); On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Medical and dental coverage

Pension and retirement benefits

Generous annual leave

Professional development

Team socials

Job summary

Placements24 seeks a Senior Network Engineer for on-site work in Nelspruit to design, implement and optimize an enterprise-grade network infrastructure, ensuring reliability and performance for critical operations.

The role requires hands-on expertise with Cisco IOS, BGP/OSPF, firewalls and VPNs, plus monitoring tools, documentation, vendor management, and collaboration with IT teams to plan upgrades and security enhancements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in CS/IT or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of network engineering experience.
• CCNP or CCIE is preferred; Cisco IOS expertise required.

Responsibilities

• Design, configure, deploy, and maintain enterprise network infrastructure (routers, switches, firewalls, load balancers).
• Monitor network performance, identify bottlenecks, and implement optimisations.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex network issues with minimal downtime.
• Implement and manage network security measures, including firewalls, VPNs and IDS/IPS systems.
• Develop and maintain network documentation, including diagrams and configuration details.
• Plan and execute network upgrades and replacements.
• Collaborate with IT teams to ensure seamless integration of network services.
• Stay up-to-date with latest networking technologies and best practices.
• Manage vendor relationships and evaluate new solutions.
• Participate in capacity planning and network architecture design.

Skills

Networking expertise

Cisco IOS

BGP

OSPF

Firewall VPN

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

SolarWinds

PRTG

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a leading enterprise solutions provider in Nelspruit , is looking for a highly skilled Senior Network Engineer to manage and optimize their complex network infrastructure. This role requires hands-on expertise in designing, implementing, and troubleshooting enterprise-level networks. You will be responsible for ensuring the availability, performance, and security of all network systems. This is an on-site position based in our client's offices in Nelspruit . The ideal candidate is a proactive problem-solver with a deep understanding of networking protocols and hardware, dedicated to maintaining a highly available and efficient network environment for critical business operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, configure, deploy, and maintain enterprise network infrastructure (routers, switches, firewalls, load balancers).
• Monitor network performance, identify bottlenecks, and implement optimizations.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex network issues, ensuring minimal downtime.
• Implement and manage network security measures, including firewalls, VPNs, and intrusion detection systems.
• Develop and maintain network documentation, including diagrams and configuration details.
• Plan and execute network upgrades and replacements.
• Collaborate with IT teams to ensure seamless integration of network services.
• Stay up-to-date with the latest networking technologies and best practices.
• Manage network vendor relationships and evaluate new solutions.
• Participate in capacity planning and network architecture design.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of experience in network engineering.
• Strong hands‑on experience with Cisco networking hardware and IOS.
• In-depth knowledge of routing protocols (e.g., BGP, OSPF) and switching technologies.
• Experience with network security concepts and technologies (e.g., firewalls, ACLs, VPNs).
• Familiarity with network monitoring tools (e.g., SolarWinds, PRTG).
• Experience with WAN technologies and network virtualization is a plus.
• Excellent troubleshooting and analytical skills.
• Strong communication and teamwork abilities.
• CCNP or CCIE certification is highly desirable.

Benefits

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience.
• Comprehensive medical and dental coverage.
• Pension fund and other retirement benefits.
• Generous annual leave and public holidays.
• Opportunities for professional development and certifications.
• Stable work environment in Nelspruit .
• Team-building events and company socials.