We are seeking a highly motivated and skilled Network Operations Center (NOC) Engineer to join our dynamic team. The NOC Engineer will be responsible for the 24/7 monitoring, incident management, troubleshooting, and maintenance of our critical network infrastructure and services. This role requires a proactive individual with strong technical acumen, excellent problem-solving skills, and the ability to work effectively under pressure in a fast-paced environment. The ideal candidate will ensure the continuous availability, performance, and security of our network systems.

Key Responsibilities :

Monitoring & Alerting :

- Proactively monitor network devices (routers, switches, firewalls, load balancers, wireless access points), servers, applications, and services using various monitoring tools (e.g., SolarWinds, Nagios, Zabbix, PRTG, Splunk, Grafana).
- Respond promptly to automated alerts, alarms, and notifications, identifying potential issues before they impact services.

- Maintain and optimize monitoring dashboards and alert configurations.

Incident Management & Troubleshooting :

- Act as the first point of contact for network and system incidents, performing initial diagnosis and triage.

- Execute established troubleshooting procedures to resolve issues efficiently, escalating to higher-tier support teams (e.g., Network Engineering, Systems Engineering, Development) when necessary.

- Document all incidents, troubleshooting steps, and resolutions thoroughly in the ticketing system (e.g., Jira, ServiceNow).

- Participate in on-call rotations to provide 24/7 support.

Maintenance & Operations :

- Perform routine health checks, system checks, and preventative maintenance tasks on network devices and servers.

- Assist with network device configurations, upgrades, and patching under the guidance of senior engineers.

- Manage network connectivity, IP address allocation, and DNS/DHCP services.

- Implement and verify changes according to change management policies.

Documentation & Reporting :

- Maintain accurate and up-to-date network diagrams, inventory, and operational documentation.

- Generate regular reports on network performance, availability, and incident trends.

- Contribute to the development and improvement of NOC procedures and runbooks.

Collaboration & Communication :

- Communicate effectively with internal teams, vendors, and customers regarding network status, incidents, and planned maintenance.

- Collaborate with engineering teams to identify root causes of recurring issues and implement permanent solutions.

- Participate in post-incident reviews (PIRs) and contribute to problem management activities.

Qualifications :

Education :

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Telecommunications, or a related field.

Relevant certifications (e.g., CCNA, CompTIA Network+, JNCIA) are highly desirable.

Experience :

- 1 - 3 years of experience in a Network Operations Center (NOC) or similar IT operations role.

- Proven experience with network monitoring, incident response, and troubleshooting.

Technical Skills :

Networking Fundamentals :

- Strong understanding of TCP/IP, OSI model, routing protocols (OSPF, BGP, EIGRP), switching (VLANs, STP), and network security concepts (firewalls, VPNs, ACLs).

- Familiarity with network hardware from vendors like Cisco, Juniper, Fortinet, Palo Alto Networks.

Monitoring & Alerting Tools :

- Hands-on experience with network monitoring systems such as SolarWinds, Nagios, Zabbix, PRTG, DataDog, or similar.

- Experience with log management and analysis tools (e.g., Splunk, ELK Stack).

Operating Systems :

- Proficiency with Linux/Unix command line and Windows Server environments.

Scripting (Basic) :

- Basic scripting skills in Python, Bash, or PowerShell for automation of routine tasks is a plus.

Cloud (Familiarity) :

- Basic understanding of cloud networking concepts in AWS, Azure, or GCP is an advantage.

Security :

- Awareness of common network security threats and best practices.

Soft Skills

- Problem-Solving : Excellent analytical and troubleshooting skills with a methodical approach to problem resolution.

- Communication : Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical issues clearly.

- Teamwork : Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment and contribute to a positive work culture.

- Adaptability : Ability to learn new technologies quickly and adapt to changing environments.

- Pressure Handling : Ability to remain calm and effective under pressure during critical incidents.

- Attention to Detail : Meticulous attention to detail in monitoring, documentation, and configuration.

Preferred Qualifications :

- CCNP, JNCIS, or other advanced networking certifications.

- Experience with ITIL framework and practices.

- Experience with automation tools (e.g., Ansible, Puppet, Chef).

- Familiarity with virtualization technologies (VMware, Hyper-V).

- Experience with SD-WAN technologies.