Service Assurance L3 Engineer - Cisco

Role : Service Assurance L3 Engineer

Band : B3

Experience : 8-12 Years

Locations : Pune / Hyderabad

Industry : Network Operations, Service Assurance, Telecom/ISP Managed Services

Role Overview :

We are seeking an experienced Service Assurance L3 Engineer to lead L3 NOC operations across large-scale enterprise networks. The ideal candidate will possess strong expertise in routing, switching, WLAN technologies, load balancers, and network performance management. This role requires hands-on technical capability, incident leadership, stakeholder communication, vendor coordination, and operational governance.

Key Responsibilities :

L3 Network Operations :

- Lead and manage L3 service assurance activities for Managed Routers, Switches, Access Points, WLCs and related network components.

Provide advanced troubleshooting and root cause analysis across :

1. Cisco XE/XR & Junos MX Routers

2. Cisco, Juniper & HPE Switches

3. Cisco & Aruba Wireless (APs, WLC 9800 series)

4. Cisco DNAC & F5 Load Balancers

- Guide and mentor L1 & L2 teams on complex incident analysis, escalation handling and best practices.

Service Assurance & Operations Management :

- Ensure SLA/KPI adherence, operational discipline and compliance with all SOPs.

- Manage incident lifecycle including prioritization, restoration, communication and RCA documentation.

- Lead shift handovers with clear communication of ongoing issues and planned activities.

- Handle customer queries, escalations and provide timely updates.

Architecture, Migration & Project Support :

- Participate in architecture planning, solution design and migration for new network initiatives.

- Support installation, configuration, upgrades and maintenance for technologies within the tower.

- Conduct capacity planning and performance tuning for continuous improvement of network stability.

Operational Governance :

- Create and maintain SOPs, DR plans, backup/recovery procedures, operations manuals and shift rosters.

- Review and optimize tower performance to enhance efficiency and reduce recurring issues.

- Prepare weekly operational and performance reports for internal stakeholders and client leadership.

- Lead automation and service improvement initiatives (SIP) to enhance operational effectiveness.

Vendor & Ecosystem Management :

- Work with OEMs and vendors (Cisco, Juniper, HPE) for RMA, technical escalations and product support.

- Coordinate cross-functional teams for inter-company routing, WAN/LAN resolutions and change activities.

Technical Expertise Required :

Network Technologies :

i. Deep knowledge of Routing & Switching (Cisco, Juniper, HPE)

ii. Strong experience with Wireless LAN (Cisco & Aruba)

iii. Working knowledge of IP/MPLS WAN & LAN

iv. Expertise in traffic flow analysis, packet tracing and inter-domain routing

Protocols :

i. Routing : OSPF, EIGRP, BGP

ii. LAN/WLAN : STP, VTP

iii. Infra Services : QoS, DHCP, NTP, SNMP, SSH, IPSec

iv. Good understanding of network security principles

Tools :

i. Ticketing/ITSM : ServiceNow, Unified Desktop

ii. Reporting Tools : Excel, Power BI, PowerPoint

Qualifications & Certifications :

i. Bachelors degree in Telecom / Computer Science / Engineering

ii. Certifications preferred :

a. CCNA / CCNP (or equivalent)

b. ITIL Foundation

Must-Have Skills :

- Proven experience leading L3 NOC operations

- Strong understanding of enterprise networks (Routing, Switching, WLAN, MPLS)

- Experience handling critical incidents, change management and vendor escalations

- Ability to coach/guide L1 & L2 teams

- Excellent communication, leadership, and customer-handling skills

- Strong reporting and documentation skills