Networks and Security Team Lead at SportPesa

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Team Management:

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of 3-5 Network & Security Administrators, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and technical excellence.
• Drive the professional growth of the team by identifying training needs and ensuring they are equipped to handle evolving network technologies.

Network Operations & Maintenance:

• Schedule and oversee preventive maintenance activities for the entire network infrastructure to ensure optimal performance.
• Guarantee 99.99% network uptime through proactive monitoring, timely issue resolution, and effective resource management.

Incident Management & Escalation:

• Act as the primary Level 1 escalation point for all network-related incidents, ensuring swift and effective resolution.
• Serve as the Resolution Manager during critical network incidents, coordinating cross-functional teams to restore services efficiently.

Network Configuration & Documentation:

• Ensure all network configurations are standardized, backed up, and documented accurately.
• Maintain an up-to-date inventory of all network equipment and spares, ensuring readiness for immediate deployment.

Strategic Planning & Budgeting:

• Develop and manage both Capex and Opex budgets for network infrastructure, ensuring alignment with organizational goals.
• Collaborate with Service Providers to ensure adherence to SLAs, striving for 100% compliance.

Research & Innovation:

• Stay abreast of emerging technologies and industry trends to recommend and implement innovative solutions that enhance network performance and security.
• Lead research initiatives to explore new tools, technologies, and processes that can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the network infrastructure.

Collaboration & Project Management:

• Work closely with the ITSM/Service Delivery Manager to align network projects with overall IT & Service strategies.
• Lead network-related projects, ensuring they are delivered on time, within scope, and on budget.

Qualifications & Experience

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field (Mandatory).

Certifications:

• CCNP (Mandatory); CCIE (R&S, SP, Data Centre, or Security) is highly desirable.
• Check Point Security (CCSE/CCSM) Certification (Mandatory).
• Fortinet & Cisco Firewall Certifications are an added advantage.

Experience:

• Minimum of 7 years of hands-on experience managing and/or installing complex multi-vendor networks (Mandatory).
• Telco/Service Provider experience is a plus.
• Extensive experience with BGP & OSPF routing protocols, Cisco Nexus switches, Juniper QFX, high-performance routers (e.g., Cisco ASR1k), firewall hardening (Cisco ASA, Juniper SRX), Network Access Control, and Traffic Engineering.

Skills & Competencies:

• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
• Proven leadership and people management abilities.
• Ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams to deliver projects and IT services.
• Flexibility to work outside regular hours as needed.