Senior Engineer - Network Operations | Corporate Services | Group Tech & Dig Platforms

Job Requisition ID: 170869 

Established in the 1930s as a trading business, Al-Futtaim Group today is one of the most diversified and progressive, privately held regional businesses headquartered in Dubai, United A”rab Emirates. Structured into five operating divisions; automotive, financial services, real estate, retail and healthcare; employing more than 35,000 employees across more than 20 countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, Al-Futtaim Group partners with over 200 of the world's most admired and innovative brands. Al-Futtaim Group’s entrepreneurship and relentless customer focus enables the organisation to continue to grow and expand; responding to the changing needs of our customers within the societies in which we operate. 

By upholding our values of respect, excellence, collaboration and integrity; Al-Futtaim Group continues to enrich the lives and aspirations of our customers each and every day.

Overview of the role

The individual in this role is responsible for the architecture, design, implementation, and operation of SDWAN for AFG's global WAN network. Additionally, they are tasked with providing technical demonstrations, showcasing use cases, and ensuring that the WAN network infrastructure operates at optimal performance levels.

What you will do

• Architect and design SD-WAN solutions tailored to meet organizational requirements, ensuring scalability, reliability, and performance.
• Integrate SD-WAN with existing network infrastructure, including MPLS, VPNs, and cloud services, ensuring seamless connectivity
• Design and implement robust security measures, including encryption, firewalls, and zero-trust architectures, to protect SD-WAN traffic.
• Ensure efficient and secure connectivity to Azure cloud platforms and SaaS applications.
• Design failover and redundancy mechanisms to ensure high availability and business continuity.
• Define and implement SD-WAN policies for traffic routing, quality of service (QoS), and application performance.
• Monitor and optimize SD-WAN performance, including application prioritization, traffic steering, and bandwidth management.
• Create and maintain detailed documentation, including network diagrams, configurations, and operational procedures
• Optimize costs by leveraging SD-WAN capabilities to reduce reliance on expensive underlay circuits and improve resource utilization.
• Act as an escalation point for resolving complex SD-WAN-related issues and outages.
• Stay updated on emerging SD-WAN trends and technologies, recommending and implementing upgrades as needed.
• Forecast future network requirements and plan for capacity expansion to support business growth.
• Utilize SD-WAN analytics to generate reports on network performance, usage, and security for stakeholders.
• Implement automation tools and scripts to streamline SD-WAN deployment, management, and monitoring
• Ensure comprehensive understanding of AFG's IT infrastructure environment, identifying opportunities for improvement in performance, availability, and costs. Evaluate utilization of service providers to optimize, streamline operations and gain cost efficiency.
• Monitor bandwidth consumption and recommend cost-effective link utilization strategies.
• Optimize cloud connectivity and SaaS access using direct internet breakouts to reduce dependency on data centre traffic routing.
• Conduct periodic assessments of WAN infrastructure to identify and remediate inefficiencies.
• Provide expert advice on sourcing, negotiations, procurement, and delivery of SDWAN hardware, software, and managed services.
• Collaborate with audit teams to review SDWAN infrastructure and implement corrective measures for identified concerns.
• Ensures the deployment, management, and operation of the SDWAN infrastructure align with business objectives, security policies, compliance requirements, and industry best practices.
• Align SDWAN architecture with industry regulations and corporate governance policies.
• Lead the team in handling critical incidents, ensuring quick resolution of SDWAN-related outages or security breaches.
• Define the SDWAN roadmap, align it with business objectives, and drive long-term network transformation strategies.
• Provide hands-on leadership, training, and mentorship to team members, enhancing their expertise in SDWAN technologies.
• Communicate effectively with senior management, vendors, and business units to align SDWAN initiatives with organizational goals.
• Contribute to enhancing operations and security practices, procedures, methodologies, and tools through involvement in improvement initiatives. Identify and mitigate IT risks and issues.

Required Skills to be successful

• Strong presentation and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication abilities.
• A proactive, self-motivated individual who thrives both independently and in a team environment.

What equips you for the role

• Minimum 12+ years’ experience in Design, Implement and Manage Enterprise Network and security Infrastructure.
• 4 + years’ experience in Design, Implement and Manage - Cisco SDWAN.
• Extensive knowledge of TCP/IP, routing, switching, and network security principles.
• Proficient in configuring, managing, and troubleshooting routing protocols such as BGP, OSPF, and EIGRP.
• Hands-on experience with Cisco SD-WAN fabric and controllers.
• Expertise in web security, preferably with Zscaler proxy.
• Hands-on experience with SDWAN cloud on ramp implementation.
• Proficient in using Python scripts for automation.
• Familiarity with cloud platforms, particularly Microsoft Azure.
• Preferred certifications: CCIE R&S, Zscaler Administrator and SDWAN Architect.
• Experience working with global telecommunications providers.

We’re here to provide excellent service but a little help from you can ensure a five-star candidate experience from start to finish.

Before you click “apply”: Please read the job description carefully to ensure you can confidently demonstrate why this opportunity is right for you and take the time to put together a well-crafted and personalised CV to further boost your visibility. Our global Talent Acquisition team members are all assigned to specific businesses to ensure that we make the best matches between talent and opportunities. We not only consider the requisite compatibility of skills and behaviours, but also how candidates align with our Values of Respect, Integrity, Collaboration, and Excellence.

As part of our candidate experience promise, we also want to make ourselves available to you throughout the application process. We make every effort to review and respond to every application.