Network Engineer

The Takealot Group, a prominent force in South Africa's e-commerce landscape, is actively seeking a skilled Network Engineer to join its expanding team in Cape Town. This is an opportunity to immerse yourself in a fast-paced, hyper-growth environment where innovation and continuous learning are paramount. With millions of shoppers relying on their platforms daily, the company offers a challenging and rewarding career path for individuals who are driven, intelligent, and committed to excellence. If you thrive on complex problem-solving and aspire to work alongside industry leaders, this role could be your next significant career move.

About the Role

As a Network Engineer at the Takealot Group, you will play a crucial role in ensuring the robustness, security, and efficiency of the company's extensive network infrastructure. This position requires a proactive approach to designing, implementing, and maintaining the network services that underpin their e-commerce operations. You will be instrumental in shaping the future of their network, from daily operations to strategic upgrades and the adoption of new technologies. The environment is dynamic, offering ample opportunities to expand your technical expertise and contribute to the growth of one of South Africa's leading online retailers.

Your responsibilities will span the full lifecycle of network management and engineering. This includes:

• **Infrastructure Design and Implementation:** Architecting, installing, and rebuilding network infrastructure, encompassing LAN, WAN, wireless, and security components. You'll be configuring Cisco and Huawei hardware and services, ensuring they align with both current operational needs and future project requirements.
• **Firewall Management:** Configuring, managing, and supporting Fortinet firewalls, which involves intricate policy management, establishing VPN connections, and implementing robust security hardening measures.
• **SD-WAN Solutions:** Designing, deploying, and maintaining Software-Defined Wide Area Networking (SD-WAN) solutions to guarantee optimal routing, seamless redundancy, and peak performance across various company sites.
• **Protocol Expertise:** Applying a deep understanding of core networking protocols and functions such as BGP, OSPF, MPLS, VLANs, STP, and QoS to design and troubleshoot intricate network environments.
• **Documentation and Best Practices:** Developing and maintaining comprehensive installation and configuration procedures, standards, and documentation. You'll also be involved in the continuous improvement of networking standards and best practices.
• **Innovation and Research:** Exploring and recommending innovative approaches and emerging technologies for network services, identifying solutions that leverage existing resources and offer economies of scale.
• **Monitoring and Support:** Conducting daily network monitoring to ensure the availability of all hardware, network resources, and critical processes, proactively reviewing logs. You'll also serve as a senior-level escalation point for complex network issues.
• **Problem Resolution:** Investigating and troubleshooting advanced network problems, providing expert-level solutions.
• **Mentorship and Leadership:** Guiding and mentoring junior network engineers, offering technical direction and support.
• **Vendor Coordination:** Managing and coordinating tasks, deliverables, and relationships with external vendors and suppliers.
• **On-Call Availability:** Being available for out-of-hours support and responding to critical incidents as needed.
• **Site Visits:** Travelling to various office and warehousing locations as required, necessitating a valid driver's license and personal transport.

What They're Looking For

To excel in this role, candidates will need a strong foundation in network engineering coupled with significant hands-on experience. The ideal candidate will possess:

• A Bachelor’s Degree or Advanced Diploma in Information Systems, Computer Science, or a related Network Engineering field, or a minimum of 8 years of equivalent experience if formal qualifications are absent.
• A minimum of 5 years of dedicated network engineering experience, with at least 5 years in a senior or lead network engineering capacity.
• A required CCNP certification is a must.
• Extensive practical experience with both Cisco and Huawei networking equipment, including switches, routers, and wireless solutions.
• Solid experience in configuring and troubleshooting Fortinet firewalls, including multi-factor authentication (2FA, MFA).
• Proven experience in the design and implementation of SD-WAN solutions.
• A comprehensive understanding of fundamental networking protocols and functions, including routing, switching, security, and QoS.
• Excellent grasp of TCP/IP and network communications, as well as LAN, WAN, and wireless networking principles.
• Proficiency in using network monitoring tools and technologies such as Zabbix, Nagios, and SNMP.
• Advanced experience with Web Application Firewalling (WAF) and BGP Peering.
• Demonstrated ability in scripting and network automation, with a focus on building and configuring network components, not just monitoring.
• Experience managing external vendors and suppliers.

This Network Engineer position at the Takealot Group offers a stimulating career opportunity within a leading South African e-commerce entity, contributing to the operational backbone of a rapidly scaling business. Typical network engineering roles in South Africa can offer competitive remuneration, often with progression into specialized areas or team leadership. The Takealot Group's commitment to internal promotion suggests a clear growth path for ambitious professionals.

• Bachelor’s Degree or Advanced Diploma in Information Systems, Computer Science, or a Network Engineering related field and a minimum of 5 years of network engineering experience in a software/technology environment is required.
• In the event that a candidate does not have a bachelor’s degree or an advanced diploma, an equivalent experience requirement must be met, which equates to a minimum of 8 years of network engineering experience.
• At least a CCNP certification is required.
• At least 5 years experience in a senior or lead network engineering role.
• Strong hands-on experience with Cisco and Huawei networking equipment (switches, routers, wireless).
• Solid experience configuring and troubleshooting Fortinet firewalls (2FA, MFA).
• Practical experience designing and implementing SD-WAN solutions.
• Strong understanding of core networking protocols and functions (routing, switching, security, QoS).
• Excellent understanding of TCP/IP and network communications.
• Excellent understanding of LAN, WAN, QOS and Routing Protocols.
• Excellent understanding of Wireless networking.
• Experience with Network Monitoring Tools and technologies (Zabbix, Nagios, SNMP).
• Advanced experience with Web application firewalling (WAF).
• Advanced experience with BGP Peering.
• Advanced experience with scripting and network automation.
• Experience dealing with external vendors and suppliers.
• Ability to build and configure, not just monitor.