• Location: Head Office
• Department: Information & Communication Technology
• Reports to: Senior Manager, IT Infrastructure

Job Purpose:

To ensure the availability, performance, security, and reliability of the Bank’s network infrastructure by designing, implementing, monitoring, and maintaining enterprise network systems. The role is responsible for LAN, WAN, data center, and cloud network environments, ensuring seamless connectivity for critical banking systems while adhering to regulatory and security standards.

Key Responsibilities:

Network Administration

• Administer, maintain, and support enterprise network infrastructure including LAN, WAN, WLAN, and data center networks.
• Configure and manage network devices including routers, switches, firewalls, load balancers, and VPN gateways.
• Install, configure, and upgrade network hardware and software.
• Monitor network performance and ensure optimal availability and uptime.

Network Performance and Optimization

• Monitor network traffic, identify bottlenecks, and optimize performance across all network segments.
• Conduct capacity planning and recommend upgrades to support business growth and digital channels.
• Analyse network trends and implement improvements to enhance efficiency and resilience.

Security and Compliance

• Implement and enforce network security controls including firewalls, IDS/IPS, VPNs, and network segmentation.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory and security standards (CBK, PCI-DSS, ISO 27001, etc.).
• Conduct regular network security assessments, vulnerability scans, and audits.
• Collaborate with the Information Security team to mitigate risks and respond to threats.
• Backup, Disaster Recovery, and High Availability
• Design and maintain network redundancy and failover mechanisms.
• Support disaster recovery (DR) and business continuity (BCP) strategies for network infrastructure.
• Participate in DR drills and ensure network readiness for failover scenarios.

Monitoring and Incident Management

• Monitor network systems using enterprise monitoring tools and respond to alerts proactively.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex network issues within agreed SLAs.
• Perform root cause analysis and implement preventive measures.
• Ensure all incidents, problems, and service requests are logged and tracked.

Vendor and Stakeholder Management

• Work with service providers, ISPs, and vendors to ensure service delivery meets SLAs.
• Participate in procurement, evaluation, and onboarding of network solutions and services.
• Collaborate with application, database, and systems teams to support business systems.

Automation and Documentation

• Automate routine network tasks using scripting tools where applicable.
• Maintain up-to-date network diagrams, configurations, and documentation.
• Develop reports on network performance, availability, and security posture

Project Implementation

• Participate in network-related projects including upgrades, migrations, and new deployments.
• Ensure projects are delivered within scope, time, and budget.
• Support rollout of new banking systems, branches, and digital platforms.

Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity

• Support and test network recovery procedures during DR/BCP exercises.
• Ensure redundancy and failover mechanisms are properly configured and tested.
• Maintain DR documentation and network recovery plans.

Qualifications, experience and job specific competencies

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in information technology, Computer Science, Telecommunications, or related field.

Experience

• Minimum 4 years’ experience in network administration within a complex, mission-critical environment.
• Proven experience in enterprise network environments, preferably in banking or financial services.
• Experience managing LAN/WAN, data center, and cloud networking environments.

Technical Skills

• Strong knowledge of networking protocols (TCP/IP, BGP, OSPF, VLANs, DNS, DHCP).
• Hands-on experience with network devices (Cisco, Fortinet, Palo Alto, or equivalent).
• Experience with firewalls, VPNs, IDS/IPS, and network security technologies.
• Familiarity with virtualization platforms (VMware, Hyper-V) and their networking components.
• Experience with monitoring tools (SolarWinds, Zabbix, or equivalent).
• Understanding of operating systems (Windows Server, Linux).

Certifications

• Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) or equivalent
• Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) (minimum requirement)
• Fortinet NSE / Palo Alto certifications (added advantage)
• ITIL Foundation (added advantage)

Core competencies

• Customer Focus – Deliver reliable and secure network services to support business operations.
• Accountability – Ensure network uptime, performance, and security.
• Problem Solving – Diagnose and resolve complex network issues effectively.
• Performance Management – Maintain high availability and optimal performance