Senior Manager Of Network Operations

Description
Our client is seeking a Senior Manager of Network Operations to lead and stabilize their global network operations. This role will serve as a key operational leader, driving performance improvements, managing hybrid teams (onshore/offshore), and ensuring seamless communication across partners. The ideal candidate will bring deep hands-on experience in network operations, strong leadership in high-pressure environments, and a passion for operational excellence.
This role will also play a critical leadership role in supporting Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), including technical due diligence, integration planning, and ensuring network stability and continuity before, during, and after acquisition events.
Responsibilities:
Lead day-to-day operations of the Network Operations Center (NOC), ensuring high availability and performance.
Coordinate global teams across time zones, including offshore partners.
Drive root cause analysis and implement hygiene practices in change, release, and vulnerability management.
Establish and maintain War Room Bridge processes for incident resolution.
Collaborate with engineering, architecture, and security teams to ensure alignment and escalation handling.
Develop and enforce operational cadences, shift rotations, and communication protocols.
Act as a liaison between internal teams and external partners to streamline operations.
Provide data-driven insights and reporting to executive leadership.
Participate in technical due diligence for potential acquisitions, assessing:
-Network architecture and infrastructure
-Operational maturity and tooling
-Availability, resiliency, and scalability
-Security posture, risks, and compliance gaps
Identify integration risks, dependencies, and remediation needs to support informed investment and go/no go decisions
Develop and execute network integration strategies for newly acquired entities, ensuring minimal disruption to business operations.
Lead or support network cutovers, migrations, and consolidation efforts, including WAN, LAN, cloud connectivity, and security services.
Ensure continuity of critical network services during Day 0, Day 1, and post close integration phases.
Required

Skills & Experience:

8-10+ years of experience in network operations leadership roles.
Proven experience managing hybrid teams (onshore/offshore).
Strong technical foundation in:
Routing, switching, WAN/LAN, wireless, VPNs
Firewalls (Palo Alto, Cisco, F5), Load Balancers, SD-WAN
Network observability and performance monitoring tools
Cloud networking (AWS preferred)
Familiarity with ITIL processes:
Incident, Problem, Change, and Release Management.
Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
Ability to lead without direct reports and influence cross-functional teams.
Environment & Preferred Technical Exposure
The following technologies are part of our clients current environment. Candidates with direct experience or exposure to these tools and concepts will be strongly preferred.
Experience (Hands-on Expertise Preferred):
Security & Firewalls:
McAfee Web Gateway, Barracuda Email Security, Thales Key Management, Checkpoint Mgmt Server
Network Management:
Cisco Prime Infrastructure
Cisco Technologies:
Nexus 2K/3K/5K/7K/9K, FEX, VPC, VXLAN, VDC
Firewall Rule Management:
Centralized rule/policy creation (Checkpoint Mgmt Server)
Familiarity (Exposure or Working Knowledge Preferred):
Monitoring Tools:
Solar Winds, Thousand Eyes, Infoblox
Protocols & Redundancy: HSRP, VRRP, GLBP
CMDB & DNS Tools:
Service Now (CMDB), DNS record management with third-party vendors
WAN Optimization: WAN Optimizer
Cloud Integration:
Integration of security tools with AWS
Additional Skills & Qualifications

Preferred Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field.
Experience working in financial services or regulated environments.
Familiarity with tools such as Cisco ACI, Gigamon, Avaya, F5, Juniper, VIPRION, APCON, Checkpoint, Arbor Pravail, Extra Hop, NETSCOUT.
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract position based out of Denver, CO.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $68.00 - $74.00/hr.
Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend…