Network Engineer

Purpose of the Role

The Network Engineer is responsible for the design, implementation, support, monitoring, security and continuous improvement of Hungry Lion's network infrastructure across all operating countries. The role ensures reliable connectivity between stores, head office, cloud platforms, data centres and third‑party service providers, supporting business‑critical systems including POS, payments, CCTV, ERP and collaboration platforms. The role will be accountable for maintaining high network availability, driving network standardisation across Africa and supporting new store openings, acquisitions and expansion projects.

Travel to stores, distribution centres and regional offices is required.

Network Operations & Support

• Manage and maintain WAN, LAN, WLAN, SD-WAN, VPN and internet connectivity across all Hungry Lion locations
• Monitor network performance, availability, bandwidth utilisation and service quality
• Troubleshoot and resolve network incidents and escalations within agreed SLAs
• Coordinate with service providers for fault resolution and service delivery
• Maintain network uptime targets and minimise business disruption
• Support after‑hours and critical incident response when required

Infrastructure Design & Engineering

• Design scalable and resilient network architectures for stores, distribution centres and corporate offices
• Implement network solutions aligned to business growth and expansion plans
• Standardise network deployments across multiple African countries
• Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend improvements
• Support cloud connectivity requirements for Google Cloud and SaaS platforms

Store Connectivity & Expansion

• Design and maintain store network standards
• Support all new store openings, relocations, refurbishments and acquisitions
• Ensure network readiness prior to store go‑live
• Implement dual‑link and failover strategies for business continuity
• Manage LTE backup solutions and SD‑WAN deployments

Security & Compliance

• Implement and maintain network security controls
• Manage firewalls, VPNs, access control policies and segmentation
• Support cybersecurity initiatives and vulnerability remediation
• Ensure compliance with company security policies and standards
• Participate in audits and security assessments

Vendor & Service Provider Management

• Manage telecommunications and network service providers
• Review provider performance against SLAs
• Assist with contract evaluations and technical assessments
• Drive service improvements and cost optimisation initiatives
• Escalate chronic service issues and manage remediation plans

Monitoring & Documentation

• Maintain accurate network diagrams and documentation
• Ensure all network assets are recorded and tracked
• Produce operational and executive reports
• Develop and maintain network standards and procedures
• Maintain disaster recovery and failover documentation

Projects & Continuous Improvement

• Participate in infrastructure and digital transformation projects
• Support POS, payment, ERP, CCTV and cloud initiatives
• Identify opportunities to improve reliability, performance and cost efficiency
• Assist in budgeting and forecasting of network‑related expenditure
• Lead network‑related project implementations

Essential

• 5+ years of experience in network engineering and support
• Experience supporting multi‑site retail environments
• Strong understanding of:
• TCP/IP
• Routing & Switching
• VLANs
• VPN Technologies
• Wireless Networks
• SD‑WAN
• Network Security
• DNS & DHCP
• Firewalls
• MPLS and Broadband Services
• LTE/5G Connectivity
• Experience managing service providers and ISPs
• Strong troubleshooting and diagnostic skills
• Experience with network monitoring platforms

Preferred

• Experience supporting African operations and remote locations
• Experience with:
• Fortinet
• Cisco
• Aruba
• Ubiquiti
• Meraki
• Mikrotik
• Google Cloud networking
• Experience with PCI‑DSS environments
• Experience supporting payment systems and retail POS networks

Essential

• Diploma or degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Network Engineering or related field
• Preferred certifications:
• Cisco CCNA / CCNP
• Fortinet NSE
• Aruba Certified Professional
• ITIL Foundation
• Network Security Certifications

Technical…