Networking Fundamentals
Strong understanding of TCP/IP, IPv4/IPv6, VLANs, and subnetting
Proficiency in routing protocols: BGP, OSPF, MPLS
Experience with VPN technologies (IPSec, SSL, GRE, site-to-site, remote access)
Hands-on with switching technologies: STP, EtherChannel, VXLAN
Certifications: CCAN R&S (EI), CCNP R&S (EI), or JNCIA-Junos, JNCIS-ENT, JNCIS-SP, JNCIP-ENT, CCNA DC, CCNP DC (mandatory)
Practical experience with Cisco Catalyst & Nexus switches, Juniper EX/QFX/MX series
Preferred exposure to Arista or Mellanox data center switches
Hosting & Data Center Networking
Experience with DNS (Bind, PowerDNS, Anycast)
Knowledge of protocols: HTTP(S), SMTP, FTP/SFTP in hosting environments
Load balancing experience (Nginx, HAProxy, or hardware LB like F5, Citrix)
Understanding of multi-tenant hosting and client isolation
Cloud Networking
Familiarity with VPCs, subnets, peering, NAT gateways, VPN gateways
Hands-on with AWS, Azure, or VMware NSX networking
Hybrid connectivity (on-prem ↔ cloud)
Security
Firewall administration: Cisco ASA/FTD, Fortinet, Palo Alto
Basic DDoS mitigation & WAF knowledge
IDS/IPS configuration and monitoring
Network segmentation and Zero-Trust principles
Automation & Monitoring
Scripting with Python, Bash, or Ansible
Familiarity with Zabbix, Nagios, Grafana, ELK, or equivalent tools
Building proactive alerts and reporting dashboards
Troubleshooting & Operations
Strong diagnostic and root-cause analysis skills (packet captures, traceroute, Wireshark)
Handling SLA-driven escalations from NOC/customers
Comfortable with 24/7 operations and shift work
Strong English communication skills (verbal & written)
Ability to explain technical concepts to non-technical users
Excellent documentation skills (configs, procedures, incident reports)
Team collaboration with cloud, sysadmin, and support teams
Adaptability to fast-paced hosting environments
Flexibility to work across different time zones
