Senior Network Manager Overview Our client, a leading global organisation, is seeking a Senior Manager, Networks to lead their worldwide network operations and strategy. This role combines technical leadership with strategic vision, overseeing a global team and driving network transformation initiatives, including a major SD-WAN rollout to improve performance, resilience, and security. You'll collaborate with IT and business stakeholders across multiple regions, manage key vendor partnerships, and shape the future of the company's network infrastructure. Key Responsibilities Leadership & Team Management Lead and mentor a global team of Network Engineers across regions and time zones. Provide hands-on technical direction and promote best practices in network design and operations. Build a culture of accountability, service excellence, and continual improvement. Technical Strategy & Operations Own and optimise global WAN, LAN, and cloud network technologies. Lead the implementation of SD-WAN, SASE, and cloud-based networking solutions. Drive network automation and infrastructure-as-code initiatives. Maintain robust documentation and ensure compliance with IT governance and security standards. Oversee patching, upgrades, and performance optimisation across all network layers. Incident & Service Management Lead incident response and ensure root cause analysis and service improvement. Partner with Service Delivery teams to maintain high service quality and uptime. Manage and improve escalation processes for critical incidents. Vendor & Stakeholder Management Manage third-party vendors and service providers, ensuring SLA compliance. Negotiate contracts and statements of work for network services. Partner with internal stakeholders to align network services with business and security goals. Manage network budgets and deliver ongoing cost optimisation. Required Skills & Experience Proven experience leading global network teams in large-scale or multinational environments. Strong SD-WAN design and implementation expertise (HPE SD-WAN preferred). Solid Cisco networking background (Nexus 3K/9K, BGP, OSPF, EIGRP). Expertise with firewalls (Palo Alto, Fortinet) and wireless (Aruba). In-depth understanding of MPLS, VPNs, QoS, and network security. Experience managing third-party vendors, SLAs, and large budgets. Skilled in network monitoring and management tools (SolarWinds, Cisco, PRTG, F5). Excellent communication skills - able to translate technical detail for business stakeholders. Track record of leading transformation within 24×7 enterprise network environments.