NOC Senior Engineer

Poa! internet is the fastest growing and highly innovative ISP in Kenya. The company was founded in 2014 with a vision to provide internet in every home in Africa. At poa! We believe by empowering people, we can actively drive digital inclusion in these markets. We deploy a cost-effective internet service in Kenya, with the aim of providing affordable access to content and Internet to low-income members of society.

We are growing very fast to cover the rest of Kenya and eventually Africa. It is envisaged that the success of the business will grow to over 150 networks across East Africa. It is from this background that we seek prospective candidates to fill the role of NOC Senior Engineer.

At Poa, we pride ourselves on being a values-driven company and we love working with values-driven employees. Poa’s vision is “Internet in every home in Africa”. To achieve this vision, we live by our values, captured in the acronym, We CONNECT. At Poa, we: Create a better world for the people we serve, Open our eyes to problems and opportunities, Never stop learning never stop moving forward, Name it, own it , solve it, Engage with the bigger picture even in details, Care about each other and Tujienjoy kazini.

Mission Statement for the Role: 

To manage, support and ensure the availability, performance and capacity of poa! network whilst acting as a point of escalation to NOC Technicians.

Overall Responsibility: 

Configuration Management, Network Performance & Incidents Management, Quality of Service Management , Change Management, Continuous Service Improvement and Network Documentation.

Financial:

None

People:

Individual Contributor

Key SMART Results for A-Player Success

• Maintain core network availability at 99.9% and access layer at 99.9% through proactive event management and timely reactive interventions- Monthly
• Ensure quick identification of network issues and resolution of issues within stipulated operational level agreements – Monthly
• Own all escalations from NOC technicians and provide level 3 technical support on complex network and systems issues within networks and customer support teams. Acknowledge within 15 minutes and resolution as per internal operational level agreements – Monthly
• Serve as the go-to technical expert and actively engage in knowledge sharing and training initiatives to empower team members from technical teams – Monthly
• Maintain peak performance and cost-effective service delivery by ensuring optimal deployment and configurations of circuits with our providers and peering partners (e.g. local loops, IPT, PNI, and Cache) – Monthly
• Configuration management: Ensure optimal configuration of core and access network layers while ensuring up-to-date backups are done – Monthly
• Undertake core and access network continuous service improvement while ensuring adherence to change management process – Monthly
• Collaborate with Network Planning and Deployment teams to ensure new networks implementation is done as per expected standards and testing/signoff process followed –Monthly
• Complete documentation of poa! network topology and training of NOC & Technical Support technicians – Monthly
• Attain at least two advanced technical professional Certifications every year – Yearly 

Level of Management Experience Required (Mandatory & Nice to Have)

None

Department stage of development where this role sits

Prepare for Scale

Key Competencies (H, M, L)

• Degree in Information Technology , Computer Sciences, Telecommunication, or related discipline –H
• Expert in managing different types of network topologies: Fast fault identification, fault resolution, and implementation of mitigation measures –H
• Advanced knowledge in switching (e.g. STP, VLANs) and routing protocols (e.g. ISIS, OSPF, iBGP, BGP) –H
• Experience of TCP/IP Protocols, networking principles, and authentication protocols –H
• Knowledge in network automation: Development and maintenance of automation scripts and tools for network provisioning, monitoring, and management –H
• Experience in use of configuration and maintenance of network management and monitoring systems & tools –H
• At least 4 years experience focusing specifically on network infrastructure support and maintenance in fast growth high pressure environment –H
• Advanced certification in Mikrotik , Cisco, Juniper or equivalent –H
• Have a strong, flexible, adaptable & analytical approach to problem-solving with a can-do-it attitude –H
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to build and maintain relationships –H

Mandatory Criteria if any with no exceptions to hire

• 4+ years proven track record within a NOC in a Telecommunications environment, with experience in configuring Network and Network maintenance.
• Expert knowledge, in switching (STP, VLANs) and routing protocols (ISIS, OSPF, iBGP, BGP).
• Excellent knowledge of Mikrotik and Ubiquiti equipment, configuration and support of the same.