Group Connectivity Expert

Job Description

The Group Connectivity Expert has the role to design and build the full network and security environment for stow at group level. The main goal is to secure, standardize, combine, and optimize one of the most critical IT assets of the company’s IT landscape. You will guide the company to ensure the network availability within the company is above 99.8% on a yearly base. You will be the lead architect for your domain within group and local project workgroups. You will respect the boundaries of the IT rules & regulations. 

Tasks & Responsibilities:

• Advise the company on how to build high available, secure and performant networks using modern technology, considering the requirements articulated by our company. 
• Translate a (complex) business problem into a technical solution in your area of expertise. 
• Be the single point of contact for all internal and external inquiries in your area of expertise. 
• Participate in the design of solutions needed to grow our business, where you will be the IT architect for your domain and make sure, we design and build an enterprise grade setup that is resilient in case of failure and secure by design. 
• Support the roadmap towards compliance with legal frameworks/requirements such as for example ISO27001, NIS2, CRA and others.
• Actively implement your solutions into our environment. You will do this hand-on, aided by a partner or as a joint team effort. 
• Ensure we have the highest level of protection possible to prevent intrusion in our network, to avoid data loss or loss of critical personal or financial data. 
• Take responsibility to optimize existing (SD)LAN, WLAN, (SD)WAN, SASE, identity provider, application delivery and firewall components and to build a cost-efficient network topology that serves the company’s current and growth plans to access both on-premises and public cloud applications. 
• Consolidate and optimize the existing environment to a harmonized, centralized, and well secured environment.
• Detect and communicate continuously on areas in your domain that can be improved, should be removed, or can be matured to keep our competitive advantage. 
• Plan and execute the removal of decentralized assets, if possible, to lower our IT footprint in remote locations. 
• Ensure that applicable principles, policies, standards, and guidelines are understood by IT teams and are being applied. 
• Collaborate with the Network, Workplace, Identity & Security Experts and other IT colleagues to ensure our network infrastructure matches the expectations of the business. 
• Actively follow-up on technology trends within your domain. 
• Occasionally assist & collaborate with L2 support teams in case of operational or security related incidents. 

Qualifications

Your profile

• Extensive knowledge of switching, routing, and next-generation firewalls 
• Extensive experience with SASE platforms.
• Strong knowledge of WLAN, preferably in industrial environments 
• Experience with dynamic routing protocols like for example BGP.
• Experience with application delivery appliances, load balancing, VoIP, Quality of Service and overlay network technologies is considered a plus. 
• Ability to create network flow diagrams and network schemes. 
• Ability to work in an international company and with staff in different time zones. 
• Flexibility and ingenuity, sharp mental skills 
• Solid problem-solving skills 
• Ability and desire to learn and evolve his or her skills. 
• Hands on, proactive and responsible, with excellent interpersonal and communication skills 
• Result-oriented, self-starting, self-motivated and able to work independently. 
• Team working and collaboration attitude. 
• Stress resistant 
• Highly organized, transparent, and strong follow-up skills 
• Mandatory language (spoken and written) is English. All other languages are considered a plus. 

Job complexity and challenges

Working in the Global IT team, the Group Connectivity Expert: 

• Works in a relatively complex organization, where all stakeholders, using the technology in place will need to be aligned, putting the best interest of the company as your primary goal. Understanding cultural differences, as well as respecting local regulations is a key complexity to consider. 
• Can work on multiple parallel assignments, projects, or initiatives in combination with the day-to-day support on a level 3 towards users or peers. 
• Works under supervision of a team lead and/or IT manager, though requires a self-employed, pragmatic and “can do” work behaviour. 
• Works in a multi-cultural environment with diverse business maturity levels 
  • Works in a lean and optimized IT environment in constant evolution to face the change required by the new acquisitions and the business growth environment. 
  • Has the ability to work in large environments (+350 network components, 2 on-premises datacentres, public cloud connectivity and 35 remote locations, …) 
  • Travel might be needed (Estimated rate: 10-20%) to provide installations, guidance, and support. 

Accountability and scope factors

Working in the Global IT team, the Group Connectivity Expert: 

• Has a key role in improving the overall IT landscape by selecting, providing the right technology choices and solutions that ensure the overall security, stability, and progress of the company. 
• Has a key role in the successful integration of new acquisitions and thus in the realization of stow’s rapid growth ambitions. 
• Accountable on the continuous availability of the systems, solutions, and applications within the responsibilities of the designated IT stack. 
• Provide expert support (third line level) in line with the support SLA’s (both internal & external). 
• Assists the IT Management Team and business stakeholders in further defining the IT roadmap and drives the proper execution of it in line with the priorities and budget defined. 

Additional Information

Unsolicited representations by third parties (recruitment agencies, headhunters, ...) of CVs via mail and/or telephone for our vacancies are considered as direct applications where no compensation is provided to the third party. 
Any T&Cs from these third parties will not be accepted unless upon signature of the T&Cs by a person in charge of HR.
Candidates remain registered in the system for 12 months and cannot be proposed again during this period.