Cloud Networking, Principal

Responsible for planning, designing, procuring, monitoring, maintaining, supporting, and administering the enterprise network system to ensure service availability for business functions, users, distribution partners, and customers.

Oversee the Local and Wide Area Network (LAN/WAN) infrastructure and Azure Cloud networking, ensuring continuous performance monitoring to minimize system downtime and maintain service reliability. Ensure the security and protection of all network systems to prevent unauthorized access and breaches. Responsible for the backup and recovery processes, and for continuously enhancing and improving network performance and service availability.

• Ensure the company’s network system is consistently operational and available.
• Collaborate with service providers to plan, design, implement, and support WAN, LAN (Data Centre, HQ & Branch), and AIA-subscribed Azure Cloud network systems in accordance with established standards and guidelines.
• Manage network-related projects and perform tasks that support overall network operations.
• Prepare technical proposals for new equipment and conduct technical and financial reviews of business cases.
• Monitor and maintain daily network operations.
• Provide support, technical assistance, advice, and risk analysis for network and telecommunication initiatives.
• Serve as the subject matter expert for all network-related matters.
• Manage AIA Wi-Fi and LAN infrastructure for AIA Bhd. and its branches.
• Ensure network operations comply with AIA policies.
• Oversee outsourced network vendors.
• Provide advisory support to Level 1 (L1) teams and deliver Level 2 (L2) and/or Level 3 (L3) support in collaboration with service principals.
• Troubleshoot network connectivity issues and advise on NAT entries and firewall rule modifications to enable connectivity.
• Provide network configuration support and document technical requirements.
• Coordinate required changes with other network and firewall teams.
• Support Cloud Architects in delivering operations and migration services aligned with business and technical requirements.
• Report on current infrastructure status and plan for future capacity and usage.
• Configure and support backbone connections via Azure ExpressRoute.
• Use approved tools to verify and respond to events from network monitoring systems and Web Application Firewall.
• Troubleshoot and identify root causes of network issues.
• Perform system updates, patches, and configuration changes.
• Map network layouts and configure systems according to user environments.
• Monitor utilization, performance, and availability of cloud network infrastructure, extranet links, and SD-WAN.
• Identify and resolve network problems, including disaster recovery operations and participation in 24/7 on-call rotations to ensure continuous support.
• Ensure all network configurations comply with AIA’s standard policies.

• Liaise with telecommunication and network providers for support, disaster recovery requirements, and service management.
• Provide support and oversight for network security policies, including guidance, approval submissions, and implementation.

• Undertake additional tasks and responsibilities as delegated by the Senior Manager, in alignment with evolving business needs.
• Provide network-related support and expertise for business initiatives, ensuring alignment with technical and operational requirements.

• Bachelor’s degree in a technology-related field, or extensive experience in a large-scale networking environment equivalent to a bachelor’s degree. The duration and relevance of experience will be determined at the discretion of the employer.
• Professional certifications such as CCNA, CCNP, or CCIE are advantageous.
• Minimum of 10 years’ experience in an enterprise network environment across multiple platforms, in a similar capacity.
• Strong working knowledge of network structured cabling, routing protocols, and TCP/IP technologies.
• Proficient in using enterprise network monitoring tools and analyzing network traffic.
• Solid understanding of Layer 1 (Transport), Layer 2 (Data), and Layer 3 (IP) technologies.
• Strong organizational, verbal and written communication, and project management skills.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and collaborate effectively in a team environment.
• Capable of tracking, analyzing, and reporting on cloud network performance and capacity.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to explain technical issues to non-technical audiences.
• Familiarity with Cloud Service Models: IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS.
• Experience with Cisco network security platforms, including Check Point and Palo Alto firewalls.
• Ability to perform advanced packet/protocol analysis across all layers of the OSI model.
• Hands-on experience with Azure cloud networking, including NSG, Application Gateway, Load Balancer, etc.
• Comprehensive understanding of network services and protocols such as TCP/IP, OSPF, and EIGRP.
• In-depth practical knowledge of LAN, firewalls, load balancers, and routers.
• Strong analytical skills to evaluate network performance, identify issues, and implement effective solutions.
• Proficient in network performance analysis and troubleshooting fundamentals.
• Experience with Agile and DevOps methodologies, and familiarity with server scripting and modern deployment/configuration tools such as Ansible, Python, and OpsWorks is a plus.
• Ability to write clear and concise technical documentation, especially related to cloud architecture.
• Demonstrated experience in implementing, migrating, managing, and operating systems/applications in an enterprise cloud computing environment.
• Deep expertise in Azure cloud platforms and hybrid cloud networking.