Network operations center manager

The NOC Manager is responsible for the operational performance, leadership, and strategic direction of the enterprise’s 24/7 Network Operations Center. This role ensures network availability, incident resolution, team execution, and infrastructure reliability across 300+ global sites. The NOC Manager serves as both a people leader and technical enabler , driving continuous improvement, proactive monitoring, and efficient escalation workflows while aligning network operations with enterprise standards and business outcomes. Key Responsibilities Operational Leadership Manage and lead the daily operations of a global NOC supporting a multi-site, hybrid cloud environment Oversee Tier 1–3 support functions including incident triage, escalation, troubleshooting, change implementation, and monitoring Serve as the highest operational escalation point for network incidents and outages Maintain and enforce 24/7 shift coverage, including staffing, scheduling, and on-call rotations Team Management & Development Directly manage NOC Analysts, Network Engineers, and the Network Reliability Engineer (NRE) Drive performance through coaching, 1:1s, skill development plans, and technical mentorship Define and track team KPIs including MTTR, SLA adherence, incident volume, and alert fatigue reduction Foster a high-performance culture built around accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning Strategy & Automation Partner with NRE to develop automation, infrastructure-as-code, and observability initiatives Identify operational inefficiencies and lead projects to improve toolsets, response time, and coverage Champion reliability engineering practices to improve incident prevention and resiliency Lead the implementation and refinement of NOC runbooks, SOPs, and escalation procedures Cross-Functional Collaboration Act as the liaison between Infrastructure, Cloud, Security, Application, and Helpdesk teams during major incidents and network events Partner with Engineering and Cloud teams on deployments, migrations, and new service onboarding Participate in ITSM governance for incident, problem, and change management processes Reporting & Communication Own and distribute executive-level reporting on network health, SLAs, critical incident trends, and operational risks Deliver RCA documentation, incident debriefs, and recommendations to leadership Ensure all ticketing, monitoring, and reporting platforms reflect real-time network health and team activity Required Qualifications Degree in Computer Science, Networking, Information Technology, or a related field 8+ years of experience in network operations or engineering roles, including 3+ years in a leadership or management position Deep knowledge of enterprise networking (TCP/IP, BGP, OSPF, VPN, VLANs, SD-WAN) Experience with Cisco Catalyst, Meraki, ASA, Palo Alto Networks, and Zscaler (ZIA/ZPA) Strong understanding of network monitoring platforms (Logic Monitor, Solar Winds, PRTG, etc.) Familiarity with cloud networking (AWS VPC, Azure VNet, Express Route, TGW, etc.) Experience with ITSM platforms (e.g., Service Now) and change management frameworks Demonstrated success managing 24/7 teams, shift coverage, and high-severity incident response Preferred Qualifications Certifications: CCNP, PCNSE, ZCCA/ZCNA, AWS/Azure Networking certs Experience managing teams with diverse roles (e.g., NOC, NRE, Engineering) across multiple time zones Exposure to infrastructure automation tools (Terraform, Python, Ansible) Strong background in SLAs, SLOs, and operational performance tracking Familiarity with ISO 27001, SOC 2, or other compliance frameworks relevant to network operations