Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Network Support Manager

🎯 Role Definition

The Network Support Manager is a critical leadership role responsible for ensuring the stability, integrity, and efficient operation of the organization's in-house information systems and network infrastructure. This position involves leading a team of network support specialists, overseeing all network-related support activities, and acting as the key escalation point for complex technical issues. The manager combines deep technical expertise with strong leadership skills to maintain a high-performing, reliable, and secure network environment that underpins all business operations. They are a strategic partner to IT leadership, contributing to the network's architectural evolution while managing its day-to-day health and performance.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Senior Network Engineer / Lead Network Engineer
IT Team Lead / Infrastructure Supervisor
Network Operations Center (NOC) Manager

Advancement To:

Director of Network Operations / Director of Infrastructure
Head of IT Operations
Senior IT Manager

Lateral Moves:

IT Project Manager (Infrastructure Focus)
Security Operations Manager
Cloud Infrastructure Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead, mentor, and develop a team of network support engineers, fostering a culture of high performance, continuous improvement, and customer-centric service through regular coaching and performance management.
Oversee the day-to-day operations of the network support function, ensuring the timely and effective resolution of all network-related incidents and service requests in alignment with established Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
Develop, implement, and refine robust network support policies, operational procedures, and industry best practices to enhance operational efficiency, system reliability, and overall network security.
Manage the entire lifecycle of major network incidents, from initial detection and diagnosis through to resolution, root cause analysis (RCA), and the implementation of long-term preventative measures.
Act as the primary technical and managerial escalation point for complex, high-priority, or politically sensitive network issues, providing expert guidance and coordinating cross-functional resources to ensure swift resolution.
Proactively monitor the performance, availability, and capacity of the entire network infrastructure (LAN, WAN, WLAN, Data Center, Cloud) using tools like SolarWinds, Datadog, or PRTG to identify potential issues and implement necessary optimizations.
Plan, schedule, and oversee the execution of all network maintenance activities, including firmware/software patching, hardware upgrades, and configuration changes, ensuring minimal disruption to business operations through effective change management processes.
Collaborate closely with network architecture and engineering teams on the design and implementation of new network solutions, providing operational insight to ensure supportability and a smooth transition into production.
Manage key vendor relationships with hardware suppliers (e.g., Cisco, Arista) and service providers (ISPs, Telcos), overseeing service level agreements, support contracts, and procurement processes to ensure value and performance.
Develop and manage the operational budget for the network support function, including accurate forecasting for hardware refreshes, software licenses, maintenance contracts, and personnel needs.
Ensure the creation and meticulous maintenance of comprehensive documentation for the network infrastructure, including network diagrams, configuration standards, and standard operating procedures (SOPs).
Lead capacity planning initiatives for the network infrastructure, analyzing performance trends and traffic patterns to ensure the network can support future business growth and technological demands.
Guarantee that the network infrastructure and support practices comply with all relevant corporate security policies, industry regulations (e.g., PCI-DSS, HIPAA), and internal/external audit requirements.
Generate and present regular, insightful performance reports and dashboards to senior IT leadership, highlighting key metrics (e.g., uptime, MTTR), incident trends, and the status of ongoing strategic initiatives.
Drive the continuous evaluation and adoption of new networking technologies, automation tools, and support methodologies to improve the efficiency, security, and performance of the network support function.
Manage the on-call rotation schedules for the support team, ensuring adequate 24/7/365 support coverage for all critical network infrastructure components.
Champion a customer-first approach within the team, ensuring clear, timely, and professional communication with all business stakeholders during network incidents or planned maintenance windows.
Oversee the complete lifecycle of network hardware and software assets, including inventory management, license tracking, and end-of-life planning.
Conduct regular team meetings, one-on-one sessions, and formal performance reviews to guide the professional development of team members and align individual goals with departmental objectives.
Coordinate directly with cybersecurity teams to rapidly respond to, investigate, and mitigate network-based security threats, vulnerabilities, and active incidents.

Secondary Functions

Act as a key stakeholder and operational subject matter expert for IT infrastructure projects, ensuring network support requirements are met.
Oversee the development and maintenance of the network knowledge base and runbooks to empower L1/L2 support teams and improve first-call resolution rates.
Participate in the organization's disaster recovery and business continuity planning, specifically owning the network recovery strategy and testing procedures.
Liaise with facilities and data center operations teams to coordinate power, cooling, and cabling requirements for network hardware installations and moves.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Advanced Routing & Switching: Deep expertise in enterprise-level routing (BGP, OSPF) and switching protocols and technologies (e.g., Spanning Tree, VLANs, LACP).
Firewall & Security Management: Hands-on experience with next-generation firewalls (e.g., Palo Alto, Fortinet, Cisco ASA/FTD) including policy management, NAT, and VPN configuration.
Network Monitoring & Analysis: Proficiency with network monitoring systems (e.g., SolarWinds, Nagios, Zabbix) and packet capture/analysis tools (e.g., Wireshark).
SD-WAN Technologies: Strong understanding and practical experience with a major SD-WAN solution (e.g., Cisco Viptela, VMware VeloCloud, Silver Peak).
Cloud Networking: Solid knowledge of networking concepts within major cloud providers, including AWS (VPC, Direct Connect, TGW) and Azure (VNet, ExpressRoute).
Load Balancing: Experience managing and troubleshooting application delivery controllers and load balancers (e.g., F5 BIG-IP, NetScaler).
Wireless Networking: In-depth knowledge of enterprise wireless solutions (e.g., Cisco WLC, Meraki, Aruba) including RF planning, deployment, and troubleshooting.
ITIL Framework: Strong understanding of ITIL principles, particularly in Incident, Problem, and Change Management.
Network Automation: Familiarity with network automation concepts and tools (e.g., Ansible, Python scripting) is highly desirable.
Voice/UC Technologies: Knowledge of VoIP/UC infrastructure, including QoS, SIP trunking, and call routing principles.

Soft Skills

Leadership & Mentoring: Proven ability to lead, inspire, and develop a technical team, fostering a collaborative and positive work environment.
Strategic Thinking: Ability to see the bigger picture, align team activities with business goals, and plan for future network needs.
Exceptional Problem-Solving: A systematic and analytical approach to troubleshooting complex, multi-faceted technical problems under pressure.
Clear Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
Vendor & Stakeholder Management: Skill in negotiating with vendors and managing relationships with internal business units and executive leadership.
Incident & Crisis Management: The composure and decisiveness to lead a team effectively during high-stakes network outages or security incidents.
Project & Time Management: Strong organizational skills to manage multiple priorities, projects, and a demanding operational workload simultaneously.
Customer Focus: A strong commitment to providing excellent service and support to all internal users and business departments.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field or equivalent professional experience.

Preferred Education:

Master's degree in a relevant field.
Advanced industry certifications such as Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE), or similar.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Computer Science
Information Technology / Information Systems
Network Engineering or Telecommunications

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

8-12 years of progressive experience in network engineering and/or operations, with at least 3-5 years in a formal leadership or management capacity, supervising technical staff.

Preferred:

Experience managing large-scale, global enterprise networks in a 24/7 high-availability environment.
Demonstrable experience leading a network team through a significant technology transformation (e.g., data center migration, SD-WAN rollout, cloud adoption).