Operations Manager

Job description / Role

About the role

Roles and Responsibilities:

Leadership:

Lead and manage a high-performing team of L2, L3 engineers, and patch managers dedicated to supporting a major customer account.
Mentor team members, fostering technical growth and ensuring alignment with both organizational and customer-specific goals.
Supervise and maintain schedules for patch management, system upgrades, and troubleshooting tasks while ensuring seamless integration with the customer's operational framework.
Act as the primary escalation point for complex technical issues, ensuring timely and effective resolution in line with customer expectations.
Conduct regular performance reviews, provide constructive feedback, and create development plans for team members, ensuring their growth aligns with the customer's evolving needs.
Oversee the hiring process, including candidate evaluation, interviewing, and onboarding of new team members dedicated to the customer's environment.
Promote team autonomy by fostering a culture of accountability, knowledge sharing, and proactive problem-solving tailored to the customer's infrastructure.
Encourage continuous learning and professional development through training, certifications, and mentoring programs relevant to the customer's technology landscape.
Ensure team alignment with company values, policies, and compliance requirements while maintaining a strong customer focus.
Stay up to date with emerging technologies and proactively participate in technology transformation initiatives in collaboration with the customer.

Technical Oversight:

• Oversee the configuration, management, and troubleshooting of enterprise technologies within the customer's environment, including:
• Firewalls: Cisco ASA, FortiGate, Check Point, Palo Alto (including Prisma).
• Networking: Cisco core and access switches, Cisco routers, Cisco access points, and wireless controllers.
• Load balancers and DNS: F5 and Infoblox.
• Ensure the secure and optimized deployment of infrastructure solutions in compliance with best practices, company policies, and customer-specific security standards.
• Monitor system and network performance, proactively identifying and mitigating risks or issues affecting the customer's operations.
• Collaborate with L1 teams to ensure seamless handoff of incidents requiring advanced troubleshooting, ensuring alignment with the customer's SLAs.

Patch and Change Management:

• Supervise and enforce patch management schedules for all critical systems and network devices in coordination with the customer's security policies and maintenance windows.
• Coordinate with vendors and internal stakeholders to test and deploy firmware or software updates for all supported technologies within the customer's infrastructure.
• Maintain compliance with security and regulatory requirements by keeping infrastructure up to date with the latest patches, ensuring customer audits and assessments are met.
• Review and approve changes within the infrastructure, ensuring alignment with both internal and customer organizational policies to minimize impact on operations.
• Support continuous improvement in change management processes to enhance efficiency and reduce downtime within the customer's IT environment.
• Support within the customer CAB's when needed.

Collaboration and Coordination:

• Work closely with other teams (e.g., security, IT operations) to align infrastructure requirements and resolve issues specific to the customer account.
• Partner with incident, change, and release managers to ensure smooth operations and incident resolution according to the customer's defined processes.
• Collaborate with vendors for advanced troubleshooting, hardware replacements, and software updates related to the customer's infrastructure.
• Engage with customer stakeholders to define and prioritize technical projects and initiatives, ensuring alignment with their business objectives.

Process Improvement:

• Identify areas for automation and process optimization to reduce manual effort and improve response times while aligning with the customer's IT strategy.
• Regularly update and refine SOPs, configuration documentation, and troubleshooting guides specific to the customer's operational environment.
• Drive continuous improvement by adopting industry best practices and staying informed on emerging technologies relevant to the customer's needs.
• Act as a "knowledge owner" for relevant technical areas, leveraging ServiceNow KCS for knowledge management in alignment with the customer's documentation standards.

Communication and Reporting:

• Prepare detailed reports on system performance, patch compliance, incident trends, and team productivity, tailored for both internal and customer reviews.
• Communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders clearly and effectively, ensuring alignment with customer expectations.
• Provide regular updates to senior management and customer representatives on project progress, system health, and key metrics.

Compliance and Governance:

• Ensure all systems and configurations adhere to internal and external compliance standards (e.g., ISO, NIST, GDPR) while meeting the customer's regulatory requirements.
• Participate in security audits and risk assessments, addressing any identified gaps in collaboration with the customer's security teams.
• Implement governance best practices to maintain a structured and efficient working environment aligned with the customer's policies.

About you

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Network Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• Proven experience (5+ years) in managing teams and enterprise infrastructure, with at least 3 years in a leadership role supporting dedicated customer teams.
• In-depth knowledge of:
  • Firewall technologies: Cisco ASA, FortiGate, Check Point, Palo Alto (including Prisma).
  • Networking: Cisco core and access switches, routers, access points, and wireless controllers.
  • Load balancers and DNS: F5 and Infoblox.
• Strong expertise in patch management processes and tools, ensuring compliance with customer policies.
• Experience in performance management, team development, and coaching employees within a customer-focused environment.
• Excellent leadership, organizational, and communication skills, with experience managing dedicated customer accounts.
• Relevant certifications such as CCNP, CCIE, Fortinet NSE, PCNSE, or equivalent are a strong plus.

Department

Global Delivery & Operations

Orange Business is a network and digital integrator that understands the entire value chain of the digital world, freeing our customers to focus on the strategic initiatives that shape their business. Every day, you will collaborate with a team dedicated to providing consistent, sustainable global solutions, no matter where our customers operate. With over 30,000 employees across Asia, the Americas, Africa, and Europe, we offer a dynamic environment to develop and perfect your skills in a field filled with exciting challenges and opportunities.

About the Company

Orange is one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators with sales of 43.5 billion euros in 2022 and 136,000 employees worldwide at 31 December 2022, including 75,000 employees in France. The Group has a total customer base of 287 million customers worldwide at 31 December 2022, including 242 million mobile customers and 24 million fixed broadband customers. The Group is present in 26 countries. Orange is also a leading provider of global IT and telecommunication services to multinational companies under the brand Orange Business.