What are the responsibilities and job description for the Network Manager position at Solü Technology Partners?
About the Organization
Our partner in the beverage industry is a leading, family-owned bottling and distribution company with a legacy spanning more than two centuries. As one of the largest beverage bottlers in North America, they distribute over 50 brands and flavors to millions of customers across 13 states. With 8,000 dedicated employees, the organization prides itself on a culture of teamwork, innovation, and winning together.
Why You’ll Love Working Here
Our partner is committed to supporting your well-being—professionally, physically, and financially—with a competitive and comprehensive benefits program, including:
- Multiple medical plan options, plus dental and vision coverage
- 401(k) with company match
- Relocation assistance
- Health Savings Accounts with company match
- FREE virtual primary care, urgent care, and physical therapy
- FREE Employee Assistance Program
- Company-paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick time, bereavement, jury duty, parental leave, disability leave, volunteer time)
- Tuition reimbursement
- Discounted & complimentary product
- Opportunities for professional development and advancement
- Community engagement and volunteer opportunities
Some benefits require enrollment in a company medical plan.
Position Overview: Senior Network Manager
The Senior Network Manager will lead enterprise networking strategy, operations, and engineering for our partner in the beverage industry. This role oversees a team of up to six network engineers and serves as the strategic and technical leader for a complex, multi-site enterprise network environment.
The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in network architecture, performance optimization, large-scale operations, and cross-functional leadership. This role combines hands-on technical capability with strategic planning, budget management, vendor oversight, and collaboration with third-party NOC providers.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Planning
- Develop and execute the enterprise network roadmap aligned with business goals.
- Partner with IT leadership to define network standards, policies, and long-term strategy.
- Drive innovation and adopt emerging technologies to enhance network performance and reliability.
Team Leadership
- Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of senior network engineers.
- Oversee performance management, goal-setting, and career development for direct reports.
Operational Excellence
- Manage third-party NOC operations to ensure SLA adherence and high-quality service delivery.
- Ensure 24/7 availability and resilience of enterprise network infrastructure (LAN, WAN, WLAN, SD-WAN, VPN, VoIP, cloud networking).
- Oversee high-severity incident management, change control, and escalation processes.
- Serve as senior escalation point for complex technical challenges.
Financial & Vendor Management
- Own and manage the network budget, including forecasting, ROI, TCO, and business case (BNA) justifications.
- Evaluate vendor proposals and maintain strategic relationships with network service providers, hardware/software vendors, and contractors.
Engineering & Architecture
- Lead architecture reviews, capacity planning, and network security initiatives.
- Maintain deep expertise in Cisco, Meraki, Nexus, SDN, SASE, and other emerging technologies.
- Define, track, and report KPIs to ensure service levels meet or exceed business expectations.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or related field
- 8 years of IT networking experience
- 4 years in a leadership or management role
- Experience managing ROI, TCO, and BNA analyses for IT infrastructure investments
- Demonstrated success managing and negotiating with third-party service providers and NOCs
- Strong understanding of network security principles and relevant compliance frameworks (PCI DSS, SOX, etc.)
Preferred Qualifications
- Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or related field
- Experience in large multi-site enterprise environments