Senior Network Engineer – Robotics Infrastructure

We are a $13+ billion global technology company, home to more than 224,000 people across 60 countries, delivering industry-leading capabilities centered around digital, engineering, cloud, and AI, powered by a broad portfolio of technology services and products.HCLTech is a globally recognized leader in the Tech and IT industry, but we’ve never forgotten the startup mindset that got us here. We’ve always approached our work with an idea-first attitude because every one of our accomplishments —no matter how big or small —can be traced back to an idea’s single spark.

It’s that spark —that inner drive —that sets our people apart from our competitors. It enables us not just to pull off game-changing feat after game-changing feat but to better our world in the process. We want you to find your spark. Because that’s what drives you to be better, be more and ultimately, be more fulfilled.

Location: London, UK,On-site required 5 days a week

Schedule: Requiring flexibility to support out-of-hours deployment windows, covering US timezones and autonomous escalation management.

Role Objective We are seeking a highly autonomous Senior Network Engineer to design, deploy, and support isolated, high-security robotics lab environments. You will bridge traditional large-scale enterprise networking with zero-trust lab architecture, taking ownership of complex routing boundaries, Palo Alto firewall policies, and hardware migrations. This role requires a senior-level operator capable of driving out-of-hours network cutovers and resolving intricate host routing issues without requiring active Staff-level escalation.

Key Responsibilities

• Deployment & Operations: Deploy, configure, and maintain network hardware, specifically Cisco (C9200-24PXG, C9300X-48TX) and Palo Alto (PA5500) platforms. Utilize technologies like Cisco Stackwise and Stackwise Virtual to ensure high availability with minimal user disruption during migrations.
• Security & Perimeter Enforcement: Manage Palo Alto firewalls with or without Panorama to enforce strict Zero-Trust boundaries, micro-segmentation, and outbound-only polling policies for isolated vendor workcells.
• Autonomous Troubleshooting & Resolution: Perform deep-dive root cause analysis for complex network incidents. This includes traditional L2/L3 issues and optical/transceiver troubleshooting, as well as robotics-specific challenges such as overlapping internal subnets, NAT traversal constraints, and network latency. Wireshark analysis is also needed.
• Automation (IaC): Develop and maintain network automation tools and scripts using Python, Ansible, and Terraform to streamline provisioning, configuration management, and repetitive operational tasks.
• Autonomous Out-of-Hours Execution: Lead independent, out-of-hours network migrations cell-by-cell. Coordinate directly with research teams to ensure smooth transitions and minimal disruption to the robotics fleet.
• Performance Tuning: Proactively monitor network performance, identify capacity bottlenecks, and optimize for latency and throughput in high-telemetry environments.

Required Qualifications

• Experience: 10+ years of experience in enterprise/large-scale network engineering, design, and operations.
• Networking Mastery (L3): Expert-level knowledge of TCP/IP, BGP, OSPF, VRFs, complex NAT, and host routing issues.
• Networking Mastery (L2): Deep, practical knowledge of Layer 2 technologies including STP/RSTP/MSTP, VLANs/Trunking, EtherChannel/LAG, VTP, and L2 security/stability in large broadcast domains.
• Hardware & Security Platforms: Deep hands-on experience with Cisco IOS XE and Palo Alto PAN-OS/Panorama. Solid understanding of network security best practices and DMZ design.
• Automation Skills: Proficiency in Python for network automation, API interaction, and data manipulation. Highly desirable experience with Ansible and Terraform.
• Certifications: Professional-level network certifications (CCNP or equivalent) or equivalent industry experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience working in robotics labs, OT (Operational Technology), or heavily segmented manufacturing environments.
• Familiarity with network monitoring and logging tools (e.g., Zabbix, PRTG).
• Experience in cross-functional projects involving servers, virtualization, and storage.
• Understanding of Google Cloud Platform (GCP) VPC routing and Identity-Aware Proxies (IAP).
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.

Key Delivery Phases

• Phase 1: Preparation & Provisioning: Configuration of all new edge/distribution network hardware (C9200s, C9300Xs) and resolving local cabling/physical infrastructure constraints.
• Phase 2: Cell Migration: Execution of network migrations for all robotics cells. This involves coordinating directly with research teams to migrate one cell at a time, ensuring a smooth transition with strict adherence to the new Zero-Trust firewall architecture.
• Phase 3: Business as Usual (BAU): Autonomous turn-up of network hardware for new cells, documenting IP/VLAN mappings, troubleshooting BAU network incidents, and dynamically updating Panorama firewall policies based on user requirements and security events.

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