Network Engineer at Quality Chemical Industries Limited (Qcil) ,Uganda, Kampala

Engineering
Kampala, Uganda
January 31, 2026
Full Time
Urgent
Application ends: February 13, 2026
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Job Description

The Network Engineer is responsible for designing, transforming, securing, and governing QCIL’s network infrastructure (switching, routing, wireless, WAN, and firewalls). The role owns network architecture, IT/OT (GxP) segmentation enforcement, FortiGate firewall lifecycle management, network monitoring, and network disaster recovery readiness.

Reporting Line:

  • Reports to: Head of IT

  • Works closely with: Systems Engineer, Security Engineer, OT stakeholders, Application owners (SAP/LIMS/TrackWise/M365), Vendors/ISPs

Primary Objectives (What success looks like)

  • Secure and stable network services with measurable availability and performance across all QCIL.

  • Enforced IT/OT segmentation protecting GxP systems via Firewall policy.

  • Reduced cyber risk through strong perimeter controls, secure remote access, and continuous monitoring.

  • Documented, standardized configurations with controlled change management and clear rollback plans.

Key Responsibilities

A. Network Architecture, Standards & Transformation

  • Assess and document current-state network topology and produce target-state designs (HLD/LLD) covering LAN/WAN, routing, VLANs, wireless, and firewall zoning.

  • Define and enforce network configuration standards.

  • Direct system installations and cutovers.

B. IT/OT Segmentation & Access Control

  • Design and maintain security zones and segmentation controls to protect OT/GxP equipment and associated data.

  • Maintain a connectivity matrix for regulated systems (sources/destinations/ports/justifications), and ensure changes follow change control and are evidence-ready for audit.

  • Implement secure management-plane access.

C. Firewall Engineering & Perimeter Services

  • Own Firewall lifecycle management: policy architecture (zone-based), object governance, NAT, VPNs (site-to-site and remote access), HA/health checks, backups, and firmware lifecycle.

  • Implement security controls appropriate to the environment.

  • Conduct quarterly firewall rule reviews (remove unused rules, reduce risk, ensure logging and justifications).

D. Monitoring, Performance & Troubleshooting (Tier-3)

  • Implement and tune network monitoring (e.g., PRTG/OpManager).

  • Perform evidence-based root cause analysis on outages and performance issues and implement preventative fixes.

  • Plan and deliver upgrades and optimizations (firmware, topology improvements, QoS for voice/critical traffic) with change control and post-change validation.

E. Enterprise Systems Connectivity (M365, SAP, LIMS, TrackWise)

  • Ensure network readiness for core systems: DNS/routing correctness, firewall allowlists, proxy paths, VPN/remote access, and capacity planning.

  • Collaborate with Systems Engineer and application owners during upgrades and incidents to isolate network vs system/application causes and restore service quickly.

F. DR, Audit & Documentation

  • Implement and test network components of the Disaster Recovery Plan: firewall restore procedures, VPN failover, alternate connectivity, DNS/routing failover, and documented runbooks.

  • Participate in network-related audits and lead remediation; provide evidence (configs, logs, access controls, firmware/patch posture) and track closure.

  • Maintain up-to-date network diagrams, as-built documentation, SOPs/runbooks, and lifecycle registers (firmware, ISP circuits, VPN inventory).

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

  • Network availability/uptime for critical services and sites.

  • Mean time to resolve (MTTR) for network incidents and reduction of repeat incidents.

  • Firewall policy hygiene: quarterly rule review completion, removal of unused/risky rules, and audit evidence quality.

  • IT/OT segmentation compliance: approved connectivity matrix coverage and change control adherence.

  • Monitoring coverage and alert quality (noise reduction, critical detection).

Minimum Qualifications & Experience

  • BSc in IT/Computer Science/Engineering or related field.

  • 5+ years of network engineering experience delivering LAN/WAN/firewall solutions in production environments.

  • Strong hands-on experience with NG firewalls (FortiGate preferred), routing/switching, and wireless design.

  • Experience with network monitoring tools (e.g., PRTG, OpManager) and structured troubleshooting (RCA).

Certifications (Preferred)

·       CCNA/CCNP or equivalent networking certifications.

·       Fortinet certifications (NSE/FCP/Fortinet Firewall) – strong advantage.

·       ITIL Foundation – advantage; security training/certification – advantage.

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