Lead SD-WAN transformation, design assurance, and delivery leadership. Translate network architecture into implementable designs. Collaborate with vendors and teams to resolve design and integration issues.
Key Highlights
Key Responsibilities
Technical Skills Required
Benefits & Perks
Nice to Have
Job Description
Senior Network Engineer (SD-WAN SME) – Contract
Fully Remote (UK) with occasional travel
Contract Length: 6 months
About the Role
We’re supporting a large-scale, multi-site SD-WAN transformation within a complex B2B migration programme. This is a hands-on SD-WAN Subject Matter Expert contract, suited to someone who can lead from the front across design assurance, deployment, migration and stabilisation—ensuring a repeatable rollout approach with zero business disruption.
You’ll work closely with network engineering, security, architecture, carriers/service providers and programme delivery teams, taking ownership of cutover planning, pre-change validation, rollback readiness and hypercare.
Key Responsibilities
- Act as the SD-WAN technical authority for the programme, providing design assurance and practical delivery leadership
- Translate high-level network/security architecture into implementable High-Level and Low-Level Designs (HLD/LLD), templates and standards
- Define and refine standard deployment patterns, including zero-touch provisioning, configuration templates and cutover playbooks
- Support or lead migrations from MPLS and hybrid WAN environments to SD-WAN, including planning, execution, rollback and hypercare
- Ensure clean integration with security controls and access models (segmentation, encryption, policy enforcement, NGFW and/or SASE/SSE)
- Collaborate with vendors, carriers and delivery partners to resolve design, integration and performance issues across underlay/overlay networks, validating SLA alignment
- Drive operational readiness: produce runbooks and handover artefacts, define support models, and support NOC/service teams with troubleshooting and escalation paths
- Contribute to risk assessments, mitigation planning, governance and continuous improvement throughout rollout
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Requirements
Must-have experience:
- Extensive hands-on delivery of enterprise SD-WAN solutions at scale (multi-site rollouts in complex environments)
- Strong WAN underlay expertise: MPLS, DIA, broadband, LTE/5G, plus routing fundamentals (BGP, OSPF), QoS and traffic engineering
- Deep troubleshooting capability across overlay/underlay, using telemetry, performance metrics and logs to drive root-cause analysis and resolve systemic deployment issues
- Experience with at least one major SD-WAN platform, such as Cisco SD-WAN (Viptela/Meraki), Fortinet Secure SD-WAN, VMware SD-WAN (VeloCloud), Versa, Aruba/Silver Peak (or equivalent)
- Comfortable operating in a high-change transformation programme with time-critical cutovers and competing priorities
Desirable:
- SD-WAN integration with cloud platforms (AWS/Azure/GCP) and cloud networking patterns
- Exposure to automation tooling and modern network delivery practices (APIs, Ansible, Terraform)
- Familiarity with ITSM processes (incident/problem/change) and structured governance
- Relevant certifications (CCNP/CCIE or vendor equivalents, cloud networking certifications)
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Personal attributes:
- Calm, credible and decisive in complex delivery environments
- Pragmatic problem-solver with strong attention to detail and a clear bias to action
- Confident challenging vendor/partner recommendations constructively and communicating technical decisions to non-technical stakeholders
What’s on Offer
- Fully remote contract (UK-based), with occasional travel as required
- 6-month engagement on a high-impact SD-WAN transformation programme
- Opportunity to shape standardised rollout patterns, cutover playbooks and operational readiness for a large-scale deployment
- Collaborative environment working across network, security, architecture, carriers and programme teams
- Day rate: TBC (aligned to experience and scope)
To apply, share your CV and a brief summary of your SD-WAN rollout experience (platforms used, scale/number of sites, and migration approach).
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