Network Support Squad Lead

Company Description

Xalient is a global boutique specialising in the convergence of identity-driven security and secure networking. We help the world’s leading enterprises stay secure, connected, and ready for the future - bringing together deep technical expertise, business insight, and AI-powered innovation to solve the complex challenges of modern digital businesses.

Independent by design and driven by a passion for exceptional service, Xalient combines global reach with the agility and customer intimacy of a boutique provider. Our advisory, professional, and managed services teams operate across the UK, US, EMEA and Asia - delivering fast, tangible outcomes and long-term impact.

Xalient is trusted by forward-thinking enterprises to reduce risk, optimise performance, and navigate today’s digital complexity with confidence.

Position

Reporting to the Operations Lead, the Network Support Squad Lead – Level 2 is responsible for providing technical leadership to Level 1 and Level 2 engineers within the squad. Each squad is a multidisciplinary team comprising Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 engineers, along with an Incident Manager, working together to support a 24/7 managed services operation. The Squad Lead is responsible for leading their respective squad during their assigned shift and serves as the line manager for the Level 1 engineers within the squad, providing day-to-day guidance, performance input, and ongoing development support.

This hands-on role involves managing incident triage, prioritisation, and escalation to ensure SLAs are met, while also spending around 70% of time on Level 2 technical tasks. The Squad Lead owns and coordinates all incidents during their shift, collaborating with the Incident Manager during major incidents and engaging senior teams when required. A focus on operational excellence is key, with responsibilities including participation in root cause analysis, process improvements, documentation, and effective shift handovers to maintain 24/7 service continuity.

The ideal candidate will be an experienced engineer with solid skills across routing, switching, firewalls, Wi-Fi, (SD-)WAN, and cloud networking solutions. You’ll combine technical expertise with strong leadership and mentoring abilities, supporting team development and fostering collaboration across shifts. A customer-focused mindset, attention to service quality, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment are essential for success.

The role requires participation in a rotating 24x7x365 schedule, including weekends, holidays, and religious or cultural observances. Participation in an on-call rota may also be required to support critical incidents outside of standard hours.

What you’ll be doing

• Managing incident triage across all engineering tiers (L1-L3) within your squad, coordinating with the Incident Manager to ensure effective prioritisation, escalation, and timely resolution of all P1–P4 incidents to prevent SLA breaches.
• Leading and managing Level 1 engineers within your squad, providing clear direction, performance feedback, and day-to-day support, while mentoring junior engineers to foster skill development and contribute to team knowledge through documentation, best practices, and incident analysis.
• Delivering hands-on technical support for Level 2 network incidents across routing, switching, firewalls, (SD-)WAN, Wi-Fi, and cloud-based networking solutions.
• Coordinating with the Incident Manager during major incidents, facilitating technical input, communication, and escalation to senior stakeholders.
• Seeking support and collaboration from other Team Leads and technical managers during core business hours to ensure efficient resolution of complex issues.
• Ensuring accurate documentation and smooth handovers of ongoing incidents to maintain seamless 24/7 service continuity.
• Driving continuous improvement by identifying recurring issues, supporting root cause analysis, and suggesting enhancements to processes, tooling, and service delivery.

Requirements

What you'll need:

• Proven experience leading or coordinating shift-based engineering teams in a 24/7 managed services environment, including line management OR mentoring of junior engineers.

• 5+ years’ experience

  in technical support within an MSP, with previous team lead responsibilities in networking or network security.
• Strong technical expertise across routing, switching, firewalls, Wi-Fi, (SD-)WAN, cloud networking, and related security technologies, with hands-on experience using vendors such as Aruba, Silver Peak, Fortinet, Cisco or Palo Alto
• Proficient in incident and major incident management, triage, and escalation, with a solid understanding of ITIL principles and SLA-driven environments.
• Excellent communication, coaching, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to develop early-career engineers, collaborate across teams, and manage customer escalations professionally.
• Strong problem-solving and organisational abilities, with a focus on root cause analysis, documentation accuracy, and maintaining service continuity under pressure.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Network Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent professional experience).
• Industry certifications at a minimum of CCNP level (e.g. Cisco Certified Network Professional – Enterprise, Security or equivalent).
• ITIL Foundation certification (or demonstrable working knowledge of ITIL-based service management processes).
• ·SD-WAN-specific certifications or training (e.g. Silver Peak/Aruba EdgeConnect, Fortinet SD-WAN, etc.) are desirable.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Additional certifications from major vendors strongly preferred, such as:
• Fortinet NSE4/FCP or above
• Aruba Certified Professional (e.g. ACMP)
• Palo Alto Networks PCNSE
• Zscaler Certified Professional

Benefits:

• IT Set Up 25,000 INR (after passing your 6 months’ probation)
• Joining bonus of 50,795 paid 3 months after starting
• 18 days annual leave
• 12 regional and national holidays
• Extra 1-day annual leave for your Birthday.
• Medical insurance
• EAP – Employee assistance programme
• Referral bonus scheme, of 60,000 INR

Other information

Equal Opportunities Statement

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnerships, pregnancy or maternity or age.

Our Commitment to Diversity