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Everything you need to know about the job of network engineer

Discover the job of network engineer: missions, key skills, tools, salary and career development. A comprehensive guide to becoming a network engineer.

Published : 1 July 2025

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What is a network engineer and why is it a vitally important role?

A network engineer is a specialist in IT communication infrastructures. They design, deploy, administer and secure the telecommunications networks on which exchanges of data between users, applications and equipment are based. Their role is to provide reliable, high-performance and secure connectivity, in response to companies’ growing demands in terms of availability, throughput and cyber security.

Their main tasks include:

Design and architecture: They design the organisation of the network, taking into account the company’s needs, including how the teams are distributed geographically (e.g. in Europe and Asia). They choose the right types of connection (on-site networks, inter-site networks, VPN) and the appropriate equipment (routers, switches, firewalls). They must guarantee performance, security and scalability, despite constraints related to distance, bandwidth and budget.
Administration and operation: configuring and maintaining network equipment, managing the IP addressing plan, supervising traffic and performance, diagnosing anomalies, guaranteeing security, documenting the infrastructure and maintaining quality of service (QoS).
Securing communications: implementing network security policies (firewalls, segmentation, VPN, IDS/IPS), ensuring compliance with standards (ISO 27001, RGPD, etc.) and anticipating threats (cyber attacks, intrusions).
Support and incident resolution: intervening rapidly in the event of a breakdown, saturation or a fault, to restore connectivity and maintain the continuity of digital services.
Monitoring and innovation: monitoring technological developments (SDN, cloud networking, edge computing, 5G, etc.) in order to anticipate business needs, propose appropriate solutions and support digital transformation and infrastructure optimisation projects.

Why is their role of vital importance?

At a time when information systems have become the bedrock of business operations, a network malfunction can have major consequences: halting production, losing data, damaging the company’s image, even compromising security. The network engineer therefore acts as an invisible but essential pillar when it comes to ensuring that communications remain fluid and systems stay resilient.

In addition, with the rise of the cloud, working from home, IoT and cyberthreats, their role goes beyond the purely technical side: they become a strategic player, guaranteeing the interoperability, flexibility and cybersecurity of digital infrastructures.

The main areas of specialisation in network engineering

Depending on the structure and size of the organisation and on technological challenges, network engineers can specialise in a range of areas:

Network and security engineer

As a specialist in critical infrastructures, the network and security engineer designs, deploys and secures the company’s network architectures. They guarantee the availability, confidentiality and integrity of exchanges, while preventing intrusions and attacks targeting information systems.

Main areas of expertise:

Perimeter security: configuring and managing firewalls, proxies, IPsec/SSL VPNs, IDS/IPS and SBC. They implement filtering policies tailored to match the threats and control incoming/outgoing flows, to reduce the attack surface.
Network segmentation: implementation of VLANs, DMZs, trust zones and quarantine zones. This segmentation isolates critical resources and limits lateral movement in the event that a network is compromised.
Access management and security policies: Implementation of strict access controls (NAC, 802.1X, ACL, RBAC), strong authentication (MFA, SSO, RADIUS, LDAP), and dynamic security policies based on roles and context.
Supervision and detection: network monitoring using SIEM tools, NetFlow, security logs and real-time alerts. They work with the SOC teams to analyse incidents, trace attacks and propose corrective measures.
Compliance and resilience: they ensure that the infrastructure complies with regulatory standards (GDPR, ISO 27001, NIS2, ANSSI). They take part in security audits, in drawing up recovery plans and in the drafting of security procedures.

Protocols and technologies they have mastered:
TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, OSPF, BGP, IPsec, SSL/TLS – Cisco, Fortinet, Palo Alto, Check Point equipment – monitoring tools (Zabbix, Centreon), secure cloud solutions (AWS, Azure, GCP) – Zero Trust, SASE, ZTNA concepts.

Strategic role:
The network and security engineer is a key player in operational cybersecurity. They work closely with the IT, SOC, DevOps and Cloud teams to guarantee that the network is robust, scalable and secure. They support digital transformation projects, particularly those that involve network virtualisation (SDN), hybrid infrastructures and the secure integration of cloud services.

Cloud network engineer

As a specialist in hybrid and cloud network infrastructures, the cloud network engineer designs, deploys and optimises connectivity in multi-cloud and on-premises environments. They guarantee the performance, security and resilience of communications between application services, users and cloud resources.

Main areas of expertise:

Cloud connectivity and hybridisation: Design and deployment of secure links between on-premises sites and public clouds (AWS Direct Connect, Azure ExpressRoute, Google Cloud Interconnect). They implement hybrid or multi-cloud architectures, providing low latency and high availability.
Cloud virtual networks: Creation and management of virtual networks (VPC, VNet), sub-networks, security groups (NSG, SG), inter-region routing and load balancing. They apply network segmentation strategies to isolate environments (prod, dev, test) and ensure that flows are watertight.
Automation and Infrastructure as Code: Using tools such as Terraform, Ansible or CloudFormation to automate network configuration. They incorporate best practices in DevOps/NetDevOps to ensure that infrastructures are reproducible, traceable and scalable.
Performance and supervision: Implementation of monitoring tools to supervise network flows, inter-region latency and bandwidth. They optimise performance by adjusting routes, using peering, applying QoS policies and reducing points of failure.
Cloud network security: Configuration of native cloud firewalls (AWS NACLs, Azure Firewall), IPsec/SSL VPN management, identity-based access control (IAM), micro-segmentation and Zero Trust policies. They work with the security teams to provide a compliant and robust stance in this regard.

Technologies and tools they have mastered:
VPC/VNet, BGP, IPsec, NAT Gateway, Load Balancer, Transit Gateway – AWS, Azure, GCP – Terraform, Ansible, Git – monitoring tools (CloudWatch, Azure Monitor, Datadog) – SD- WAN, SASE.

Strategic role:
The cloud network engineer is a key player in digital transformation, guaranteeing connectivity that is fluid, elastic and secure in highly scalable environments. They facilitate the integration of SaaS, PaaS and IaaS solutions, while helping to modernise corporate networks. Their role also extends to devising strategies for optimising network-related cloud costs.

Telecom network engineer

As an expert in voice and data communications, the telecom network engineer is responsible for designing, deploying, securing and optimising the company’s communication systems. They are responsible for guaranteeing reliable, high-performance and continuous exchanges, regardless of the location or the method of communication used (VoIP, data, video-conferencing over IP).

Main areas of expertise:

Voice over IP (VoIP): configuration of IPBXs (Cisco, Alcatel, Asterisk, etc.), management of SIP trunks, integration with collaborative platforms (Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Webex), right-sizing of resources and supervision of audio quality (MOS, jitter, latency).
Inter-site connectivity: deployment of MPLS, SD-WAN or IPsec VPN solutions, ensuring there is continuity of service between remote sites, with advanced management of latency, jitter, redundancy and network resilience.
Quality of Service (QoS): implementation of real-time traffic prioritisation policies (voice, video), proactive monitoring and performance optimisation to guarantee an optimal user experience.
Signalling and routing protocols: mastery of VoIP protocols (SIP, H.323) for signalling, and dynamic routing protocols (BGP, OSPF) for data traffic. Integration of security mechanisms such as SRTP encryption, Session Border Controllers (SBC) and application firewalls.

Technologies and tools they have mastered:
Telecom network engineers use a wide range of specialist technologies:

VoIP and IPBX solutions: Cisco Call Manager, Alcatel OXE, Asterisk, 3CX
SIP and SBC trunks: Audiocodes, Oracle, Cisco CUBE
VoIP quality monitoring tools: SolarWinds VoIP Monitor, Wireshark, MOS Score Analyzer
Protocols and standards: SIP, H.323, RTP, SRTP, QoS (DiffServ, CoS), VLAN Voice
Integrated collaborative platforms: Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Cisco Webex, Avaya
Routing and inter-site connectivity: MPLS, BGP, OSPF, IPsec, SD-WAN (Meraki, Fortinet)

Strategic role:
They play a central role in multi-site architectures, contact centres and hybrid or cloud environments. They support businesses in their digital transformation projects, in particular through migration to UCaaS (Unified Communications as a Service) solutions and the integration of communications into cloud infrastructures (IaaS/PaaS).

DevOps and automation network engineer

The DevOps network engineer is at the intersection between traditional infrastructures and modern automation practices. They design, deploy and manage large-scale network architectures based on the principles of Infrastructure as Code, continuous integration (CI/CD) and APIs. Their aim is to make networks more agile, reproducible and scalable, while reducing human error and accelerating deployment cycles.

Main areas of expertise:

Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
- Defining and automating network configurations using tools such as Ansible, Terraform, Cisco NSO and Nornir.
- Template management, versioning (Git) and consistent deployment of large-scale equipment (LAN/WAN, firewalls, SD-WAN, etc.).
- Industrialisation of production release workflows (CI/CD) using Jenkins, GitLab CI, ArgoCD, etc.
Automating network operations
- Advanced scripting with Python, Bash or PowerShell to generate, apply, audit or back-up network configurations.
- Use of REST APIs offered by manufacturers (Cisco, Fortinet, Juniper, Palo Alto, Meraki, etc.) to integrate the network into DevOps chains.
- Deployment of automated pipelines for amending security rules, managing VLANs or monitoring.
Supervision and automated observability
- Integration of network telemetry (NetConf, gRPC, SNMPv3, NetFlow) into real-time monitoring tools (Prometheus, Grafana, Zabbix).
- Automatic detection of network anomalies, integrated with SIEM or incident management tools.
- Implementation of self-healing playbooks, in conjunction with orchestrators and rules engines (StackStorm, Ansible AWX, etc.).
Testing, simulating and validating networks
- Deployment of automated test environments (virtual testbeds, GNS3, EVE-NG, Cisco VIRL), to simulate changes prior to deployment.
- Use of frameworks such as Pytest, Batfish or Robot Framework to test configuration compliance and network security.
- Continuous verification of routing rules, ACL, NAT, BGP, etc.

Technologies and tools mastered/used:
To carry out their tasks, DevOps/automation network engineers use a range of tools from the areas of Infrastructure as Code, orchestration, supervision and network testing:

Automation and IaC tools: Ansible, Terraform, SaltStack, etc.
Versioning and CI/CD systems: Git, GitLab CI/CD, Jenkins, ArgoCD
Scripting languages: Python, Bash, PowerShell
APIs & programmatic integrations: REST APIs for network equipment (Cisco, Fortinet, Palo Alto, etc.), Postman, Curl
Orchestrators & execution engines: Ansible AWX, StackStorm, Rundeck
Monitoring & observability: Prometheus, Grafana, Zabbix, Telegraf, ELK Stack
Telemetry & network data collection: SNMPv3, NetFlow, IPFIX, gRPC, NetConf/YANG
Test and simulation tools: GNS3, EVE-NG, Cisco VIRL, Batfish, Pytest, Robot Framework

Strategically important role:
The DevOps network engineer is a key player in the digital transformation of IT infrastructures. They promote convergence between the network, cloud and development teams, bringing agile methods to environments that have historically been rigid. They accelerate migration to the cloud, optimise multi-environment management (on-prem / cloud / edge), and play a vital role in the standardisation and automated security of infrastructures.

In a world where the network is becoming a form of software, this engineer embodies the new generation of professionals who are capable of guaranteeing the scalability, reliability and speed of digital services.

An expanded role in an international context

In a globalised economic environment, companies operate on several continents, with constant needs in terms of connectivity, application performance and network resilience. Network engineers find themselves at the heart of all this complexity. They are responsible for designing, securing and optimising infrastructures that are capable of meeting the challenges of digital technology on a global scale. Four of their key missions are of critical importance: DNS management, the use of CDNs, defence against DDoS attacks, and multi-site connectivity.

DNS management

The DNS (Domain Name System) is a crucial element of the network infrastructure. In an international context, managing it correctly is of huge strategic importance, to guarantee availability, speed of resolution of domain names, and resilience in the face of failures or attacks.

The network engineer will:

Deploy a redundant DNS architecture, with secondary servers distributed over geographical areas.
Manage public and private DNS zones (split-horizon DNS) to distinguish between internal and external resolutions.
Use high-availability and anycast DNS services, so that queries are always directed to the nearest point.
Implement DNS security mechanisms such as DNSSEC, to prevent attacks by way of cache poisoning or spoofing.
Monitor resolver performance and response times, indicators which are of vital importance for the international user experience.

Using CDNs

Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) are essential for accelerating the delivery of content (web, media, SaaS applications) to users located in different parts of the world.

The network engineer is involved in:

Integrating the CDN into the existing infrastructure, often via a specific DNS configuration (CNAME, geo-aware redirection).
Optimising the cache so that static content is served locally, thereby reducing latency.
Monitoring the geographical distribution of users in order to adjust content routing strategies.
Supervision of CDN performance, management of access logs and control of security policies (edge WAF, TLS certificates).
Implementation of multi-vendor CDNs to strengthen resilience (failover between Akamai, Cloudflare, Fastly, etc.).

Protection against DDoS attacks

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks constitute a major threat, especially for companies with high public exposure (e-commerce, SaaS, media). In an international context, the scale of attacks can be massive, and the impact on critical services devastating.

The network engineer’s role includes:

Implementing edge protection via DDoS mitigation providers (Cloudflare, Arbor, AWS Shield, etc.).
Using geographically distributed scrubbing centres that are capable of absorbing and filtering large volumes of malicious traffic.
Implementation of dynamic ACL rules, rate limiting and geolocation filtering on network equipment.
Real-time anomaly detection via probes (NetFlow/sFlow, IPS) coupled with SIEM platforms.
The ability to orchestrate automatic response playbooks in the event of an attack, in conjunction with SOC teams and network service providers.

Multi-site connectivity

Deploying a company on a global scale requires inter-site connectivity that is fluid, secure and optimised. The network engineer is responsible for designing an architecture that is capable of meeting the challenges of resilience, performance and cost, by integrating modern technologies into it.

Their responsibilities will include:

Deploying secure tunnels (IPSec, DMVPN) between the company’s various entities.
Using SD-WAN to prioritise application flows, improve management of Internet/MPLS links, and automate dynamic routing.
Implementing MPLS or Ethernet VPN for highly critical sites that require strict SLAs.
Geographic load balancing, high availability and latency management via BGP, GSLB and Anycast.
Native integration with the public cloud from each site (Cloud on-ramp), while guaranteeing secure, high-performance access to hosted services.

What skills and technologies does a network engineer need to master?

Knowledge of network infrastructures

The network engineer is responsible for installing, configuring and maintaining physical and virtual equipment, on site or in the cloud.

Equipment:
- Switches (Cisco, Aruba, Juniper)
- Firewalls (Fortinet, Stormshield, Sophos)
- Routers (Cisco, MikroTik, Huawei)
- Wi-Fi controllers and access points (Cisco, Aruba, Ubiquiti)
Types of networks:
- LAN (local area network)
- WAN (wide area network)
- WLAN (corporate wireless networks)
- AN, VPN, SD-WAN, etc.
Monitoring and management tools:
- Nagios, Zabbix, PRTG, SolarWinds, LibreNMS
- Proactive monitoring, network mapping, alerting
- Integration with ticketing solutions (GLPI, ServiceNow, etc.)

Network protocols

Understanding network protocols is essential when it comes to diagnosing, optimising and securing communications between systems.

Basic protocols:
- TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, ICMP, NTP, HTTP/HTTPS
Dynamic routing:
- OSPF, BGP, EIGRP
- Convergence, redistribution, inter-domain routing
Network analysis:
- Wireshark, tcpdump, NetFlow, sFlow, IPFIX

Security and cybersecurity

Against a backdrop of constant threats, network engineers work closely with cybersecurity teams to build tough, resistant architectures.

Firewalls and security appliances:
- Cisco ASA, Fortinet, Palo Alto, Check Point
- Policy settings, NAT, application filtering
Segmentation and filtering:
- ACL (Access Control Lists), VLAN, DMZ zones, Port security
- Micro-segmentation and Zero Trust (ZTNA)
Compliance and standards:
- ISO 27001, GDPR, NIS2, CIS Benchmarks
- Participation in security audits, drafting of procedures
Intrusion detection:
- IDS/IPS (Snort, Suricata)
- Integration with SIEM (Splunk, ELK, etc.).

Automation, scripting and Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

To meet the demands of agility and scalability, network engineers are increasingly turning to the automation of deployments and the as-code management of infrastructures.

Scripting languages:
- Python, Bash, PowerShell
- Automation of network tasks, log parsing, REST API
Automation and IaC tools:
- Ansible, Terraform, Cisco NSO, SaltStack
- Configuration templates, deployment of network topologies
DevOps integration:
- Git (versioning), Jenkins (CI/CD), GitLab, automated pipelines
- Use of RESTful APIs to drive network equipment or SDN controllers

How do I become a network engineer?

Training

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in computing, telecommunications or network systems (engineering/computing schools, universities, etc.).
Work-linked training, internships or initial experience as a network technician.

Useful certifications

These certifications attest to an internationally recognised level:

Cisco (CCNA, CCNP, CCIE),
Juniper (JNCIA, JNCIS),
Fortinet (NSE 4 to 7),
CompTIA Network+, Security+,
AWS Advanced Networking – Specialty,
CISSP (for those with a security-oriented profile).

What kind of salary can a network engineer command?

Salaries vary depending on experience, location, skills and the type of company you work for.

What are the career prospects for a network engineer?

With experience, a network engineer can progress to positions of greater responsibility:

Network Architect

Role: Designs complex network architectures to meet the needs of multi-site companies, often on a global scale. Guarantees the resilience, performance, security and scalability of infrastructures.

Key skills:

Mastery of advanced network protocols (BGP, OSPF, MPLS, VXLAN, etc.).
Knowledge of cloud (Azure, AWS, GCP) and hybrid environments.
Integration of Software Defined Networking (SDN).

Head of Security / SOC Manager

Role: Supervises the company’s operational cybersecurity, managing the incident detection and response teams. Coordinates the Security Operations Centre (SOC) and provides continuous monitoring of information systems. Ensures compliance with regulations, anticipates threats and builds a robust security stance.

Key skills:

Mastery of security monitoring and analysis tools (SIEM, EDR/XDR, SOAR).
Knowledge of security standards and frameworks (ISO 27001, NIS2, RGPD, MITRE ATTCCK).
Implementation of Zero Trust strategies, network segmentation, IAM/PAM.
Ability to coordinate incident response (CSIRT/CERT), and produce clear reports for management.
Cloud security skills (CSPM, CIEM, defence of Azure, AWS, GCP environments).
Leadership and management of multidisciplinary teams in a critical context.

IT Project Manager

Role: Leads technical projects relating to network infrastructures: deployment of new architectures, migration to the cloud, WAN/LAN overhaul, securing interconnections. Ensures there is good coordination between technical teams, suppliers and internal stakeholders, so as to deliver projects on time, under budget and in line with technical requirements.

Key skills:

In-depth knowledge of network technologies (routing, switching, firewall, VPN, SD-WAN, Wi-Fi).
Project management skills (V cycle, Agile/Scrum, Prince2 or PMP).
Ability to translate business needs into viable technical solutions.
Ability to manage risks, schedules and communication with a wide range of stakeholders (CIOs, architects, CISOs, service providers)
Skills in service quality management, technical documentation and budget monitoring.
Understanding of issues relating to hybrid cloud, network security and automation (IaC, Ansible, NetOps).

Freelance Consultant/Trainer

Role: Provides advanced expertise in network engineering and architecture to companies and training organisations. Works on consultancy, audit, infrastructure design or technical team skills upgrading assignments. Keeps a vigilant eye on technological advances and adapts their content and recommendations to market developments.

Key skills:

Advanced mastery of network technologies (BGP, OSPF, MPLS, VXLAN, SD-WAN, Wi- Fi, firewalling).
Experience with complex network architecture, hybrid cloud and perimeter security.
Ability to carry out audits and impact studies and provide strategic recommendations.
Teaching skills: able to run training courses, create technical aids, give one-to-one support.
Excellent communication skills, oriented towards customer service, autonomy in project and contract management.
Valued technical certifications (CCNP/CCIE, JNCIP, NSE, AWS/Azure network specialist).

CTO / Technical Director

Role: Defines the company’s technological strategy in relation to infrastructure, network, security and overall IS performance issues. Takes decisions on technical choices, supervises the engineering, architecture and operations teams, and ensures that network solutions are aligned with business objectives. Drives technological innovation and digital transformation through a structured and secure vision of IT infrastructure.

Key skills:

Solid expertise in large-scale network architecture (WAN/LAN, SD-WAN, cloud networking, securing flows).
Cross-disciplinary knowledge of related areas: cybersecurity, hybrid cloud, automation (IaC, NetDevOps).
Ability to manage infrastructure transformation projects (merger, cloud migration, WAN/LAN overhaul).
Strategic vision, budget management, IT governance, relations with technological partners.
Proven leadership, ability to unite technical teams and liaise with senior management.
Mastery of scalability, resilience, compliance and security issues in an international context.

The IT areas where network engineer skills are most in demand today are: hybrid cloud, cybersecurity, infrastructure automation (NetDevOps), software-defined networks (SDN/SD-WAN) and zero-trust environments.

Sectors and companies recruiting network engineers in Switzerland

Network engineers are in great demand in a variety of sectors:

Banking, insurance: high availability and cybersecurity (UBS, Swiss Life…),
Health, hospitals: protection of patient data (CHUV, HUG…),
Industry, energy, pharma: critical infrastructure management (ABB, Nestlé, Roche, etc.),
Telecoms, cloud: operators and hosts (Swisscom, Infomaniak, etc.),
International organisations and NGOs: multisite management (UN, WHO, etc.),
IT services and consulting companies: various assignments for major accounts.

The most dynamic areas are: Geneva, Vaud, Lausanne, Zurich, Neuchâtel, Fribourg.

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