Manager, Network Operations

Role overview:

Come and lead a team of highly skilled network engineers operating a global network that powers PlayStation! We are looking for a strong leader to develop and manage our Network Operations team in Berlin, Germany, working in a 2-site operational model with teams in Berlin and Adelaide, Australia to provide 24x7 network operations.

This role requires a technically experienced leader who is passionate about team building, mentorship, and operational excellence. Your team will consist of network engineers who manage projects, build networks, contribute to automation, and independently operate a large-scale global network.

What you'll be doing:

Team Leadership & Development

• Work with NetOps management to build a team of Network Engineers to operate our network.
• Build an amazing team in line with PlayStation culture that will attract and retain top talent.
• Develop a strong relationship with each engineer to ensure their overall well-being, happiness, and success at PlayStation.
• Support the professional growth and development opportunities for the engineering staff.
• Provide coaching, mentoring, and 1:1s to foster team development.
• Provide technical guidance and support to junior engineers, helping them interpret and respond to network events.

Operations & Process Management

• Ensure daily operations run smoothly, tracking work on projects, changes, and incidents.
• Ensure processes and procedures are followed consistently.
• Collaborate with NetOps management globally to ensure consistency between teams.
• Provide operational insights and feedback to Network Engineering, Architecture, and Automation teams to support enhancements to the global backbone and data center infrastructures.
• Participate in developing policies, procedures, and technical reports related to operating and maintaining the global network.
• Participate in an on-call rotation as a Level 3 escalation.

What we're looking for:

• Proven experience leading a team of 6+ network engineers in an operations environment.
• Experience with team building and mentoring engineers.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong understanding of network fundamentals (e.g. TCP/IP, Ethernet, IP Addressing/Subnetting, VLANs, etc.)
• Experience with routing protocols (e.g., BGP, OSPF, ISIS) in a multi-transit, multi-peer environment.
• Hands-on experience with core backbone routers, layer 2/3 switches, and firewalls.
• Ability to mentor junior engineers in network design, operations, and deployment.
• Managing a local network operations team while collaborating with global teams across multiple time zones.
• Working in a 24/7 network operations environment with a distributed support model.
• Experience with Juniper MX, SRX, QFX, and EX series platforms.
• Experience with DWDM systems, preferably Ciena, or equivalent optical transport technologies.
• Familiarity with MPLS-TE and large-scale service provider networks.
• Experience with cluster networking (CLOS fabrics) and large-scale data center architectures.
• Experience with optical networking and fiber transport systems.

Why Join Us?

• Lead a global, high-impact team managing PlayStation’s critical network infrastructure.
• Work on cutting-edge networking and automation technologies at scale.
• Be part of a collaborative and innovative team that values technical excellence.
• Competitive salary, benefits, and career growth opportunities.

Benefits:

• Salary: Annual salary paid across 12 month (different to other parts of Germany) 
• Bonus: Discretionary bonus, target level based on position level
• Pension: Defined benefit provided by HDI - €35 per month after successfully passing the probation period
• Insurances: Accident insurance
• Flexible working: Employee can work from home in agreement with the manager
• Holidays: 30 days + 3 day ‘Wellness Break’
• Health Insurance: 30 EUR/month (insurance coverage up to 800 EUR)
• Capital forming benefit: €40 per month
• Travel allowance: Public transportation allowance.
• Non contractual benefits: Games allocation, Christmas closure days
• Other benefits: Long time service award. Free lunch Tuesdays and Thursdays soft drinks, coffee, fruit. Annual PS Membership, Budget for personal development