[Hiring] Principal/Lead Network Engineer @Cencora

Role Description

We are seeking a Principal/Lead Network Engineer — SAP RISE to serve as the senior technical leader and architect responsible for designing, implementing, and operationalizing the enterprise network infrastructure that will enable the migration of Cencora's SAP environment from on-premises data centers to SAP RISE. This is a program-critical role: SAP is the backbone of our supply chain, and the network is the foundational layer that determines the performance, availability, and security of the migrated workloads. You will own the end-to-end network architecture — from private connectivity into Azure, through the SAP RISE managed environment, and back to on-premises users, distribution centers, and integrated systems — ensuring that latency, throughput, redundancy, and security requirements are met at every stage of the migration journey. The ideal candidate combines deep Azure networking expertise with an understanding of SAP application network dependencies and the executive presence to drive decisions across a complex, multi-stakeholder program.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in computer science, information systems, business administration, or another related field.
• 10+ years of experience in progressively senior network engineering roles.
• Deep expertise in networking, including cloud networking, SD-WAN, cybersecurity, and enterprise architecture.
• Leadership certifications or experience (e.g., TOGAF, ITIL, PMP).
• Exceptional communication and leadership skills for engaging with stakeholders and leading teams.
• Experience in managing teams and building relationships with people at a variety of levels.
• Demonstrated ability to launch and deliver one or more IT project(s) on time and within budget.
• Demonstrated “hands on” experience working in large-scale environments and tweaking business processes to support growth and productivity.
• Demonstrated ability to lead change, able to take calculated risks and seek continuous improvement.
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing; solid teamwork and interpersonal skills.
• Strong presentation skills; ability to present and discuss strategies and technical information in a manner that establishes rapport, persuades others, and gains understanding.
• Ability to establish solid relationships with vendors in support of initiatives; ability to negotiate and manage outside vendors against deliverables.
• Solid project management skills including the ability to effectively deploy resources and manage multiple projects of various diverse scopes in a cross-functional environment.

Requirements

• Design the end-to-end network architecture that connects Cencora's on-premises data centers, corporate offices, distribution centers, and cloud environments to the SAP RISE on Azure managed infrastructure.
• Architect Azure network topology — design and implement Azure Virtual Networks (VNets), hub-and-spoke or Azure Virtual WAN (vWAN) topologies, network security groups (NSGs), route tables (UDRs), Azure Firewall / NVA placement, and private DNS zones.
• Design private connectivity between Cencora's data centers and Azure — leveraging Azure ExpressRoute and/or site-to-site VPN as backup.
• Implement SAP RISE cross-VNet / cross-tenant connectivity.
• Optimize network performance for SAP workloads.
• Architect hybrid DNS resolution.
• Design secure network segmentation.
• Plan and implement network connectivity for SAP integration points.
• Design for high availability and disaster recovery.
• Develop phased network migration plans aligned with the broader SAP RISE migration waves.
• Build and manage proof-of-concept (PoC) and pilot network environments.
• Define and execute network acceptance criteria.
• Author detailed cutover run-books for each migration wave.
• Lead network war-room activities during go-live weekends.
• Manage the decommissioning of legacy network paths.
• Serve as the single accountable network leader for the SAP RISE migration program.
• Collaborate with SAP and SAP RISE delivery teams.
• Partner with Azure cloud architects, security, and infrastructure teams.
• Engage with Cencora's SAP Basis, functional, and development teams.
• Lead vendor and carrier coordination.
• Define network governance and operational standards for the SAP RISE environment.
• Drive adoption of network automation and infrastructure-as-code.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to network engineers supporting the program.

Benefits

• Compensation, benefits, and resources that enable a highly inclusive culture.
• Traditional offerings like medical, dental, and vision care.
• Support for working families, including backup dependent care, adoption assistance, and infertility coverage.
• Behavioral health solutions, paid parental leave, and paid caregiver leave.
• Variety of training programs, professional development resources, and opportunities to participate in mentorship programs.
• Employee resource groups, volunteer activities, and more.

Company Description

Cencora is committed to providing equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or membership in any other class protected by federal, state or local law. The company’s continued success depends on the full and effective utilization of qualified individuals. Therefore, harassment is prohibited and all matters related to recruiting, training, compensation, benefits, promotions and transfers comply with equal opportunity principles and are non-discriminatory.