Network Officer

Bank-e-Millie Afghan (BMA) is the foremost first financial institution of Afghanistan established in 1933. Similarly, it was the first financial institution established in a public-private partnership set up with a 72% share held by the private sector. As the first bank in the country, BMA introduced formal banking services to the people and government of Afghanistan. Since then, the bank’s competitive strength and ongoing market leadership philosophy lays in its strong capital base and proven trustworthiness. In 1976, it was fully nationalized by the government of Afghanistan. Since its establishment, BMA has been a leading bank in providing modern and secure banking services. Securing depositors' funds is the top priority of the bank. At the same time, the bank is contributing considerably to the development of manufacturing, agriculture, services, and international trade in the country. BMA is operating based on strong corporate governance principles, financial risk management, and strict compliance to keep its credibility and trust. At present, BMA has 17 City Branches including the HQ and 4 Counters in Kabul, 22 Provincial Branches and 3 Counters accompanied by a broader outlook and prospect for growth and expansion in near future, and equity investments in the USA and England.

The Network Officer is responsible for supporting the operation, monitoring, maintenance, troubleshooting the Bank network infrastructure under the supervision of the Network Administrator / IT Manager.

The position will assist in maintaining the availability, reliability, performance, and security of network infrastructure, including switches, routers, firewalls, VPNs, IP telephony, network links, and related communication infrastructure.

The Network Officer will also provide technical support to branch IT personnel, assist with network-related projects and implementations, maintain network documentation, perform configuration backup and restoration, and support the Network Administrator in ensuring stable and secure network services for the Bank business operations.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Assist the Network Administrator in the operation, maintenance, monitoring, and enhancement of the Bank’s network infrastructure.
2. Monitor network devices, links, and services to identify connectivity, performance, availability, and security-related issues.
3. Assist in the installation, configuration, troubleshooting, and maintenance of network devices, including switches, routers, firewalls, VPN devices, and related infrastructure.
4. Assist the Network Administrator in troubleshooting and maintaining Cisco networking equipment and Sophos firewall infrastructure.
5. Provide remote and on-site technical support to branch IT personnel for network connectivity and infrastructure-related issues.
6. Assist in the configuration, maintenance, and troubleshooting of Cisco IP phones and related IP telephony infrastructure.
7. Perform and maintain configuration backups and restoration of network devices in accordance with approved procedures.
8. Maintain accurate and up-to-date network diagrams, device inventories, IP addressing records, configuration records, and technical documentation.
9. Prepare and maintain network device configuration notes, implementation records, and other relevant technical documentation.
10. Assist in the installation, labeling, organization, and maintenance of network cables, patch panels, racks, and related network infrastructure.
11. Conduct network site surveys for new branches, offices, and other locations and assist in preparing the required network equipment, materials, and technical requirements.
12. Assist the Network Administrator in analyzing network traffic, performance, and utilization to ensure optimal network availability and performance.
13. Assist in monitoring and maintaining network security controls to support secure and reliable network operations in accordance with the Bank’s approved IT and information security policies.
14. Assist in identifying network capacity requirements and support capacity planning based on business and operational requirements.
15. Assist with the implementation and testing of approved network changes, upgrades, configurations, and infrastructure projects in accordance with the Bank’s change management procedures.
16. Escalate major network incidents, security concerns, service interruptions, and other critical issues to the Network Administrator / concerned line manager in a timely manner.
17. Maintain proper records of network incidents, troubleshooting activities, changes, and resolutions for future reference and audit requirements.
18. Support the Network Administrator in ensuring network availability and business continuity, including support for network-related activities associated with the Bank’ disaster recovery environment.
19. Coordinate with relevant IT teams, service providers, and vendors, when required, for the resolution of network-related technical issues.
20. Perform any other network-related duties and responsibilities assigned by the line manager in accordance with the Bank requirements and applicable policies and procedures.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Minimum Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Network Engineering, or a related field.
• Professional certification such as CCNA and CCNP is required or equivalent certification is an advantage.
• Minimum 3 years of relevant professional experience in network infrastructure, preferably within a banking, financial, or other enterprise environment.
• Practical hands-on experience with Cisco networking devices, including switches, routers and firewalls.
• Good working knowledge of firewall, Site to Site VPN IPsec, routing, switching, VLAN, TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, and network troubleshooting concepts.
• Practical knowledge of Firewall and Cisco security/networking technologies is preferred.
• Knowledge and practical experience with network monitoring and troubleshooting tools is an advantage.
• Familiarity with network security principles, access control, segmentation, and secure network operations.
• Ability to troubleshoot and resolve day-to-day network connectivity and infrastructure issues effectively.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure and respond to critical network incidents when required.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, coordination, and teamwork skills.
• Ability to prepare and maintain accurate technical documentation.
• Willingness and ability to work outside normal working hours when required for critical incidents, maintenance, upgrades, or business continuity activities.

Qualified and interested applicants are encouraged to apply online through the BMA Job Portal at https://jobs.bma.com.af before the closing date.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for further process.