Infrastructure Network Testing Lead

Northern Trust • Chicago, IL

5d

About The Position

The Infrastructure Network Testing Lead is responsible for independent validation, testing, and quality assurance of enterprise network changes across LAN/WAN, security, and cloud platforms. The role ensures that changes meet functional, performance, security, and compliance requirements before production deployment, partnering with Network Engineering, Operations, CAB, Risk, and release teams to support high-quality, low-risk releases. The position acts as a quality gate to reduce incidents and improve deployment success through structured testing and automation.

The lead estimates effort, tracks failed-change incidents, identifies improvement opportunities, and drives efficiency and effectiveness through automation of network and security change testing and process optimization. The role also maintains validation evidence, test reports, quality metrics, and regulatory documentation, and supports release decisions with clear validation results, risks, and readiness status.

Requirements

• 10–14 years of total IT experience.
• At least 5 years of experience in network testing delivery leadership.
• Experience validating enterprise network changes across LAN/WAN, security, and cloud platforms.
• Experience with network change validation and testing across switching, routing, firewalls, SD-WAN, Zscaler, and load balancers.
• Experience designing and executing detailed test plans, test cases, and validation scenarios.
• Experience identifying, documenting, and tracking defects, risks, and validation gaps and coordinating resolution and re-validation.
• Experience supporting release readiness and making go/no-go recommendations.
• Experience maintaining testing documentation, reports, validation evidence, and quality metrics.
• Experience with Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, ServiceNow, ITIL service management concepts and tools, HP, and BMC Remedy.
• Familiarity with Agile methodologies, including Scrum and Kanban, and project management tools such as Azure and Jira.
• Strong delivery ownership, decision-making, executive-level communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Risk-based thinking, sound escalation judgment, structured problem-solving, and incident leadership.
• Ability to manage cross-functional, geographically distributed teams.
• Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without current or future employment-based visa sponsorship.

Nice To Haves

• Knowledge of SD-WAN technologies such as Silver Peak or Palo Alto, Zscaler, F5, Infoblox, and cloud platforms such as Azure or AWS.
• Experience with automation tools, scripting, and CI/CD validation.
• Knowledge of risk frameworks, audit compliance, and governance.
• CCNA or CCNP certification.
• ITIL certification; ITIL is listed as nice to have.
• COBIT knowledge or certification.

Responsibilities

• Execute end-to-end validation of network changes involving switching, routing, firewalls, SD-WAN, Zscaler, and load balancers.
• Design and execute test plans, test cases, and validation scenarios for network changes.
• Validate functionality, performance, resilience, security, and compliance before production release, including regression and post-change validation.
• Ensure validation aligns with CAB approvals, change governance, risk, audit, and compliance requirements.
• Identify, document, and track defects, risks, and validation gaps; coordinate defect resolution and re-validation with engineering teams.
• Provide go/no-go recommendations during release and bridge calls, and support release decisions with quality insights.
• Develop and maintain standardized testing frameworks and standard operating procedures, and drive automation of validation processes.
• Improve test coverage and efficiency while reducing manual testing efforts.
• Collaborate with Network Engineering, Operations, Release Management, CAB, and Risk teams; participate in bridge calls, change reviews, and governance forums.
• Estimate effort, track and address failed-change incidents, and identify opportunities to improve delivery.
• Maintain test plans, execution reports, validation evidence, quality metrics, and regulatory documentation.
• Track and publish quality metrics, including defect leakage, incident reduction, and automation coverage.
• Create and maintain knowledge base articles in ServiceNow or Confluence and ensure audit readiness through documentation and traceability.
• Mentor junior engineers on testing methodologies and tools.
• Support continuous improvement and stay updated on emerging network technologies and testing strategies.
• Work weekends as needed for SDAM and ITSM activities.

Benefits

• Retirement benefits, including 401(k) and pension.
• Medical, dental, vision, spending accounts, and disability benefits.
• Paid time off.
• Parental and caregiver leave.
• Life and accident insurance.
• Other voluntary and well-being benefits.
• Discretionary bonus program that may include an equity component.
• Flexible and collaborative work culture.
• Reasonable accommodations for individuals with health conditions and disabilities.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed