Senior Systems & Application Engineer

Position: Senior Systems & Application Engineer

Salary: £35,000 to £40,000 according to experience

Location: Based in Melling, Lancashire

Contract: Full Time, 35 hours per week

About Us

B4RN (Broadband for the Rural North) is a unique organisation working closely with communities across the UK to bring hyperfast, full-fibre broadband to rural areas. As a Community Benefit Society, driven by innovation and a strong sense of purpose, we work hand-in-hand with local volunteers and stakeholders to deliver a service that’s built by the community, for the community. Joining B4RN means becoming part of a dedicated team making a real difference in people's lives, while thriving in a supportive and collaborative environment where everyone’s contribution matters.

The Role

Are you an experienced systems engineer with a passion for building secure, scalable and reliable infrastructure? Do you enjoy solving complex problems, improving systems, and supporting teams with the tools they need to succeed? If so, we would love to hear from you.

We’re looking for a Senior Systems & Application Engineer to help maintain and optimise our systems, servers and business-critical applications. Working closely with Network Operations, DevOps and Software teams, you’ll play a key role in delivering robust services that keep our organisation running smoothly.

What You Will Be Doing

Systems & Infrastructure Management

• Managing deployment, maintenance and performance of server and system infrastructure across both hardware and open-source software.
• Monitoring system performance, resolving issues and driving long-term stability and scalability.
• Designing and developing new systems and services in collaboration with colleagues across the business.
• Creating and maintaining clear operational documentation.
• Planning and executing regular patching and maintenance activities to mitigate security risks.

Applications and Databases

• Acting as a product champion for key business applications, offering support, training and documentation.
• Administering a range of database technologies including MySQL/MariaDB, PostgreSQL, SQLite, MongoDB and Redis.
• Overseeing monitoring and alerting systems to ensure high application availability.
• Supporting deployments and upgrades with thorough checks, backups and rollback planning.

Cross-Team Collaboration

• Work closely with Network Operations or infrastructure, security and best practice (including CVE monitoring).
• Helping develop automation tools to remove repetitive manual tasks.
• Partnering with DevOps and Software teams to deliver secure, reliable deployments.

Monitoring, Incident Response and Support

• Participating in a 24/7 on-call rota, responding to critical alerts and providing third-line escalation support.
• Assisting Network Operations, Helpdesk and field engineers to resolve issues quickly and effectively.
• Providing occasional on-site support when required.

Continuous Improvement & Mentoring

• Supporting junior team members through mentoring and project involvement.
• Contributing to internal tools for monitoring, automation and reporting.
• Promoting high standards of documentation, process and continuous improvement.

What We’re Looking For

• Willingness to take part in a 24/7 on-call rota
• Full UK Driving licence
• Strong experience with Linux OS (e.g. Debian, RedHat) and scripting
• Proficiency with SQL and NoSQL databases
• Familiarity with Git and modern source-control practices.
• Comfortable working with a wide range of open-source tools and technologies
• Ability to manage regular system patching and automate processes where possible.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with strong attention to detail.
• Confident working independently and collaborating across technical teams.
• Project management experience or qualification would be an advantage.