Wintel Engineer
Wintel Engineer
Windows Build Engineer - Installation & Troubleshooting
Location: Leicester (on-site twice per week)
Contract: 3-month initial contract with scope for extension
Day Rate: £550 per day
Overview
For National Grid, a leading energy company committed to delivering safe, reliable, and sustainable energy solutions, we are seeking an experienced Wintel Engineer to join a highly skilled infrastructure team.
National Grid is recognised for its innovative approach to energy management and its focus on resilience, security, and operational excellence. In this role, you will be responsible for building, maintaining, and optimising Windows and Intel-based infrastructure, ensuring high availability and compliance across critical systems.
A key focus of this role is transitioning from manual USB-based server builds to automated deployments using PXE boot and MDT, along with deploying a new Hyper-V virtualisation system with Ansible playbooks for configuration and automation, ensuring secure, scalable, and consistent Windows environments.
Key Responsibilities
- Design, build, implement, and manage Windows-based systems to ensure optimal performance and resilience
- Lead the transition from manual USB server builds to PXE boot with MDT automated deployments
- Deploy and manage a new Hyper-V virtualised environment, with Ansible used for configuration management and automation
- Monitor system performance and proactively troubleshoot issues to maintain system reliability
- Configure, manage, and troubleshoot Active Directory, RBAC, and Group Policy
- Administer Windows domains, including virtualised Domain Controllers
- Implement and support Windows security controls aligned to CIS Benchmarks and Microsoft Security Baselines
- Configure and manage Windows event forwarding and Syslog integration
- Collaborate with cross-functional infrastructure and security teams to integrate new technologies
- Produce and maintain technical documentation, build guides, and operational procedures
- Provide technical guidance and escalation support to peers and stakeholders
Essential Skills & Experience
- Proven experience working as a Windows Build / Wintel Engineer
- Strong hands-on experience with Windows Server 2022 and 2025
- Experience deploying and managing Hyper-V virtualisation environments
- Hands-on experience using Ansible playbooks for configuration and automation
- Experience with PXE boot and MDT automated server builds, ideally transitioning from USB/manual processes
- Strong knowledge of Active Directory, RBAC, and Group Policy configuration
- Experience administering domains in complex, virtualised environments
- Experience configuring and supporting virtualised Domain Controllers
- Familiarity with Windows event forwarding and Syslog
- Working knowledge of Windows Defender
- Strong understanding of Windows infrastructure security, including CIS Benchmarks and Microsoft Security Baselines
Nice to Have
- Microsoft certifications (e.g., Windows Server, Azure, Infrastructure-related)
- Experience integrating security and compliance automation into virtualised environments
Why Join National Grid
- £550 per day contract rate
- 3-month initial contract with strong likelihood of extension
- Leicester-based role with on-site collaboration twice per week
- Work on critical national infrastructure within a regulated environment
- Opportunity to transition to PXE/MDT automated builds and a modern Hyper-V platform with Ansible automation
We use generative AI tools to support our candidate screening process. This helps us ensure a fair, consistent, and efficient experience for all applicants. Rest assured, all final decisions are made by our hiring team, and your application will be reviewed with care and attention.
Pontoon is an employment consultancy. We put expertise, energy, and passion into improving everyone's chance of being part of the workplace. We respect and appreciate people of all ethnicities, generations, religious beliefs, sexual orientations, gender identities, and more. We do this by showcasing their talents, skills, and unique experience in an all-encompassing environment that helps them thrive.
Candidates will ideally show evidence of the above in their CV to be considered.
Please be advised if you haven't heard from us within 48 hours then unfortunately your application has not been successful on this occasion, we may however keep your details on file for any suitable future vacancies and contact you accordingly.
Pontoon is an employment consultancy and operates as an equal opportunity's employer.
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