Lead Network Engineer

We are looking for a Lead Network Engineer to join our team with the Defence and National Security sector. You will provide hands-on technical leadership, in the development, operation and ongoing improvement of complex services. Ensure that high level analysis and design work for new initiatives is carried out to estimate resource requirements, decide on feasibility and produce high level costs. You will also have people management experience.

Working closely with security, architecture, and delivery teams, you will ensure network platforms are secure, high-performing, and maintainable long-term.

This role requires on-site working in Farnborough 5 days a week.

Candidates should be eligible for SC clearance and willing to obtain DV clearance.

What you will be doing:

• Be the main Point of Contact (PoC) for all Network related issues/tasks.
• Work with the Architecture team to validate and create designs.
• To work closely with security teams to ensure that security risks are fully identified and appropriate mitigations are delivered.
• Lead and mentor a team of engineers.
• Responsible for the creation and implementation of the end-to-end technical design and ensuring alignment to the strategic technical architecture.
• Encourage a culture of innovation focused on adding value.
• Review, challenge and adjust performance levels to ensure quality outcomes are delivered on time, rewarding success.
• Get the best out of people by giving enthusiastic and encouraging messages about priorities, objectives and expectations.
• Maintain effective performance in difficult and challenging circumstances, encouraging others to do the same.
• Coach and support colleagues to take responsibility for their own development (through giving accountability, varied assignments and on-going feedback).
• Establish and drive intra and inter team discussions to learn from experience and adapt organizational processes and plans.
• Follow the process of Incident, Problem, Change.
• Raise and review change requests as required.
• Perform proactive and reactive network management.

What you will bring:

• Advanced knowledge of core Cisco Networking technologies covering switching and routing.
• Knowledge of Intrusion Detection/Prevention Systems.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date documentation of network designs, configurations, change records and operational procedures.
• Leadership skills to mentor and develop others.
• Experience with Automation tools such as Python/Ansible.
• Firewall design and Configuration experience preferably with Cisco/Firepower.
• Managing IT Security Solutions (Policy Based, Physical, Environment Hardening & Software) & Provisioning and Implementation).
• Experience working within an ITIL framework.

It would be great if you had:

• VMware and/or Proxmox exposure.
• Knowledge of SDN/NSX design, configuration and management.
• Exposure to Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM).
• DV clearance.
• Experience of WAN technologies such as Ectocrypt blue, DMVPN, SD-WAN.
• Knowledge of Configuring and tuning Quality of Service (QoS).

If you are interested in this role but not sure if your skills and experience are exactly what we’re looking for, please do apply, we’d love to hear from you!

Employment Type: Full Time, Permanent

Location: Farnborough – On-Site – 5 days a week

Security Clearance Level: eligible for SC and willing to obtain DV clearance.

Salary: £60k-£72k DOE

Benefits: Car Allowance, 25 days annual leave with the option to buy additional days, private health care, life assurance, pension.

Although this role is advertised as full-time, we believe that flexibility at work can promote work/life balance, increase your motivation, reduce stress and improves performance and productivity. We support different ways of working and can offer a range of flexible working arrangements. So, if you’re interested and need to work flexibly, we encourage you to apply and talk to us about what might be possible.

Loved reading about this job and want to know more about us?

Sopra Steria’s Aerospace, Defence and Security business designs, develops and deploys digital solutions to Central Government clients. The work we do makes a real difference to the client’s goal of National Security, and we operate in a unique and privileged environment. We are given time for professional development activities, and we coach and mentor our colleagues, sharing knowledge and learning from each other. We foster a culture in which employees feel valued and supported and have pride in their work for the customer, delivering outstanding rates of customer satisfaction in the UK’s most complex safety- and security-critical markets.