Senior Network Engineer

Networks and Infrastructure (N&I) delivers the foundational platforms and services that underpin this digital delivery landscape. Sitting inside the wider Enterprise Services family, Networks and Infrastructure are here to support Home Office portfolios with adopting a Cloud First, Internet First approach to IT infrastructure. By partnering with Crown Hosting Data Centres and using state of the art technologies, we look to deliver the speed and flexibility on par with industry to all our customers.

The Senior Network Engineer provides technical support and expertise within Network Operations, focused on rapid isolation, stabilisation, and resolution of high‑impact network incidents across multiple critical network domains; Wireless, LAN, SD‑WAN, Firewall, Law Enforcement Networks / Services.

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. Where this is the case, employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in the office. Applicants can raise any queries to the email address at the bottom of the advert.  

Watch this short video to hear from members of Home Office Digital talking about the projects they work on and their experience of working here: Working for Home Office Digital.

You will engage in programmes and projects and work with Technical Architects to translate the architectural designs into operational systems and support technical architects.

This is a dual-focus role, acting as a technical expert for Incident, Problem, and Change support. In addition, providing guidance, coaching, and structured technical uplift for Network Operations Engineers through targeted training, and the production of high‑quality technical documentation runbooks for Networks.

The role is key during major or business‑critical incidents, where calm logical analysis, decisive action, and technical troubleshooting are required to minimise service impact and restore operations quickly.

You will work with Network Operations Engineers in building, managing, transitioning, supporting, and maintaining solutions according to departmental policy and ensure a feedback loop exists with service support to ensure continuous improvement. You are responsible for providing input into management activities such as workforce planning, budgeting, technology roadmaps, projects, and tasks.

Tools and Technologies we use:

We would particularly encourage applications from candidates with strong experience in the following:

• Network Monitoring: Solarwinds

• Network Management Platforms: Cisco WLC, Meraki, Cisco vManage, vBond, vSmart, Cisco ISE, Checkpoint, Fortinet, Nexthink

• Service Management: ServiceNow, Jira

• General: Co-Pilot, SharePoint, Teams

• Cisco Certified Networks Assurance (CCNA) or equivalent experience.

Main Responsibilities

Your main day to day responsibilities will be:

• Owning and resolving network operations incidents.
• Assisting the Network Operations Centre Lead in despatching incidents across the Network Operations Team.
• Reviewing the network designs of others to ensure, efficient network operation and use of resources and integration of multiple systems and technology.
• Gathering and analyse the network requirements that applications will place on the network, including bandwidth, latency, fault tolerance and access control.
• Initiating and monitor actions to investigate patterns and trends to resolve network problems, including consulting specialists where required. You will identify the appropriate remedy and assist with implementation of fixes as well as preventative measures.
• Identifying the correct procedures and appropriate channels for resolution and monitor resolution activities and progress updates to users.
• Evaluating the success of the project, after a solution has been integrated, identifying best practices and lessons learned. You will provide feedback to teams and incorporate this information into future plans.
• Coaching and mentoring more junior Network Engineers.

Working Pattern

This role is available on a full-time basis with the option of compressed hours working. This role is also suitable for part-time working hours, with a minimum requirement to work 4 days per week due to business requirements.

Like many organisations we need to maintain our services 24/7, therefore, on occasions there may be a requirement to work out of hours, for which you will be paid an additional allowance.

Essential Skills

Youll have a visible passion for Network Operations, with the following skills or strong experience in:

• Networking design concepts, switching, routing, firewalling and load balancing. (NTDS)

• Managing, testing and delivering complex technologies within time, cost and quality targets. (TEST)

• Dissecting a problem into its component parts to identify and diagnose root causes, allowing for problem resolution. (USUP)

• Providing technical direction and guidance to more junior members and taking part in their appraisal and related performance management processes.(TECH)

• Building effective partnerships across diverse teams and technologies, with an understanding of the wider organisational context, emerging trends, and how your work contributes to broader strategic objectives. (OFCL)

• Engaging in the process for installing or removing hardware and/or software, using supplied installation instructions and tools. (HSIN)

SFIA capability framework 

Skills for the Information Age (SFIA) version 8 is the technical framework that sets the standard capability and development of all levels in the Home Office. This is a link to the capability framework:  All skills A - Z English (sfia-online.org).

We use set SFIA technical skills to form our interview questions and we will assess you against these technical skills during the selection process.

The essential skills listed above are reflective of the Home Office Government Digital and Data Profession Career Framework (based on the industry standard SFIA framework). Use the SFIA Levels of responsibilityto understand what would be expected for each technical skills listed below.