Consultant Engineer

Sword Group; Bellshill; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Sword is a leading provider of business technology solutions across energy, public and financial sectors. We are seeking an experienced network engineer to lead end-to-end project delivery, design, and deployment of enterprise networks using Cisco technologies.

You will craft high-quality designs, configure and validate complex environments, and collaborate with security teams and stakeholders to ensure compliant, scalable solutions.

Qualifications

• Strong enterprise networking background with hands-on project delivery, implementation and design.
• Experience with Azure and AWS cloud environments.
• CCNP/CCIE level or equivalent preferred.
• Ability to produce high-quality design documentation and diagrams.
• Familiarity with modern data center and campus network patterns.

Responsibilities

• Lead network design from concept to implementation, owning end-to-end delivery.
• Develop low-level designs, migration plans and build documentation for projects.
• Deploy and validate network infrastructure with Cisco technologies and security controls.
• Collaborate with project managers and stakeholders to ensure alignment with design principles.

Skills

Enterprise networking

Project delivery

Cisco networking (CCNP/CCIE)

Troubleshooting

Customer engagement

Cloud platforms (Azure/AWS)

Security technologies (SASE, Palo Alto

Education

CCNP/CCIE certification

Tools

Cisco Nexus

VXLAN

Palo Alto Panorama

Cisco ACI

Cisco Secure Firewall (FTD)

SD-WAN

Job description

Sword is a leading provider of business technology solutions within the Energy, Public and Finance Sectors, driving transformational change within our clients. We use proven technology, specialist teams and domain expertise to build solid technical foundations across platforms, data, and business applications. We have a passion for using technology to solve business problems, working in partnership with our clients to help in achieving their goals.

About the role:

• Candidates must have excellent communication skills and be able to lead technical projects from design stage through to implementation and take ownership of the solution end to end
• Design and deliver enterprise network solutions across routing, switching, firewall, and where required wireless technologies, with a strong emphasis on project implementation rather than BAU administration
• Produce high-quality low-level designs, implementation plans, migration plans, and build documentation to support project delivery
• Deploy, configure, test, and optimise network infrastructure using strong Cisco networking knowledge at CCNP/CCIE level or equivalent
• Support the design and implementation of modern network architectures, including traditional three-tier campus designs and spine‑leaf or fabric‑based architectures using technologies such as Cisco ACI or VXLAN EVPN
• Apply strong working knowledge of core network protocols and services, including BGP, OSPF, IS-IS, VXLAN, VLANs, HSRP/VRRP, routing policy, multicast, and related enterprise services
• Undertake hands‑on build, proof‑of‑concept, lab validation, and technical testing activity to de‑risk delivery and validate designs before deployment into production
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex technical issues encountered during project delivery, implementation, migration, or testing phases
• Work closely with project managers, security teams, and customer stakeholders to ensure solutions are aligned to agreed design principles, standards, and governance requirements
• Support change execution through the preparation, rehearsal, and implementation of changes within controlled project and operational environments
• Produce and maintain accurate technical documentation, including configuration baselines, as‑built records, network diagrams, test results, and support handover material
• Contribute to technical workshops, design reviews, and customer discussions, with the confidence to explain technical decisions clearly and credibly
• Understand how network infrastructure integrates with wider platform components, including compute and storage environments built on VMware, Nutanix, and Hyper‑V

• Strong enterprise networking background with hands‑on experience in project delivery, implementation, and design
• Cisco networking expertise to CCNP/CCIE level preferred; with strong relevant experience
• Strong understanding of modern data centre and campus network design patterns
• Experience with Palo Alto firewalls and centralised management through Panorama is desirable
• Ability to produce detailed technical and low‑level design documentation to a high standard
• Experience of delivering technical solutions in structured and governed environments
• Strong troubleshooting and diagnostic skills across complex network environments
• Comfortable working directly with customers, including large enterprise or blue‑chip organisations
• Experience in regulated or critical infrastructure sectors such as energy, utilities, oil and gas, defence, or OT environments would be beneficial
• Cisco ISR and ASR Routers
• Datacentre technologies, Cisco Nexus, VXLAN, VPC’s & End User Compute
• Campus Switching Catalyst 9XXX series switches, Stackwise virtual
• IPSec VPN’s & Cisco SDWAN
• Cisco Secure firewall / FTD
• SASE solutions, Palo Alto Prisma Access, Cisco Secure Connect
• Cisco Wireless – WLC’s (C9800 series)
• Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE)
• Experiences with Azure and AWS cloud environments
• Cisco Meraki Wireless, Security and Switching technologies
• Cisco ACI - Application Centric Infrastructure HP and Aruba Platforms
• DevNet Principles, Automation, Ansible, Python