Digital Network Specialist

Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust; Wakefield; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare trust in Wakefield seeks a Network Specialist to ensure the performance and security of its network infrastructure. Responsibilities include monitoring and troubleshooting network issues, implementing security protocols, and participating in disaster recovery planning. Ideal candidates will have experience with various network components and familiarity with NHS Digital standards. Opportunity includes benefits like NHS pension and generous holiday allowance.

Benefits

NHS pension plan

Generous holiday allowance

Employee health and wellbeing services

Onsite nurseries

Childcare vouchers

Car lease and home electronics schemes

Working carers support

Carer-friendly policies

Qualifications

• Experience with network infrastructure including switches, routers, and firewalls.
• Strong knowledge of VLANs and routing protocols.
• Familiar with NHS Digital standards and Cyber Essentials Plus.

Responsibilities

• Monitor and optimise the Trust’s network infrastructure.
• Implement network configurations and security policies.
• Troubleshoot network incidents efficiently.
• Collaborate on network security controls.
• Participate in resilience planning and disaster recovery.

Skills

Network Infrastructure Management

Troubleshooting Complex Network Issues

Network Security Configuration

Disaster Recovery Planning

Job description

Role Overview

The Network Specialist will be a key member of the Digital Services team, responsible for ensuring the availability, performance, and resilience of the Trust’s network infrastructure across all sites and services. This includes maintaining the security, reliability, and scalability of the Trust’s wired and wireless networks, enabling clinical and corporate systems to operate efficiently and securely. The role involves managing, maintaining, and continuously improving the Trust’s network architecture in line with best practice, NHS Digital standards, and organisational strategy. The post holder will provide expert technical advice and operational support on all aspects of network design, implementation, and troubleshooting, ensuring that connectivity and infrastructure support the safe delivery of patient care. Working closely with other Digital Services teams, the Network Specialist will play a vital role in the transition to the new hybrid network operating model, collaborating with external partners and internal teams to build a robust and sustainable environment. The post holder will also contribute to network‑related cyber and resilience activities, ensuring compliance with relevant frameworks such as the DSP Toolkit and Cyber Essentials Plus.

Responsibilities

• Monitor, maintain, and optimise the Trust’s network infrastructure, including switches, routers, wireless controllers, firewalls, and load balancers, ensuring high availability and performance across all sites.
• Implement and manage network configurations, VLANs, and routing protocols in line with Trust architecture and security policies.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex network incidents, working closely with internal teams and external partners to restore services efficiently and minimise disruption to clinical and business operations.
• Collaborate with Cyber Operations to ensure network security controls (e.g., firewalls, segmentation, intrusion prevention) are correctly configured and maintained.
• Participate in resilience planning, including disaster recovery and business continuity exercises, ensuring network components meet required redundancy and fail‑over standards.
• Assist in vulnerability management activities by reviewing and remediating network‑related findings.
• Maintain compliance with NHS Digital, DSP Toolkit, and Cyber Essentials Plus standards as they apply to network operations.

About the Trust

We are an acute trust caring for over one million people in Wakefield and Kirklees. Our 10,000 staff members work in patients’ homes, the community, and our three hospitals in Pontefract, Dewsbury, and Pinderfields (Wakefield). Committed to continuous improvement, we prioritise our people and values so we can deliver excellent patient experience. Our team is friendly, passionate and always seeking better ways to work through research and innovation. We support work‑life balance and foster a diverse, inclusive environment where everyone belongs. Our staff networks offer safe spaces for honest conversations and to share ideas, thoughts and concerns so we can increase awareness and appreciation of equality, diversity, and inclusion.

Benefits

• NHS pension plan
• Generous holiday allowance
• Employee health and wellbeing services
• Onsite nurseries
• Childcare vouchers
• Car lease and home electronics schemes
• Working carers support
• Carer‑friendly policies
• And more

If you value caring, high standards, improvement, and respect, join our team to make a difference every day.