IT 3rd Line Engineer

Coombe House School; Workington; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous annual leave

Local Government pension Scheme

CPD opportunities

Free onsite parking

Subsidised onsite restaurant

Cycle scheme

Discounted gym membership

Excellent facilities

Job summary

Lakes College in West Cumbria is seeking a skilled and motivated 3rd Line IT Support Engineer to develop and maintain the College’s IT infrastructure, ensuring reliability, performance and security to support teaching and business operations. You will act as senior escalation point, mentor 1st/2nd Line staff, and work with vendors to deliver effective IT services.

A degree in computing or equivalent, ITIL knowledge, and experience in 2nd line support are required; MCSE/Azure/ITIL v4 Foundation

Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent in computing subject essential.
• Full UK driving licence essential.
• Experience in a second line IT role.
• Experience using an IT Service Management application.
• Understanding of SLAs and KPIs.
• Knowledge of ITIL Principles.
• Experience in a third line IT role.
• VMware vSphere, Cisco networking and systems integration.
• Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery Planning.
• Proactive approach to infrastructure resilience.

Responsibilities

• Develop, deploy and maintain core IT infrastructure, systems and applications.
• Provide 3rd line support and act as escalation point for complex issues.
• Support and mentor 1st and 2nd Line Engineers, sharing knowledge and expertise.
• Investigate recurring issues and implement long-term solutions.
• Lead on critical incident resolution and root cause analysis.
• Maintain and optimise wired and wireless networks.
• Ensure robust cyber security, anti-virus, and filtering systems.
• Monitor system performance, network traffic, and service KPIs.
• Maintain reliable backup, disaster recovery and business continuity processes.
• Work with third-party vendors to ensure effective service delivery.
• Develop automation tools to enhance efficiency and service delivery.
• Contribute to IT strategy, planning, and future infrastructure development.
• Support key college activities including exams and events.
• Create and maintain clear technical documentation.

Skills

Second line IT support

IT Service Management

ITIL principles

Education

Degree in computing

Tools

VMware vSphere

Cisco networking

Systems integration

Job description

Lakes College is a technical vocational Further Education College delivering education and training to full-time and part-time learners and apprentices to degree level.We have a vibrant campus in West Cumbria with state of the art vocational workshops and resources, including the National College for Nuclear Northern Hub.

Our mission and purpose are to:

‘ Enable people to recognise and develop their potential ’.

We are a people business and our mission applies as equally to our staff team as to our learners and employers’. We are a Good college and have ambition to be Outstanding by together developing our culture, standards and expectations. We encourage innovation, collaboration and reflection to lead to new ideas and methods. We gather, evaluate and use data to drive operational improvement.

ABOUT THE ROLE

We are seeking a skilled and motivated 3rd Line IT Support Engineer to play a key role in developing and maintaining the College’s IT infrastructure and systems.

You will provide expert-level support to ensure the reliability, performance, and security of our digital environment, enabling excellent teaching, learning and business operations. Acting as a senior escalation point, you will work closely with colleagues, stakeholders, and external partners to ensure high-quality IT services across the College.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, deploy and maintain core IT infrastructure, systems, and applications
• Provide 3rd line support and act as an escalation point for complex issues
• Support and mentor 1st and 2nd Line Engineers, sharing knowledge and expertise
• Investigate recurring issues and implement long-term solutions
• Lead on critical incident resolution and root cause analysis
• Maintain and optimise wired and wireless networks
• Ensure robust cyber security, anti-virus, and filtering systems
• Monitor system performance, network traffic, and service KPIs
• Maintain reliable backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity processes
• Work with third-party vendors to ensure effective service delivery
• Develop automation tools to enhance efficiency and service delivery
• Contribute to IT strategy, planning, and future infrastructure development
• Support key college activities including exams and events
• Create and maintain clear technical documentation

We are looking for a candidate with a degree in a computing-related subject or equivalent practical experience, alongside a strong understanding of ITIL principles and service management. You will have proven experience working in a 2nd line IT support role, with hands-on experience using an IT Service Management system. A solid understanding of service delivery frameworks, including SLAs and KPIs, is essential, along with the ability to work effectively within a structured support environment.

Holding a full UK Driving Licence is required for this role.

Ideally, you will also bring experience working at 3rd line level, with relevant professional certifications such as MCSE, Azure, or ITIL v4 Foundation. Technical expertise in areas such as VMware vSphere, Cisco networking, and systems integration would be advantageous. Experience in business continuity and disaster recovery planning is also desirable, as is a proactive approach to continuous improvement and infrastructure resilience.

Help power the technology behind outstanding education!

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU!

• Generous annual leave – 29 days plus 8 days bank holiday plus 2 discretionary days (rising to 33 days after 5 years’ service)
• Automatic entry into the Local Government pension Scheme.
• A dedicated and friendly team of professionals who are keen to develop and learn.
• Excellent CPD opportunities to grow and development through mentorship and coaching.
• Free onsite parking.
• Subsidised onsite restaurant.
• A cycle scheme tech scheme and discounted gym membership.
• Fantastic facilities to resource our ability to teach our students.

Qualifications

Degree or equivalent experience in a computing related subject essential

Full and Valid UK Driving Licence essential

Skills

Experience

• Experience in a second line IT role essential
• Experience using an IT Service Management Application essential
• Understanding of SLAs and KPIs essential
• Knowledge of ITIL Principles essential
• Experience in a third line IT role
• VMWare vSphere
• Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery Planning
• Systems Integration between two or more platforms

Digital Services

Andrew Sands

[e-mail]

Hallwood Road
Workington
Cumbria
Cumbria
CA14 4JN

Lakes College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and vulnerable adults, and all appointments are subject to enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks and satisfactory references.

Lakes College is also committed to promoting equality, challenging discrimination and developing community cohesion. We welcome applications from all sections of the community.