Lead Specialist Engineer - Networks

UK Health Security Agency; Andover; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous Civil Service pension

Funding for professional development

Job summary

UK Health Security Agency is seeking a Lead Specialist Engineer - Networks to maintain and enhance critical network infrastructure. You will ensure availability, performance, security and resilience across services, acting as a technical expert within ICT.

You’ll support incidents, drive best practices and deliver robust networking solutions. As a senior specialist, you’ll work with ICT teams, mentor engineers, respond to incidents and help shape future network services and standards.

Qualifications

• Experience managing and supporting complex network environments.
• Ability to diagnose and resolve technical issues and communicate clearly.
• Experience with secure network design and incident response.

Responsibilities

• Managing, maintaining and optimising network infrastructure for high availability.
• Configuring, monitoring and supporting network hardware, software and technologies.
• Troubleshooting incidents and outages to minimise disruption.
• Maintaining security, backups and disaster recovery measures.
• Applying patches and upgrades in a controlled manner.
• Producing technical documentation and standards.
• Providing guidance and support to engineers, including juniors.

Skills

Extreme Networks

Cisco equipment

IP routing

TCP/IP protocols

VPN deployment

Network security

Load balancing

NCSC standards

WAN/LAN/WLAN

CCNA

Education

CCNA or equivalent

Tools

Palo Alto Firewalls

Extreme Networks gear

Cisco equipment

Network monitoring tools

Job description

We're looking for an experienced and technically skilled Lead Specialist Engineer - Networks to play a key role in maintaining and enhancing the critical network infrastructure that underpins UKHSA's vital public health mission.

This is an exciting opportunity to work within a highly specialised environment, ensuring the availability, performance, security and resilience of enterprise network services. You'll act as a technical expert within your field, supporting the delivery of robust, secure and reliable networking solutions while contributing to the continuous improvement of our ICT services. As a senior technical specialist, you'll work closely with engineers across the ICT function, respond to incidents and service disruptions, and help drive best practice across network operations and service delivery.

As a Lead Specialist Engineer, you'll support the delivery of technical excellence across UKHSA's network environment and help ensure services remain secure, resilient and fit for future needs.

Key responsibilities include:

• Managing, maintaining and optimising network infrastructure to ensure high levels of availability and performance.
• Configuring, monitoring and supporting network hardware, software and associated technologies.
• Troubleshooting incidents, outages and technical issues, taking swift action to minimise disruption and restore service.
• Maintaining system security, integrity and resilience, including access controls, backup arrangements and disaster recovery processes.
• Applying patches, upgrades and enhancements in a timely and controlled manner.
• Monitoring performance, capacity and utilisation trends, providing recommendations for future improvements and investment.
• Producing and maintaining technical documentation, procedures and operational standards.
• Supporting infrastructure projects, system implementations, upgrades and migrations.
• Providing technical guidance, knowledge sharing and support to colleagues, including junior engineers where required.
• Ensuring compliance with UKHSA policies, security standards and industry best practice.
• Keeping up to date with emerging technologies and making recommendations on innovations that could benefit UKHSA's network services.
• Providing accurate effort estimates, technical advice and updates to senior engineers and managers.
• Participating in out-of-hours support activities when required.

We're looking for someone who combines strong technical expertise with a proactive and collaborative approach. You'll have experience managing and supporting complex network environments and be confident working across a broad range of networking technologies. You'll be able to diagnose and resolve technical issues effectively, balance multiple priorities and communicate complex technical information clearly to a variety of audiences.

Essential Criteria

• Extreme Networks and Cisco network equipment.
• Network routing and TCP/IP protocols.
• Palo Alto Firewalls.
• Extreme Networks (or equivalent) Wireless access point technologies.
• VPN deployment and configuration.
• NCSC requirements for the implementation, management and administration of secure networks.
• Familiarity with NCSC Secure by Design Principles.
• Understanding of network security principles and practices, data encryption and remote access technologies.
• WAN/LAN/WLAN Architectures.
• Application Delivery Controllers and/or Load Balancing technologies.
• Must have previous experience of undertaking a specialist role and of managing systems for a large user base.
• Experience with monitoring a network infrastructure to optimise performance and support capacity planning.
• Ability to analyse and interpret information, pre-empt and evaluate issues, and recommend an appropriate course of action to address the issues.
• Ability to work on own initiative and organise own workload without supervision, working to tight and often changing timescales.
• Formal technical qualification, e.g. Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) or equivalent.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience with Network Function Virtualisation and Software Defined Network architecture.
• Skills for communication on complex matters and difficult situations, requiring persuasion and influence.

Why Join UKHSA?

This is your opportunity to apply your technical expertise to work that genuinely makes a difference. At UKHSA, you'll be part of an organisation whose technology supports critical public services and helps protect the health and wellbeing of millions of people.

In return, you'll benefit from:

• Working on nationally significant technology services.
• A generous Civil Service pension, with employer contributions averaging 28.97%.
• Exposure to complex, large-scale and diverse network environments.
• Investment in learning, development and professional certifications.
• A collaborative, supportive and inclusive culture.
• Opportunities to influence the future of critical public sector technology.

Discover more about our rewards and benefits on our website.TPBN1_UKTJ