Network Connectivity Lead

UK Telecoms lab; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pension

Life assurance

Generous annual leave

Private GP service

Job summary

UK Telecoms Lab (UKTL) is seeking a Senior Network Connectivity Lead to design, build and maintain secure network platforms across on-premises and cloud environments in the UK. You will guide technical direction, drive automation, observability and CI/CD pipelines, and mentor engineers within the Connectivity Engineering team.

The role focuses on enterprise networking, RBAC, network security and resilient operations, offering the chance to impact national-level programmes and collaborate with

Qualifications

• Significant experience designing and supporting enterprise networking environments.
• Expert knowledge of switching, routing, firewalls, VPNs, and WAN/LAN infrastructure.
• Strong background in cloud networking and infrastructure services.
• Proven expertise in Infrastructure as Code, automation and configuration management.

Responsibilities

• Design, build and maintain secure network infrastructure across on-premises and cloud platforms.
• Lead the lifecycle management of networking technologies (switches, routers, firewalls, VPNs).
• Provide 3rd line technical escalation and resolve complex infrastructure issues.
• Develop and maintain IaC, automation tooling and CI/CD pipelines.
• Mentor and coach engineers and collaborate with cross-functional teams to improve services.

Skills

Networking

Security

IaC

Automation

Mentoring

Cloud networking

Tools

Terraform

CI/CD tooling

Job description

At UK Telecoms Lab (UKTL), we're helping to strengthen the security, resilience and innovation of the UK's telecommunications ecosystem. As a Senior Network Connectivity Lead, you'll play a critical role in designing, building and maintaining the network platforms and connectivity services that underpin our research, testing and operational environments. This is an opportunity to work with cutting-edge technologies across on-premises and cloud environments, lead technical direction, drive automation and observability, and support the delivery of nationally significant programmes. What You'll Be Doing As a technical lead within the Connectivity Engineering team, you will:

• Design, build and maintain secure, resilient network infrastructure across on-premises and cloud platforms.
• Lead the lifecycle management of networking technologies, including switches, routers, firewalls, VPNs, LAN and WAN services.
• Act as a senior technical escalation point, providing 3rd line support and resolving complex infrastructure issues.
• Work closely with project teams and stakeholders to design and implement technology solutions that meet business and operational requirements.
• Develop and maintain Infrastructure as Code (IaC), automation tooling and CI/CD pipelines to improve efficiency and consistency.
• Implement and enhance security controls, including RBAC, secrets management, compliance automation and platform hardening.
• Deliver observability and monitoring solutions to improve service reliability, performance and proactive issue detection.
• Collaborate with security, operations, research and delivery teams to identify opportunities for continual improvement through automation and modern engineering practices.
• Create and maintain high-quality technical and operational documentation.
• Mentor and coach engineers, helping to develop technical capability across the team.
• Engage with suppliers and technology partners to resolve issues and support service improvements.

Significant experience designing, implementing and supporting enterprise networking environments.

Expert knowledge of networking technologies including:

• Switching and routing
• Firewalls
• VPN technologies
• LAN and WAN infrastructure
• Network security principles
• Strong experience managing cloud networking and infrastructure services.
• Proven expertise in Infrastructure as Code, automation and configuration management.
• Experience building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines.
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills, with the ability to analyse complex technical issues and communicate solutions effectively.
• Experience working within secure, highly available and mission-critical environments.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across technical and non-technical stakeholder groups.
• Experience mentoring, coaching or leading engineers.

Desirable

Experience or knowledge of telecommunications technologies and architectures, including:

• 4G and 5G networks
• Radio Access Networks (RAN)
• Fixed Line Broadband technologies
• Knowledge of research, testing or laboratory-based technical environments.

Experience working within cybersecurity, government, defence or critical national infrastructure sectors.

Flexible Working

Successful applicants will be expected to attend our Birmingham office a minimum of two days per week. Our state-of-the-art facilities provide an excellent environment for collaboration, and we encourage colleagues to make the most of our on-site workspace. We are committed to fostering a positive work-life balance and welcome applications from candidates seeking full-time, part-time, or flexible working arrangements, subject to business needs.

Location

Our site is conveniently located within easy reach of Birmingham, with excellent transport links. We are accessible by rail, with the nearest being Birmingham International station, and are also served by local bus routes. Free on-site parking is available for those travelling by car.

Why Join UKTL?

At UKTL, you'll be part of a mission that has real national impact, helping to strengthen the security, resilience, and future of the UK's telecommunications networks. We are committed to investing in our people, providing opportunities to develop your technical expertise, broaden your experience, and build a rewarding long-term career. Whether you're an experienced specialist or looking to grow your skills in a new area, you'll benefit from:

• Meaningful work that helps shape the future security of UK telecommunications.
• Access to industry-leading training, professional development, and certification opportunities.
• Hands-on experience with cutting-edge technologies across telecoms, cyber security, research, and testing.
• Collaboration with recognised experts in a highly skilled and supportive environment.
• Opportunities to work on unique projects that drive innovation and influence industry best practice.
• A culture that encourages continuous learning, knowledge sharing, and career progression.

UKTL is building leading edge Telecoms testing facilities to keep our telecommunications networks safe, accelerate the roll-out of new technologies, and grow our world leading telecoms sector to maintain resiliency and security.

Find out more about what it is like working here - NPL and DSIT have strong commitments to diversity and equality of opportunity, and welcome applications from candidates irrespective of their background, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, or age, providing they meet the required criteria.

Applications from women, disabled and black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates in particular are encouraged.

All disabled candidates (as defined by the Equality Act 2010) who satisfy the minimum criteria for the role will be guaranteed an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme.

At NPL, we believe our success is a result of the diversity and talent of our people.

We strive to nurture and respect individuals to ensure everyone feels valued by treating everyone on the basis of their own individual merits and abilities regardless of their own or perceived identity, as part of our commitment to diversity & inclusion, we ensure we're creating an environment where all our colleagues feel supported and welcome.

More about this on our page.

We offer a wealth of above industry standard benefits, such as enhanced pension scheme, flexible working, and more that can be found here . are at the heart of what we do, and they shape the way we interact, develop our people and celebrate success.

To ensure everyone has an equal chance, we're always willing to make reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process.

Due to the nature of our work, candidates must be eligible to obtain and maintain SC clearance with no restrictions. Existing SC clearance would be advantageous, otherwise encouraged.

Salary

Salary for UKTL specialist roles is benchmarked against the external market and may include additional compensation to recognise in-demand technical expertise. We recruit based on capability, technical excellence and potential rather than simply years of experience. As a result, candidates may be considered for different grades depending on their skills, experience and technical depth. During the interview process, we'll discuss how your experience aligns with our grading framework and provide an indication of the salary range associated with the most appropriate level. This ensures you have a clear understanding of expectations and opportunities from an early stage. Our technical assessment process is designed to evaluate your expertise in greater detail and will ultimately determine the grade and salary offered. We are committed to offering competitive, market-aligned reward packages that recognise the value and impact our specialists bring to UKTL.

Our Benefits

Benefits include: [uktl.org.uk], [npl.co.uk]

• Competitive pension scheme with employer contributions of up to 12%.
• Life assurance providing cover of three times your annual salary.
• Generous annual leave entitlement, sick pay and shared parental leave.
• Enhanced maternity, adoption and surrogacy leave, including up to 39 weeks' full pay.
• Private GP service with confidential phone and video appointments.
• Employee Assistance Programme offering free and confidential advice and counselling.
• Group Income Protection for additional financial security during periods of long-term illness.
• Interest-free loans for season tickets, rental deposits, house purchase deposits and other qualifying purchases.
• MyLifestyle benefits platform, providing discounts across retail, supermarkets, entertainment, travel and fitness providers.
• CSSC membership offering access to additional leisure, travel and lifestyle benefits.
• Employee referral bonus scheme.
• Professional development opportunities including technical training, mentoring, coaching and leadership development.
• Support towards professional accreditation and chartered status.
• Annual salary reviews and market benchmarking to ensure competitive and fair pay.
• Access to wellbeing initiatives, employee networks, social clubs and community activities.