Network Engineer

Smartedge Solutions; Dunstable, Harrogate; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Smartedge Solutions seeks a Networking Patch Management Specialist to own the end-to-end patch lifecycle for our UK network infrastructure, supporting routers, switches, firewalls, load balancers, VPN gateways, and related appliances.

You will collaborate with cybersecurity and operations teams to review advisories, plan deployments, test changes, and monitor post-patch health. ITIL-aligned governance and strong documentation are expected.

Qualifications

• Bachelor degree in a technical field or equivalent practical experience.
• Experience in network operations, infrastructure support, or patch management in an enterprise.
• Strong understanding of routers, switches, firewalls, and load balancers.
• Familiarity with vulnerability management and change governance processes.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end patch management lifecycle for network infrastructure.
• Coordinate patch deployment with network operations, security, and stakeholders.
• Review vendor advisories, security bulletins, and vulnerability notifications.
• Plan, schedule, and test patch deployment in lab or controlled environments.
• Monitor post-patch health, performance, and rollback if needed.
• Maintain patch status records, remediation trackers, and compliance reporting.

Skills

Network patch lifecycle

Vulnerability remediation

Change and release coordination

Stakeholder communication

Incident response

Documentation & reporting

Education

Bachelor degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field

Tools

Tenable

Qualys

Rapid7

ServiceNow

SCCM

Ansible

Job description

Smartedge Client is looking for an individual to help with their Networking Patch Management Specialist @ Dunstable OR Harrogate, UK / Hybrid Working

Job Description :

• The Network Patch Management Specialist is responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing patch management activities across the organization& network infrastructure. This role ensures network devices remain secure, stable, and compliant by managing patch cycles, assessing vulnerabilities, coordinating maintenance windows, and minimizing operational risk.
• Own the end-to-end patch management lifecycle for network infrastructure, including routers (Cisco), switches( Cisco Cat Switches and Nexus), firewalls(Cisco ASA, Firepower and Palo Aloto), F5 load balancers, F5 BigIQs, VPN gateways, and related appliances
• Own the end-to-end patch management lifecycle for network infrastructure, including routers, switches, firewalls, load balancers, Cisco ISE nodes, VPN gateways, and related appliances Partner with cybersecurity teams and Service Assurance Teams to prioritize remediation of critical and high-risk vulnerabilities
• Own the end-to-end patch management lifecycle for network infrastructure, including routers, switches, firewalls, load balancers, VPN gateways, and related appliances Review vendor advisories, security bulletins, and vulnerability notifications to assess patch relevance and priority Plan and schedule patch deployment activities in coordination with network operations, security, infrastructure, and business stakeholders Validate patch compatibility, dependencies, rollback requirements, and implementation risks before deployment Coordinate testing of patches in lab, staging, or controlled production environments where applicable
• Execute or support patch deployment during approved maintenance windows Monitor post-patch health, performance, and service stability, and lead rollback actions if required Maintain accurate patch status records, remediation trackers, exception logs, and compliance reporting Partner with cybersecurity teams to prioritize remediation of critical and high-risk vulnerabilities Track patch compliance across the network estate and elevate overdue or high-risk gaps Support audit, regulatory, and internal control requirements related to patching and security hygiene Contribute to patch management standards, runbooks, governance processes, and continuous improvement initiatives Required Qualifications Bachelor degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Network Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience Proven experience in network operations, infrastructure support, or patch management in an enterprise environment
• Strong understanding of network devices and platforms such as routers, switches, firewalls, and load balancers
• Experience with vulnerability management, patch governance, change management, and incident response processes
• Familiarity with enterprise maintenance planning, risk assessment, and rollback procedures
• Ability to analyse vendor documentation, technical advisories, and patch dependencies
• Strong coordination and stakeholder management skills across operations, security, and business teams
• Good documentation, reporting, and communication skills Preferred Qualifications Experience with multi-vendor network environments such as Cisco, Juniper, Palo Alto, Fortinet, F5, or similar platforms Familiarity with vulnerability and patch tools such as Tenable, Qualys, Rapid7, ServiceNow, SCCM, Ansible, or equivalent operational tooling
• Understanding of ITIL-based change and incident management practices
• Relevant certifications such as CCNA, CCNP, CompTIA Security+, ITIL, or vendor-specific network/security certifications
• Key Skills Network patch lifecycle management Vulnerability remediation prioritization Change and release coordination Risk assessment and rollback planning Stakeholder communication Operational governance and reporting Troubleshooting and incident support Process improvement Success Measures Timely remediation of critical and high-risk network vulnerabilities
• High patch compliance across in-scope network assets
• Accurate audit-ready documentation and reporting
• Strong coordination across infrastructure, security, and operations teams