Network Engineer Apprentice - Bell

QA Limited; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 16,000 - 21,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension

Coffee machine

Dress down

Hybrid

Job summary

Bell invites you to launch a network engineering career through a recognised apprenticeship. You’ll work on wired/wireless networks, security and data centre concepts, with Cisco focus and exposure to AI infrastructure networking.

Under senior guidance, develop practical skills in reliability, configuration standards, monitoring and documentation while learning modern SDN, EVPN/VXLAN and automation.

Qualifications

• Foundational networking concepts incl. IP, subnetting, routing, switching, DNS & DHCP.
• Demonstrated interest in Cisco technologies and professional certification.
• Awareness of network security incl. firewalls, access control, logging & monitoring.

Responsibilities

• Network support and engineering.
• Firewall, security and access control.
• Monitoring, troubleshooting and operational reliability.
• Modern network automation and observability.
• Documentation and standards.
• Collaboration across teams.

Skills

Networking basics

Cisco technologies

Security awareness

Observability mindset

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Education

A-Level ICT

IB ICT Level 3

Level 3 apprenticeship in IT

BTEC IT (180 credits)

Tools

Cisco equipment

Palo Alto exposure

Fortinet exposure

Job description

Launch your network engineering career with Bell! Gain hands‑on experience across Cisco, security and modern data centre networks while earning a recognised apprenticeship qualification.

About the role

• You will support the development, operation and continuous improvement of Bell’s wired, wireless and secure network services across enterprise, data centre, customer and emerging AI infrastructure environments. The role is designed to build foundational network engineering capability, with a primary focus on Cisco technologies, routing and switching, wireless networking, network security and operational support, while developing awareness of modern data centre networking concepts such as EVPN/VXLAN, software‑defined networking, automation, observability and high‑performance AI fabrics including NVIDIA InfiniBand.
• Working under the guidance of senior network, infrastructure and security engineers, the apprentice will contribute to improving network reliability, configuration standards, documentation, monitoring and troubleshooting practices while developing practical experience across Cisco, Palo Alto, Fortinet, HPE Aruba, Dell networking, wireless technologies and modern data centre connectivity models.

Responsibilities

• Network support and engineering
• Firewall, security and access control
• Monitoring, troubleshooting and operational reliability
• Modern network automation and observability
• Documentation and standards
• Collaboration across teams

Required skills

• Foundational understanding of networking concepts, including IP addressing, subnetting, routing, switching, DNS, DHCP and common network services
• Demonstrated interest in Cisco technologies, network engineering and professional certification
• Awareness of network security principles, including firewalls, access control, logging, monitoring and secure configuration
• Interest in modern network architectures, including data centre fabrics, cloud connectivity, automation, observability and AI infrastructure networking
• Basic analytical, diagnostic and problem‑solving capability
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work effectively in a structured team environment and follow escalation procedures

Desirable experience

• Awareness of Cisco networking technologies and CCNA‑level concepts
• Exposure to firewall, wireless or network monitoring concepts
• Familiarity with Palo Alto, Fortinet, HPE Aruba or Dell networking technologies
• Basic understanding of data centre networking, cloud connectivity or secure remote access principles
• Awareness of EVPN/VXLAN, leaf‑spine architectures, network overlays, segmentation and software‑defined networking concepts
• Awareness of AI and high‑performance computing networking concepts, including NVIDIA InfiniBand, RDMA, low‑latency fabrics and GPU cluster connectivity
• Interest in network automation, telemetry, observability and infrastructure‑as‑code practices

Entry requirements

• an A‑Level in ICT
• OR an International Baccalaureate at Level 3 ICT
• OR a Level 3 apprenticeship in a similar subject
• OR a BTEC Extended Diploma in IT (180 credits)

You may also have a combination of qualifications and experience which demonstrate the minimum foundation needed for the programme. In this instance you could still be considered for the programme.

If you hold international equivalents of the above qualifications, at the time of your application you must be able to provide an official document that states how your international qualifications compare to the UK qualifications.

Working hours

Working hours: 9am‑5.30pm. Remote‑first working model with periodic in‑person collaboration as required. Participation in team meetings, training sessions, and development activities.

Benefits

• Pension
• Coffee machine
• Dress down
• Hybrid

Future prospects

This role forms part of the organisation’s long‑term capability development in network engineering. The apprentice is expected to progressively build technical competence and professional skills, with the objective of transitioning into a permanent Network Engineer role or a related specialism such as network security, wireless engineering, data centre networking, AI infrastructure networking, automation or infrastructure engineering.

About Bell:

Whether it’s reimagining IT operations for enhanced performance, interoperability, and agility, or harnessing game‑changing technologies such as Cloud, AI, and IoT for long‑term value creation and ROI, you can count on Bell’s decades of expertise in extracting maximum value from a myriad of transformation programs.