Network Operations Lead

NG Bailey Group; Leeds; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

NG Bailey Group is seeking a Network Operations Lead in the UK to provide both technical leadership and strategic direction for our IT services network operations capability. You will guide Cisco, Mitel and Network Engineers, act as a senior escalation point for complex incidents, and shape the future of Fortinet, SD-WAN, security and managed network services.

You will work with Service Management, Operations and Projects to ensure smooth service transitions, risk management and delivery of

Qualifications

• Senior network operations experience in a service-focused environment.
• Strong ownership of incident, change and problem management processes.
• Proven ability to lead technical teams and guide engineers through complex issues.
• Experience with Fortinet, SD-WAN and enterprise networking security.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day technical leadership for the Network Operations team.
• Set technical standards, priorities and escalation expectations.
• Coach engineers in network delivery and service-focused operations.
• Own governance, standards and consistency across network support services.
• Drive improvements in monitoring, automation and documentation.
• Act as senior escalation point for incidents and service-impacting issues.
• Support runbooks, support models and knowledge capture for ongoing support.

Skills

Leadership

People management

ITIL service management

Incident management

Stakeholder management

Tools

Fortinet

SD-WAN

Cisco

Mitel

Job description

We're seeking a Network Operations Lead to join our IT Services network operations capability, providing both day-to-day technical leadership and strategic direction. The role will ensure robust operational and technical ownership and service delivery across the current customer network, while driving future growth across Fortinet, SD-WAN, security and managed network services. As the senior technical lead, you will guide and support Cisco, Mitel and Network Engineers, act as a senior escalation point for complex incidents, technical queries and service-impacting issues. You will also play a key role in developing the team's expertise beyond traditional Cisco support, enhancing capability in modern networking and security technologies. Working closely with Service Management, Operations, Projects and technical stakeholders, you will ensure smooth service transitions, effective risk management, and the delivery of reliable, high-quality network services for customers Some of your key deliverables for the role include:

• Providing visible and practical leadership to the Network Operations team, helping to set the tone for a high-performing, collaborative and technically capable ITIL service function
• Coach, guide and support Cisco, Mitel and Network Engineers in day-to-day service delivery.
• Set clear technical standards, priorities and escalation expectations across the team
• Support skills development, knowledge sharing, recruitment and succession planning
• Encourage a collaborative, accountable and service-focused team culture
• Act as a senior technical authority for network operations, providing assurance and ownership across Fortinet firewalls, SD-WAN, routing and switching, network security and Cisco infrastructure.
• Act as a senior escalation point for complex incidents, technical queries and service-impacting issues
• Support complex troubleshooting, technical reviews and problem management activity
• Strengthen governance, standards and consistency across network support services
• Embed lessons learned and drive improvements following incidents, escalations or service issues
• You'll be accountable for helping the Service Centre deliver a reliable, responsive and well-controlled network service
• Support SLA achievement and improve incident, change and service request performance
• Identify recurring issues and drive root cause activity to reduce repeat incidents
• Ensure runbooks, support models and operational processes are clear, maintained and followed
• Contribute to improvements in monitoring, automation, documentation and service resilience
• Work with project and technical teams to understand new Fortinet and SD-WAN solutions
• Shape the operational support model and ensure services are transitioned effectively
• Capture and maintain knowledge required for ongoing support
• Build internal capability so engineers can confidently support Fortinet and SD-WAN services
• Support customer service reviews where technical input or assurance is required
• Contribute to major incident activity and customer escalations
• Work closely with Service Management to ensure customer issues are understood and progressed
• Translate complex technical matters into clear actions, updates and service improvements, We'll do our best to outline the recruitment process to you ahead of time with plenty of notice. If you require any accommodations to participate in the application or interview process, please let us know and we will work with you to ensure your needs are met.
• Strong network engineering experience gained within a service-focused environment, ideally with exposure to managed services, enterprise networking and operational support
• Proven Cisco enterprise networking experience, including routing, switching and WAN technologies
• Experience supporting complex technical issues within an operational or Service Centre environment
• Understanding of ITIL methodology including incident, change, problem and service transition processes
• Ability to guide others through technical decision-making and escalation management
• In addition to technical credibility, the role requires someone who can lead, influence and develop others. The postholder should be comfortable setting standards, coaching engineers, supporting prioritisation and working collaboratively with operational, technical and service management colleagues

Desirable Experience

• Experience with Fortinet technologies, SD-WAN deployment, firewall management or network security would be highly beneficial
• Fortinet NSE, FCSS or equivalent practical Fortinet experience
• Cisco CCNP or equivalent enterprise networking accreditation
• Experience transitioning new services into operational support
• Exposure to UC or Mitel environments
• Experience building capability, documentation and support processes within a technical team
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills
• Calm, structured decision-making during incidents or escalations
• Ability to influence across operational, technical and service management teams
• Focus on service quality, continuous improvement and team development
• Practical, accountable and customer-focused approach

We are one of the leading independent engineering and services businesses in the UK. Founded in 1921, with a turnover of £500m and 3000 employees, we are proud of our history of developing great people through our investment in training.

Working across a variety of sectors within the building and infrastructure industry, our innovative, responsible and forward-thinking approach allows us to work on fantastic ground-breaking projects, providing solutions using the latest tools and technologies. Progression is something we value, and we will make sure that when you join us you have a clearly defined development path, supported by regular reviews, training and ongoing support to enable you to be the best you can be.