Platform Engineer

DLA Piper; Greater London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

DLA Piper is seeking an Advanced Network Engineer to operate and enhance an enterprise Zero Trust network built on Zscaler (ZIA/ZPA) and Aruba technologies in the UK and globally.

The role focuses on uptime, automation, observability, and self-healing, evolving the current platform into a highly resilient service with improved user experience and performance.

Qualifications

• Strong operational experience with Zscaler ZIA/ZPA and Aruba ClearPass NAC environments.
• Experience supporting enterprise-scale, multi-site networks.
• Deep understanding of identity-based access (802.1X) and network resilience.

Responsibilities

• Own and improve network service availability across global sites.
• Drive automation and operational efficiency using Python and REST APIs.
• Improve user experience and network performance with data-driven optimisation.
• Develop observability and self-healing capabilities for proactive operations.
• Lead root cause analyses and implement permanent fixes.

Skills

Zscaler ZIA/ZPA

Aruba ClearPass

Network engineering

Python automation

REST APIs

Observability

SASE / SSE

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS or related field

Tools

Git

Ansible

Terraform

Job description

We are seeking an Advanced Network Engineer to enhance and operate an enterprise Zero Trust network environment built on Zscaler (ZIA/ZPA) and Aruba (ClearPass, switching, wireless) technologies.

With the core architecture already in place, this role focuses on:

• Maximising uptime and service reliability
• Driving automation and operational efficiency
• Improving customer experience and network performance
• Building observability and self-healing capabilities

You will be responsible for evolving the network from a functional platform into a highly resilient, intelligent, and low-touch service.

Main duties and responsibilities

Service Reliability & Uptime

• Own and improve network service availability across global sites
• Proactively identify and eliminate single points of failure
• Optimise:
• ISP performance and failover behaviour
• Zscaler traffic paths and resilience
• LAN/WLAN stability (Aruba)
• Lead root cause analysis for recurring issues and implement permanent fixes

Zscaler (ZIA/ZPA) Optimisation

• Operate and continuously improve existing ZIA/ZPA deployments
• Tune and maintain:
• Access policies
• Traffic forwarding (Client Connector, Branch Connector)
• Application segmentation (ZPA)
• Improve user experience and performance through data-driven optimisation
• Act as escalation point for complex Zscaler-related issues

Aruba & ClearPass Operations

• Manage and optimise Aruba ClearPass NAC environment:
• 802.1X authentication (wired/wireless)
• Device onboarding and profiling
• Policy enforcement improvements
• Enhance reliability of:
• Campus switching and wireless networks
• Office network standard builds
• Drive consistency and reduce operational complexity across locations

Automation & Engineering Efficiency

• Reduce manual effort by developing automation using:
• Python
• REST APIs (Zscaler, Aruba, Azure, monitoring tools)
• Automate:
• Configuration changes
• Policy updates
• User/device onboarding workflows
• Incident response actions
• Introduce Infrastructure as Code principles where applicable

Observability & Insight

• Design and improve end-to-end observability of network services
• Integrate telemetry from:
• Zscaler platforms
• Aruba infrastructure
• ISP and branch connectivity
• Enhance monitoring platforms to provide:
• Actionable alerts (reduce noise)
• Service-level dashboards
• User experience visibility
• Use data to drive proactive improvements rather than reactive fixes

Self-Healing & Proactive Operations

• Implement self-healing capabilities, including:
• Automated failover validation
• Scripted remediation of common faults
• Event-driven automation workflows
• Build closed-loop processes:
• Detect - Diagnose - Resolve - Validate
• Reduce MTTR and incident volumes through automation

Customer Experience & Service Improvement

• Focus on end-user experience as a primary success metric
• Partner with Service Desk and L2 teams to:
• Improve first-time fix rates
• Reduce escalations
• Simplify support models
• Translate technical improvements into measurable user outcomes

About You

Technical Expertise

• Strong operational experience with:
• Zscaler ZIA & ZPA
• Aruba networking (ClearPass, switching, wireless)
• Experience supporting enterprise-scale, multi-site networks
• Deep understanding of:
• Network resilience and failover design
• Identity-based access (802.1X, NAC)
• End-user connectivity troubleshooting

Automation & Development

• Proficiency in Python scripting
• Hands-on experience with REST API integrations
• Experience improving operational efficiency through automation
• Familiarity with:
• Git / version control
• Automation tooling (Desirable: Ansible, Terraform)

Observability & Monitoring

• Strong experience with monitoring/observability tools (e.g., Zabbix, Grafana, Splunk)
• Ability to define meaningful SLIs/SLOs and alerting strategies
• Data-driven approach to performance and reliability improvement

Soft Skills

• Strong focus on customer experience and service quality
• Analytical, problem-solving mindset
• Ability to simplify complex issues for non-technical stakeholders
• Structured, documentation-led approach
• Continuous improvement and ownership mentality

Desirable Skills

• Experience with:
• Zscaler Branch Connector
• Azure networking and identity integration
• SASE / SSE environments
• Understanding of ITIL service management frameworks
• Exposure to self-healing or AIOps concepts
• Foundational understanding of Agile methodologies

Why Join

• Drive the evolution from operational network to intelligent service platform
• Deliver measurable improvements in user experience and reliability
• Work with modern SASE, NAC, and automation technologies
• Influence global service standards and operational practices

About Us

We're a global law firm helping our clients achieve their goals wherever they do business. Our pursuit of innovation has transformed our delivery of legal services. With offices in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific, we deliver exceptional outcomes on cross-border projects, critical transactions and high-stakes disputes.

At DLA Piper, we understand that inclusion is not a one-size-fits-all concept. We embrace and celebrate the range of perspectives, backgrounds and experiences that each individual brings to our firm. By fostering a culture that welcomes and appreciates all aspects of our individuality, we ensure that everyone has the opportunity to succeed.

Our commitment to inclusion and positive social impact enables us to provide exceptional service to our clients and communities, while nurturing a unique and inclusive culture for all our people. We welcome the unique contribution that you will bring to our firm and actively encourage applications from all talented people - however your talent is packaged, whatever your background or circumstance and regardless of how you identify.

We are committed to being accessible and accommodating any reasonable adjustments needed throughout the recruitment process to ensure an inclusive experience for all. If you need any support or adjustments, please let us know.

Where local legislation permits, we will conduct relevant pre-engagement screening checks prior to your first day.