Principal Network Engineer

NHS; Salford; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent healthcare organization in the UK is seeking a skilled Principal Network Engineer to design, implement, and maintain critical network infrastructure. The successful candidate will support the configuration of firewalls and ensure compliance with IT security policies. This role offers opportunities for professional development while making a significant impact on healthcare services in the community.

Benefits

Competitive benefits package

Flexible working opportunities

Protected hours for health and wellbeing activities

Qualifications

• Proven ability to develop and deliver strategic plans.
• Significant relevant experience in a high-pressure IT Support environment.
• Knowledge of IT Security.

Responsibilities

• Support the design, deployment and management of networks.
• Provide technical support to resolve network issues swiftly.
• Collaborate with teams to implement security measures.

Skills

Ability to coach and mentor staff

Excellent interpersonal skills

Proven ability to work to critical deadlines

Self-motivated and able to motivate others

Able to identify and resolve complex issues

Education

Relevant degree level or equivalent

Relevant high level subject matter qualification (e.g. CCNP)

ITIL Qualification

Tools

Microsoft server product set

VMware

Advanced network technologies

Job description

Go back Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust

Principal Network Engineer

The closing date is 13 November 2025

Are you a network expert ready to keep systems connected and secure? We're seeking a skilled Principal Network Engineer to design, implement, and maintain our critical network infrastructure.

If you thrive in fast-paced environments, love solving technical challenges, and want to play a vital role in maintaining a cutting-edge network, we'd love to have you on board! Help us stay connected and drive innovation.

In this role, you'll design, and manage everything from routing and switching to network security and troubleshooting, ensuring optimal performance across all levels.

You'll work closely with other teams to resolve issues, implement upgrades, and ensure the stability and efficiency of our network. Your expertise in configuring firewalls, optimising traffic, and diagnosing complex problems will be key to our success.

Main duties of the job

• Your primary responsibility will be to support the design, deployment and management of data centres, local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), and wireless networks across NCA sites. You will work closely with senior engineers to design network solutions that meet the unique requirements of healthcare environments, ensuring seamless connectivity and optimal performance for clinical and administrative systems.
• In addition to network deployment, you will provide technical support to diagnose and resolve network issues and incidents promptly. You will utilise network monitoring tools and troubleshooting techniques to identify root causes and implement corrective actions, minimising disruptions to critical healthcare services and maintaining service level agreements (SLAs).
• As a Principal Network Engineer, you will collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to implement network security measures aimed at protecting sensitive healthcare data and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. You will assist in the implementation of security policies, firewall configurations, and access control mechanisms to mitigate risks and safeguard NHS network infrastructure from cyber threats.

About us

The Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust (NCA) provides hospital and integrated health and social care services to over one million people living across Greater Manchester. Our 20,000 colleagues care for people in hospital and in the community, working across Bury, Rochdale, Oldham and Salford, to save and improve lives.

As a large NHS trust we are committed to enhancing the health of our local population by delivering consistently high standards of care and working closely with local authorities and key partners. We believe in our power and potential to make a difference and we're always looking for people who demonstrate our three core values - care, appreciate and inspire - to join our team.

In return, we can offer you a job role with purpose and flexibility. The size and scale of the NCA means we can provide more challenge and opportunities so your career can always be moving in the right direction. By joining us you can also access a competitive benefits package, including, a fantastic annual leave allowance, flexible working opportunities and protected hours for health and wellbeing activities, helping you to achieve more personal downtime and a better work-life balance.

Job responsibilities

To read more information about the advertised role, and the main job duties/responsibilities please open the Job Description and Person Specification located under the supporting documents heading. You can also read more information about working at the Northern Care Alliance within the attached Candidate Information Pack or by visiting our careers website: www.careers.northerncarealliance.nhs.uk

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Relevant degree level (or equivalent) or ability to demonstrate equivalent knowledge, skills and experience.
• Relevant high level subject matter qualification (e.g. CCNP) or equivalent knowledge, skills and experience.
• Evidence of continued professional development
• ITIL Qualification

Skills

• Ability to coach and mentor staff to develop their technical skills and experience
• Able to work on own initiative
• Works well as part of a team
• Is self-motivated and able to motivate others in the team
• Flexible approach to work
• Proven ability to work to critical deadlines and to effectively prioritise workload
• Excellent interpersonal skills able to engage and build effective relationships at all levels in stakeholder organisations
• Ability to travel within the requirements of the post, including transporting appropriate equipment when required
• Able to identify and resolve complex issues and problems across a broad range of IT solutions to an advanced level
• Able to evaluate and define use of new IT solutions through research and development and build of test configurations
• Proven ability to develop and deliver strategic plans
• Able to complete Change Management processes

Knowledge

• Advanced knowledge of a broad range of IT solutions, including PC/Server operating systems, applications and hardware solutions
• Some knowledge of common alternative subject matter systems such as (Juniper, Aruba, Dell)
• Knowledge of working in a Healthcare IT environment
• Knowledge of IT Security

Experience

• Significant relevant experience gained in a high-pressure IT Support environment
• In depth experience of major corporate solutions including the Microsoft server product set, VMware, and industry standard network technologies and architectures
• Significant experience of delivering, supporting and troubleshooting complex multi-vendor technical infrastructures

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust

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