Senior Infrastructure Engineer

Venquis; Cirencester; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Venquis is seeking an IT Infrastructure Lead to design, secure and manage both on-premises and cloud infrastructure with a focus on reliability, scalability and technical leadership. You will deliver or help deliver programs and projects, providing guidance when core services are impacted.

Responsibilities include managing infrastructure systems, security, vendor relationships and adherence to standards, while driving cost-effective solutions and continuous improvement across IT services.

Qualifications

• IT-related degree or equivalent with professional IT infrastructure delivery experience.
• Strong experience across platforms, technologies and solutions.
• Able to work under tight deadlines and changing priorities.
• Experience in contracts and procurement; liaising with third-party suppliers.
• Good financial acumen and ability to assess solution trade-offs.

Responsibilities

• Ensure day-to-day IT infrastructure operations run efficiently.
• Lead or support planned infrastructure projects with supervision.
• Support IT service continuity and annual testing of recovery processes.
• Develop and maintain key IT policies and procedures.
• Specify hardware/services to optimise ROI and partnership value.
• Manage network security, remote access, and compliance with licensing.

Skills

IT infrastructure

Network topology

Cyber security

Project delivery

Vendor management

Budget management

Leadership

Education

IT related degree

Tools

Windows Server

Active Directory

Exchange

VOIP

Firewall

Job description

To design, secure, and manage the organisation’s on-premises and cloud infrastructure, specifically focusing on reliability, scalability, and technical leadership. The role will be responsible for delivering or assisting with the delivery of programs and projects, providing support, guidance and/or delivery when core infrastructure services are impacted or consumed.

Main Activities

Managing, developing and maintaining internal and external business systems (infrastructure management and maintenance, voice and data networks, backup recovery and archiving, communications (telephony, AV, unified communications, Webcasting), security, adherence to standards), desktop services and applications, IT consultancy, procurement and supplier relationship management).

To have a technical knowledge of applications development, integration and development of web services. To recommend changes in business requirements or business systems to maximise return on the investment. To deliver projects to time and budget.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Ensure the effective and efficient day to day running of the IT infrastructure and all related areas.
• With guidance by the Infrastructure & Operations Manager, implement planned infrastructure projects.
• Support the IT service continuity management process to ensure that IT infrastructure and services can be restored within specified time and that the process is tested annually.
• To provide support to the Infrastructure & Operations Manager in developing and keeping key policies and procedures up to date, including but not limited to:
• Specifying and procuring hardware and services to ensure they enhance the partnership offering and provide a return on investment.
• Network management, permissions and security.
• Remote access.
• Legal compliance with Software licensing,
• Monitoring and reporting IT activity.
• Work with the Infrastructure & Operations Manager to project manage, design, develop and support new and existing infrastructure systems and services.
• Manage network administration, security procedures, anti-virus central administration, agreed patching policy and corporate back-ups.
• Maintainfirewall and other security mechanisms. Enforcement of security policies internet, email, remote access, user access and control.
• Support maintenance of all IT systems, providing suggestions of improvements and developments required for a changing business.
• To be aware of your responsibilities in terms of health and safety, including identifying at your appraisal, appropriate health and safety training.
• To manage the provision of technical and applications support to all IT users (staff and Trustees), offering reactive and proactive services, including identifying training needs and guidance on new systems/hardware for both users and other IT staff, as necessary.
• Provide coaching\\mentoring to other members of the team, providing them with the skills to further improve the IT Team knowledge and skills, creating greater resilience within IT.

Customer Focus

• Manage the day-to-day provision of technical and applications support to all IT users, offering reactive and proactive services, including identifying training needs and guidance on new systems/hardware for both users and other IT staff, as necessary.
• Work in partnership with other managers and officers to ensure the efficient and effective application of information technology within their service areas.
• Provide technical consultancy to the service units on any infrastructure and desktop support issues and developments as required.
• Ensure you approach your duties taking into consideration the principles of value for money and a flexible, customer focused approach.

Corporate Contribution

• Contribute to the production of service plans.
• Have industry standards, Cyber Essential Plus, ISO27001, Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2000, Data Protection 1998, Computer Misuse Act 1998 and key deliverables outlined in the IT Business Strategy.
• Monitor and report on all budgets allocated by the Infrastructure & Operations Manager and report any potential major variances to ensure swift corrective action.
• Support the creation/delivery of:
• IT Business Strategy
• IT capital and revenue budgets
• IT service plans
• IT training plans
• IT service performance management arrangements
• Undertake duties in connection with health and safety, recruitment, training and development and other business-wide management initiatives as required by the IT manger including identifying at your appraisal, appropriate health and safety and other corporate training needs.
• Attend, contribute to, co-ordinate and where appropriate chair corporate meetings and third-party IT suppliers.

Personal Specification

• IT related degree or equivalent or strong experience which demonstrates a successful and Professional approach to IT infrastructure delivery and project implementation.
• Strong experience within an IT environment using/designing across a variety of platforms, technologies and solutions.
• Able to work within tight deadlines and financial constraints and respond effectively to changing priorities and communicate impact.
• Handling/managing contracts and procurements; working with third party suppliers.
• Good financial acumen, analytical and research skills – ability to weigh up the positives and negatives of differing solutions to a specific problem.
• Mentor and motivate staff, both technical and nontechnical.
• Knowledge of the respective roles of elected Members and Officers and an awareness of the improvement agenda facing local authorities both now and in the medium to long-term.
• Detailed understanding of network topology, LAN, WAN, DMZ and firewall architecture.
• Detailed understanding of VOIP, unified communications technologies and remote access solutions.
• Detailed knowledge managing and supporting Microsoft Windows Server and client operating systems, Microsoft Active Directory and Exchange server environments.
• Detailed understanding IT security concepts, practices and standards, and particularly cyber essentials and cyber essentials plus.
• Detailed working knowledge of virtualised and physical environments and storage platforms
• Good presentation, written and verbal communication skills – post will be required to communicate complex technical issues at all levels both internally and externally in a nontechnical way.
• Capable of managing expectations effectively.
• Resilient and tolerant of pressure
• Work on several issues within tight deadlines, changing and competing priorities.
• Able to build and maintain good working relationships at all levels.
• Able to understand and translate customer needs.
• Enthusiastic, committed and able to persuade, influence or impress others to follow a course of action.
• Flexibility regarding working hours to provide occasional support to business functions outside normal working hours (including weekends, evenings and public holidays).
• Able and willing to travel to other locations and partner sites.
• Experience of working through change in a complex organisation.
• Connect long-range visions and concepts to daily work.