Senior Network Engineer

George Watson's College; City of Edinburgh; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Ongoing training

Flexible working arrangements

Job summary

A prestigious educational institution in Edinburgh is looking for a Senior Network Engineer to lead their digital transformation efforts. This role requires someone with strong technical engineering capabilities and strategic planning skills, overseeing the core network technology for over 3,000 users. The ideal candidate will have extensive Cisco experience and clear communication skills, working in a collaborative environment that values innovation and growth. Apply now to make a difference in educational technology.

Qualifications

• Ideally CCNA / CCNP accreditation.
• Strong background in IT project delivery, digital transformation, or systems implementation.
• Extensive experience working as Senior Network Engineer or Architect.
• Extensive background working with multiple Cisco technologies within an enterprise-scale environment.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to think critically under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Act as a key technical lead ensuring stability of network technology.
• Design, plan, implement, and maintain complex systems.
• Manage core network technologies, telephony, and data centre infrastructure.
• Prepare IT budget and strategy; support team management.

Skills

CCNA / CCNP accreditation

IT project delivery

problem-solving skills

effective communication

IT security principles

Tools

Cisco routers

Cisco switches

Cisco UCM

Cisco Hyperflex

Cisco Wireless

Job description

George Watson's College provided pay range

This range is provided by George Watson's College. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

Direct message the job poster from George Watson's College

Location: Edinburgh (Hybrid/Flexible Working)

Organisation: George Watson’s College

Recruitment Partner: Evolve IT Recruitment Ltd

Our client, George Watson’s College, are looking to hire an experienced Senior Network Engineer – it is a fantastic opportunity that offers high-level leadership combined with a broad technical scope. Evolve is proud to be working exclusively with George Watson’s College to recruit this role and are keen to speak to interested candidates that want to play a pivotal role in the school’s digital transformation journey.

About the Role

Acting as a key technical lead within the IT function you will be responsible for ensuring the stability and continuous improvement of the organisation’s core network technology platforms; this includes network, telephony, wireless, data centre infrastructure, cloud services, and unified collaboration technologies. You will be responsible for designing, planning, and then implementing and maintaining complex enterprise systems that support a user base of 3000+ users. Operating as a senior member of the IT Services team you will combine hands‑on engineering, strategic planning, and technical leadership to ensure the delivery of resilient services on high‑availability platforms with strong cyber security.

The responsibilities of the role are split into five main areas;

• Networking, Telephony and Unified Collaboration
• Maintenance and Security
• Data Centre Management (Environmental, Storage, Compute, Disaster Recovery, Backup, and Cloud)
• 3rd Line Support and Team Management

There is a wide range of technologies used across the organisation; these include:

• Edge / Core / Access Infrastructure (Cisco routers, switches, firewalls, and managed switches)
• Wireless / BYOD (Cisco Wireless, Cisco CMX, Cisco Identity Services)
• VOIP Telephone solutions (Cisco UCM, Jabber)
• Datacentre (Nexus 9300 DC Switches, Cisco Hyperflex)

Planning and organisational skills are critical requirements for this role as you will work very closely with the Head of IT and other members of the team to plan areas such as the annual IT budget, IT Services roadmap, strategy, project portfolio and programme of works. You will perform highly complex technical tasks often in high-pressure situations with sole accountability and responsibility; as the change authority you will be fully accountable for all major outages and unplanned downtime and will react to ensure swift and efficient resolution (escalating major issues to vendors as necessary).

What We’re Looking For

• Ideally CCNA / CCNP accreditation
• Strong background in IT project delivery, digital transformation, or systems implementation
• Extensive experience working as Senior Network Engineer or Architect
• Extensive background working with multiple Cisco technologies within an enterprise-scale environment
• Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to think critically under pressure.
• Clear and effective communicator, both written and verbal.
• Solid grasp of IT security, compliance, and governance principles.

Why Join George Watson’s College?

This is your chance to join an organisation that’s committed to making a meaningful impact on education. You’ll work in a collaborative environment that values innovation, professional growth, and diverse perspectives. The College offers a range of benefits to support your well-being and development, including ongoing training, flexible working arrangements, and the opportunity to shape technological advancements in a vital sector.

George Watson’s College is proud to promote an inclusive culture and encourages applications from women and underrepresented groups. If you’re passionate about leveraging technology to enhance learning and want to be part of an inspiring team, we want to hear from you.

Ready to take the next step in your career? Apply now and help shape the future of education at George Watson’s College.

Seniority level

Mid‑Senior level

Employment type

Full-time

Job function

Information Technology

Industries

Technology, Information and Media