Senior Network Engineer

UKRI; East Hagbourne; Hybrid; GBP 58,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK research organisation seeks a Senior Network Engineer to enhance its digital infrastructure. This role involves supporting and maintaining the IT network with an emphasis on firewall, routing, and security systems. The ideal candidate will possess extensive experience in LAN and WAN management and will collaborate with teams to meet evolving needs. The position allows for hybrid work arrangements, combining both office and remote work to accommodate work-life balance.

Benefits

30 days of holiday + 10.5 public/privilege days

Flexible working arrangements

Defined benefit pension scheme

On-site childcare facility

Employee discount site

Access to social and sporting activities

Subsidised on-site restaurant

Qualifications

• Expertise in LAN and WAN management.
• Knowledge of firewall, routing, WI-FI, and security systems.
• Experience in managing multi-site network environments.

Responsibilities

• Support and maintain STFC's IT Network.
• Ensure network stability and security.
• Lead and guide team members as needed.

Skills

Enterprise firewall management

Network Access Control systems

WiFi management systems

Excellent analytical skills

Education

Relevant degree or equivalent experience

Tools

Extreme Cloud IQ WI-FI management

Infoblox for IP Address Management

Job description

Didcot, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom (Hybrid)

Job Info

• Job Category Digital Data and Technology
• Apply Before 01/18/2026, 11:55 PM
• Job Identification 1781
• Posting Date 12/18/2025, 03:49 PM
• Job Shift Day
• Hours Full Time

Job Description

Job Title: Senior Network Engineer
Salary: £58,346 - £64,179 gross per annum (dependent on skills and experience)

Hours: Full-Time (We understand the importance of work-life balance and are happy to discuss flexible working opportunities with candidates)
Contract Type: Permanent
Science and Technology Facilities Council, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Harwell, Oxfordshire

This role requires SC Clearance- Please see end of role profile to see eligibility criteria
Come and do the kind of engineering that made you want to be an Engineer. Stretch your technical skills while building human understanding. And, alongside world-leading scientists and technologist, shape projects that improve lives and daily life, in the UK and far beyond.

Put simply come and discover the impact you can make when you’re equipped, encouraged and inspired to perform at your very best.

About Us

At the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), we are dedicated to supporting ground‑breaking projects across various scientific disciplines, delivering economic, societal, scientific, and international benefits to the UK and its people. As part of UK Research and Innovation, we pride ourselves on equipping, encouraging, and inspiring our employees to perform at their very best.

As a valued member of our team, you will enjoy a range of benefits, including:

• 30 days of holiday + 10.5 public/privilege days.
• Flexible working arrangements, including hybrid home‑based options.
• Defined benefit pension scheme.
• On‑site childcare facility, tax‑free childcare, and childcare vouchers.
• Employee discount site.
• Access to a variety of social and sporting activities and societies.
• Subsidised on‑site restaurant.

About the Role

Are you ready for a thrilling career opportunity within a world‑leading science organisation? We are seeking a talented Senior Network Engineer to join our esteemed Digital Infrastructure team. If you have a passion for high‑end networks and want to make a significant impact in a diverse department at the heart of UK science, this is the role for you.

You will have the opportunity to support and maintain STFC's IT Network, with a specific focus on firewall, routing, WI‑FI, and security systems. As a Senior Network Engineer, you will leverage your extensive expertise in LAN and WAN, IP address management, firewalls, security access control systems to deliver innovative solutions and ensure network stability and security.

You will provide leadership, guidance, and expertise in supporting and maintaining crucial services within our network portfolio. This position may require travels to other STFC sites, as well as partner and supplier offices.

This is a unique opportunity to work on cutting‑edge projects and contribute to ground‑breaking scientific advancements.

Key Responsibilities Include:

• Active participation for the support of STFC WAN, sites LAN, routing, WI‑FI, firewall and network security, IPAM, network access control, and cloud telephony
• Collaborating with other teams to ensure IT systems and services meet evolving needs
• Project involvement and overseeing new service transitions

To excel in this role, you should possess Expertise in at least one of the following:

• Enterprise firewall management (S&I)
• Network Access Control systems (S&I)
• WiFi management systems (S&I)
• Experience in routers and routing management (S&I)

In addition, we highly value the following skills and experiences (minimum 3 required):

• Knowledge and experience in running multi‑site network environments (S&I)
• Experience managing and configuring Layer 2 and Layer 3 network switches with associated network services such as DNS and DHCP (S&I)
• Experience in Extreme Cloud IQ WI‑FI management system or equivalent and excellent knowledge of Network Access Control system (preferably Clearpass) (I)
• IP Address Management experience using Infoblox solutions or equivalent (I)
• Experience in Fibres and Cable management (I)
• Excellent analytical and problem‑solving abilities (I)

SC Clearance
The post you are applying for attracts a National Security Vetting clearance, there are further eligibility requirements, for further details at: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/united-kingdom-security-vetting

To meet national security vetting requirements, you will normally need to have been resident in the UK for at least 3 years for CTC, 5 years for SC and 10 years for DV prior to the date of application. All DV posts are required to be UK Nationals.

What could you achieve with our world leading facilities and experts of one of Europe’s largest research organisations by your side?

Join us and discover what’s possible!

About Us

UKRI – UK Research and Innovation

UKRI is an organisation that brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Together, we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision ensuring the UK maintains its world‑leading position in research and innovation.

Supporting some of the world’s most exciting and challenging research projects, we develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through fundamental research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world‑class research, skills and business‑led innovation.

More information can be found at www.ukri.org.

Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit benefits of working for UKRI.

How we support EDI in the workforce

At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit How we support EDI in the workforce.

Disability Confident Employer

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all applicants with a disability who opt into the disability confident scheme and meet the minimum criteria for the role. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

How to apply

Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the ‘experience’ section of the application.

UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion – a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us.

The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re‑run security clearance as required during the course of employment.

About the Team

The Science and Technology Facilities Council is a world‑leading multi‑disciplinary science organisation where curiosity‑driven, blue‑skies thinking meets practical, application‑led science and engineering. Our goal is to deliver economic, societal, scientific and international benefits to the UK and its people – and more broadly to the world.

One of Europe’s largest research organisations, we’re trusted to support, enable and undertake cutting‑edge projects in an amazing diversity of fields. Through world‑class facilities and people, we’re driving ground‑breaking advances in science, engineering, computing and technology. Our research seeks to understand the Universe from the largest astronomical scales to the tiniest constituents of matter, yet creates impact on a very tangible, human scale.