Senior Network Engineer

Solutions Through Knowledge; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Part time

Job summary

An innovative tech solutions firm is seeking a Senior Network Engineer for a hybrid role based in Manchester. This strategic position focuses on contributing to enterprise network design and documentation, especially in a global MPLS to SD-WAN/SASE transformation. Candidates must demonstrate strong expertise in MPLS, VPNs, and traffic analysis. Excellent documentation skills and stakeholder engagement are also essential for success in this role.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in MPLS and VPNs.
• Strong knowledge of traffic analysis and QoS/CoS.
• Experience in auditing networks with limited access.

Responsibilities

• Perform passive network discovery and audit of an MPLS environment.
• Document network topology, configurations, and traffic maps.
• Review and technically challenge high and low-level designs.

Skills

MPLS

VPN

WAN

Traffic analysis

Documentation skills

Job description

Role: Senior Network Engineer
Location: Knutsford, Cheshire - Hybrid 2-3 days onsite
Duration: 9 months
Rate: £350-400 per day - Outside IR35 / Limited Company
Standard hours: Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm

Are you a Senior Network Engineer ready to go beyond day-to-day operations and make a lasting impact on enterprise network infrastructure? This is your opportunity to transition into a more strategic, architecture-focused role - where your technical expertise will contribute to the high and low level design of a global network transformation programme.

As Senior Network Engineer, you must possess strong MPLS, WAN, MAN and VPN expertise (commercial experience of VPN over MPLS is essential). You will be auditing, documenting and analysing the existing MPLS environment and then acting as a technical advocate during a MPLS to SD-WAN/SASE migration.

This is not a hands-on configuration role, but a discovery, documentation, traffic analysis and design adjudication role.

Responsibilities

• Perform passive network discovery and audit of a MPLS environment
• Build and document network topology, configuration and traffic maps
• Estimate and validate QoS/CoS policies through traffic analysis
• Review and technically challenge high and low-level designs
• Provide expert input on MPLS, VPN, SD-WAN and SASE for design reviews
• Support the Project Manager with risk identification and continuity planning

Skills & Experience

• Proven experience in MPLS (Layer 3 VPN, label switching), WAN/MAN, VPNs
• Experience of VPN over MPLS
• Ability to audit networks where direct config access is limited
• Strong knowledge of traffic analysis, QoS/CoS, and topology mapping
• Familiarity with Fortinet SD-WAN and SASE concepts
• Experience in large-scale enterprise/global networks
• Strong documentation and stakeholder engagement skills