Senior Network Engineer

North West Borough Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust; West Kirby; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an experienced Network Engineer to design and manage our complex NHS network infrastructure, including security and compliance.

You will work with Cisco technologies, network automation, VoIP, wireless and SD-WAN, delivering reliable services to clinical operations. Interviews planned for week commencing 23 November 2026.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of network engineer experience at this level.
• Cisco networking expertise including routing/switching.
• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel across the Trust footprint.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.
• CCNP certification desirable.

Responsibilities

• Manage network infrastructure and services to meet NHS needs.
• Provide expert technical support for network services.
• Ensure network security and compliance with standards and policies.
• Identify and resolve network issues to minimise downtime and improve performance.
• Collaborate with IT teams and stakeholders to deliver integrated solutions.

Skills

Cisco networking

Troubleshooting

Communication

Collaboration

Education

Cisco certification or degree

Tools

Cisco IOS

Scripting

Network automation

Job description

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust celebrates diversity and promotes equal opportunities; we are committed to challenging and eliminating racism and other forms of discrimination and advancing and promoting equality of opportunity in the provision of services and creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We believe that everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect.

We take positive action to support disadvantaged groups and also particularly encourage applications from ethnically diverse, disabled and LGBTQIA+ people that are under-represented in our workforce. Furthermore we welcome applications from reservists and ex-armed forces personnel as we recognise the benefits of the values, skills, training and experience that they bring to their work with us. We encourage all applicants to share their equality information with us.

Using AI to support your application

AI can be a useful tool to support the preparation of your application. However, all information submitted must be accurate, truthful and reflect your own skills, experience and achievements. Applications should include personal examples demonstrating how you meet the person specification. Applications that appear mostly or fully generated by AI, without clear personal examples linked to the person specification, may be rejected. For tips and guidance, please refer to our applicant guidance.

Identity verification

Candidates attending interview will be required to provide original photographic identification where available. Where suitable photographic identification is not available, a photograph will be taken at interview for identity verification purposes. Successful candidates will also be required to complete digital identity and right to work checks via TrustID, including facial recognition and image matching technology, to verify their identity throughout the recruitment and onboarding process. Identity verification will also be undertaken on the first day of employment in line with NHS employment check requirements.

Job overview

Are you an experienced Network Engineer looking for an exciting opportunity to progress your career within the NHS? We have a fantastic opportunity for talented individuals to join our team as a Network Engineer.

In this role, you will have the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technologies, including network automation, VoIP, wireless, and SD-WAN. You will be responsible for designing and implementing these solutions, as well as providing technical support and troubleshooting when necessary.

Interviews planned for week commencing 23 November 2026

Main duties of the job

As a Senior Network Engineer within NHS Informatics Merseyside, you will be responsible for managing our complex network infrastructure, ensuring the delivery of reliable and secure network services to support clinical operations and improve patient outcomes. You will also design and implement network solutions and ensure network security and compliance with relevant standards and policies.

Working for our organisation

Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands.

We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.

At the heart of all we do is our commitment to 'perfect care' - care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We're currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.

Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Key responsibilities of the role include:

• Managing network infrastructure and services to meet the needs of the NHS
• Providing expert technical support for network services
• Ensuring network security and compliance with relevant standards and policies
• Identifying and resolving network issues to minimise downtime and improve performance
• Collaborating with other IT teams and stakeholders to deliver integrated solutions.

To be successful in this role, you will need:

• Proven experience as a Network Engineer, with expertise in Cisco network technologies
• Troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.

Values

Essential criteria

• Communication: To be an open, engaging and listening organisation.
• Ownership: To ensure every individual makes a positive contribution demonstrating leadership and accountability.
• Respect: To act with dignity and respect at all times, ensuring all opinions are valued
• Excellence: To be committed to providing an innovative, high quality, customer - focused service.

Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Network management and support. IP/TCP routing and switching. Good understanding of the OSI Model.

Desirable criteria

• VoIP experience with any vendor.

Skills

Essential criteria

• Troubleshooting and problem solving skills.
• Configuration, install and maintenance skills
• Workload management, formal change documentation writing
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.

Desirable criteria

• Skill in network automation or scripting to streamline network administration tasks.
• Leadership skills in mentoring or supporting junior team members, contributing to service improvements.

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Cisco Network Certification or similar degree, demonstrable experience

Desirable criteria

• CCNP certification

Experience

Essential criteria

• A minimum of 3 years' experience at this level

Desirable criteria

• 5 or more years' experience at this level.

Other requirements

Essential criteria

• A full UK driving licence and vehicle access is essential for this post as it requires extensive travel across the footprint of the Trust.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we offer a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants who consider themselves to be disabled who meet the minimum (essential) criteria for the role in the person specification.