Senior Network Engineer - Hybrid SDN & Data Center Expert

The University Of Manchester; Greater Manchester; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous pension

29 days annual leave + bank holidays

Ride to work and EV car scheme

Job summary

The University of Manchester operates a large campus network and is refreshing LAN, data centre and DDI infrastructure. The Network team is bringing services in-house to deliver rapid, tailored support that aligns with the University’s needs.

This role offers SME-level responsibility across Cisco, Aruba and Arista stack, exposure to modern SDN and policy-driven networking, and collaboration with a primary network architect and external partners.

Qualifications

• Experience designing and operating enterprise LAN/WAN networks.
• Proven service support experience with customer-facing roles.
• Experience with 3rd party suppliers in delivering solutions.
• Strong knowledge of LAN/WLAN protocols and routing (BGP/OSPF).
• Experience with data centre networking and security tooling.

Responsibilities

• Design, deliver and operate enterprise class networks across LAN/WAN/Wireless and Data Centre.
• Provide SME guidance across technology stack (HPE, Cisco, Arista) to ensure designs meet architecture principles.
• Develop and migrate to agile, identity-driven network services and policy controls.
• Collaborate with network architect and strategic partners to ensure fit-for-purpose deployments.

Skills

LAN design

Wireless design

Networking troubleshooting

Cisco certification

Aruba certification

3rd party coordination

Network security

Analytical thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or equivalent

Tools

F5 Load Balancers

Data Centre Networking Tools

Job description

The University of Manchester operates a large campus network and is refreshing LAN, data centre and DDI infrastructure. The Network team is bringing services in-house to deliver rapid, tailored support that aligns with the University’s needs.

This role offers SME-level responsibility across Cisco, Aruba and Arista stack, exposure to modern SDN and policy-driven networking, and collaboration with a primary network architect and external partners.