Senior Network Engineer (North Kent/Home Working)

Essex Police and Kent Police; Chelmsford; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Kent Police IT Services is seeking a Senior Network Engineer to join the Network Services Team. The role supports policing networks across two counties with a focus on security and voice; it is a home-based position with occasional site visits to Kent and Essex sites.

The role requires proven network engineering experience, security expertise, and comfort with 3rd line support. The job offers a permanent contract, 37 hours per week, with occasional on-call duties.

Qualifications

• Proven and demonstrable network experience: evidence of supporting and developing network infrastructure.
• Network security experience: recognising threats and mitigating security risks.
• Experience working in a 3rd line role.
• Firewall and/or voice experience.
• Cloud based technologies experience.
• ITIL knowledge and practices.

Responsibilities

• Provide network engineering support for a large, split-site police network.
• Address security threats and vulnerabilities across the network.
• Operate in a 3rd line capacity to maintain and upgrade infrastructure.
• Contribute to voice and firewall-related projects and initiatives.

Skills

Network experience

Network security

3rd line support

Firewall experience

Voice systems

Cloud based tech

ITIL

Job description

Location of Role: North Kent / Chelmsford

Advert Closing Date: 24/08/2026

Starting Salary: £41,856.00(pro-rata for part-time vacancies)

Part/Full Time: Full Time

Contract Type: Permanent

Working Pattern: Mon-Fri

Kent and Essex Police IT Services are looking for a motivated and experienced Senior Network Engineer to join our Network Services Team – supporting Policing. We have an extensive network with over 100 police buildings split across two counties, our network technology is first-class, and we are early adopters of Cisco’s technology platforms.

We provide a wide range of services including, Data Centre network services, security, wireless technology, and voice including ACD systems. We have a large investment programme ensuring our network technology platform is resilient, scalable, and highly available, our investment allows us to incorporate the latest technologies to ensure we are not only providing the best possible service but one that is also secure.

We support critical services such as our 999 control rooms and have an end-user base of over 14,500 staff utilising our network platform, we are a ‘large organisation’ and as such we are an excellent addition to your career profile.

We have a strong team with a high level of team ethos – supporting each other, supporting IT, supporting our policing colleagues and in turn maintaining the confidence of our key public users, our investment, in people, resources and equipment is a high priority. We shall invest time in you to ensure you are able to learn our technologies and support such a vital element of society.

Our Network workstreams are varied, and we need to focus on a balance of skills in the team. We are looking for a candidate with a range of skills and experience in the networking arena but with focus towards the Security and or voice aspects.

• Proven and demonstratable network experience – Able to evidence the ability to support and develop network infrastructure.
• Network security experience - Able to evidence recognition of threats and vulnerabilities to the network and mitigation of security threats.
• Working in a 3rd line role.
• Firewall and or voice experience

• Cloud based technologies
• ITIL

This is a Monday-Friday ‘office hours’ role, 37 hours a week, and there would be an expectation to join the on‑call 24/7 rota on a (1 week in 4) which is also paid for. This also a ‘Home Based’ working role, with an expectation to visit Police site(s) as required.

Place of work:

• Kent: in the event that home working is agreed for the successful candidate based in Kent, there will be a requirement to regularly attend a ‘Team Zone’ at Northfleet on an average one or two days a week, as agreed with the line manager. Please note that any excess travel costs from the existing Team Zone to any future Team Zone will not be paid and applicants are advised to take potential travel mileage increases into consideration when deciding to apply.
• Essex: The role will offer flexibility in terms of place of work, including home working. The extent of flexibility will be agreed through individual assessment with the line manager to assess operational requirements and individual’s suitability for home working. In the event that home working is agreed for the successful candidate, there will be a requirement to regularly attend Chelmsford HQ, the contractual workplace.

Kent Police offer incremental increases within this salary band, therefore the salary for this position will rise to a maximum of£47,505.00.

Kent Police and Essex Police have separate salary grading systems therefore the salary for this position will be dependent on which home office force you are appointed to. This will be discussed with the successful applicant before a final offer is made.

All of our posts require a level of vetting and security clearance. During the recruitment process you will be sent vetting information forms to complete.

Kent Police and Essex Police welcomes applications regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, sex, or employment status.

If you’re not from the UK, you must be a resident in the UK and have lived here continuously for the last three years. You must also be free from restrictions with indefinite leave to remain. If you’re from the UK you must have lived here continuously for the last three years. This doesn’t apply to those serving abroad in the British Armed Forces.

Essex Police is a Disability Confident Leader, we:

• have subjected our Disability Confident self‑assessment to externalchallenge and validation
• are taking an active leadership role in encouraging and helping otheremployers on their journey to becoming Disability Confident.

Diversity, Equality and Inclusionare central to the values of our organisation. At Essex Police we value and embrace the unique experiences, identities and abilities that each of us bring to our roles. We strive to empower everyone to bring their authentic self openly and safely to work.

Through the dedicated commitment of our support networks, DE&I team and wider HR departments, we are on a journey to embed our DE&I commitments, ensuring Essex Police is an employer of choice; where everyone feels included.

Essex Police and Kent Police are an equal opportunities employer. Communications may be recorded for monitoring purposes.