Senior Network Security Engineer

Sanderson Government & Defence; Bristol; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

25 days holiday

Good contributory pension

Job summary

Sanderson Government & Defence in Bristol is seeking a Senior Network Security Engineer to own security tooling and influence design decisions within a modern hybrid environment.

You will secure enterprise networks across cloud and on‑prem, manage firewalls, XDR, SIEM collaboration, automate deployments with PowerShell and Terraform, and drive remediation and secure design reviews. Incident response experience is desirable but not essential.

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience securing networks and security tooling.
• Experience with Azure and/or AWS cloud security.
• Knowledge of NIST, ISO 27001, CIS, GDPR.

Responsibilities

• Lead securing enterprise networks across cloud and on‑prem environments.
• Configure and optimise security tooling and segmentation platforms.
• Manage firewalls, VPNs, secure remote access and segmentation controls.
• Improve detection and response with SIEM/SOC collaboration.
• Automate deployments using PowerShell, Python, Terraform or similar.

Skills

Network security

Cloud security

XDR

Firewalls

Automation

Tools

Sophos

Mimecast

XDR solutions

Vulnerability scanners

Job description

Senior Network Security Engineer

Central Bristol (various hybrid working arrangements available depending on location).

£65,000 to £75,000 + bonus, 25 days holiday, good contributory pension

Are you a Network Security Engineer ready to step into a role where your expertise shapes the security of a modern, hybrid tech environment? This is your chance to own security tooling, influence design decisions, and help strengthen a growing cyber function.

What You'll Be Doing

You'll take the lead on securing complex enterprise networks across cloud and on‑prem environments, including:

• Configuring and optimising security tooling such as segmentation platforms, Sophos, Mimecast, XDR solutions, vulnerability scanners and hardening baselines.
• Managing firewalls, VPNs, secure remote access and segmentation controls.
• Improving detection and response by working closely with SIEM/SOC teams.
• Ensuring critical logging, monitoring and compliance standards are always met.
• Automating deployments and controls using PowerShell, Python, Terraform or similar tools.
• Supporting vulnerability assessments and driving remediation across the estate.
• Contributing to secure design reviews across applications, infrastructure, and cloud services.
• Incident response experience is desirable but not essential.

We're looking for someone with:

• Strong hands‑on experience with network infrastructure and security, segmentation, firewalls, endpoint security, XDR and access control.
• Experience securing Cloud (Azure and/or AWS) and on-premise environments.
• A security‑first mindset and confidence working with both technical and non‑technical stakeholders.
• Knowledge of frameworks such as NIST, ISO 27001, CIS, GDPR would be preferred.
• A proactive, accountable approach- you like owning outcomes.

Why This Role Stands Out

Take ownership of a modern security tooling ecosystem

Influence architectural decisions

Drive meaningful improvements across the whole tech estate

Work in a supportive, forward‑thinking security team

Reasonable Adjustments:

Respect and equality are core values to us. We are proud of the diverse and inclusive community we have built, and we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and perspectives. Our success is driven by our people, united by the spirit of partnership to deliver the best resourcing solutions for our clients.

If you need any help or adjustments during the recruitment process for any reason, please let us know when you apply or talk to the recruiters directly so we can support you.