Staff Network Operations Engineer

Equiniti; Crawley; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension plan

Life assurance 4x salary

Employee discounts

Flexible benefits

Job summary

EQ Retirement Solutions within Equiniti is seeking a Staff Network Operations Engineer to design, implement and maintain secure, scalable network solutions across cloud, hybrid and on‑prem environments. You will lead complex initiatives, set engineering standards and act as a senior technical authority for major incidents.

You will mentor engineers, drive automation with Python/Ansible and collaborate with Architecture, Security, Product and Service teams to meet evolving business needs.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in enterprise network engineering and operations.
• Strong understanding of IP networking, routing, switching and design principles.
• Experience with cloud and hybrid networking (AWS and/or Azure).
• Expertise in network security technologies (firewalls, VPNs, access controls).
• Knowledge of DNS, DHCP, IPAM and enterprise wireless networking.
• Experience with network monitoring, observability and performance management tools.
• Ability to diagnose and resolve complex technical issues using network analysis tools.
• Experience of network automation and scripting (Python, Ansible).
• Understanding of Infrastructure as Code and source control.
• Knowledge of IT service management disciplines (incident, problem and change).
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Proven ability to mentor engineers and provide technical leadership.

Responsibilities

• Define and influence network engineering strategy aligned to business objectives.
• Architect, implement and maintain secure, resilient and scalable network solutions across cloud, hybrid and on-premises environments.
• Lead the delivery of complex network initiatives, ensuring quality, reliability and operational effectiveness.
• Act as a senior technical authority for complex network issues, major incidents and problem resolution.
• Drive network automation, configuration management and operational improvements to increase efficiency and consistency.
• Establish and maintain network governance, ensuring compliance with security, regulatory and organisational requirements.
• Collaborate with Architecture, Security, Product and Service teams to align network services with evolving business needs.
• Evaluate emerging technologies, platforms and suppliers, making recommendations that balance risk, cost and business value.
• Strengthen network security through implementation of appropriate controls, secure connectivity solutions and Zero Trust principles.
• Ensure network availability, performance, capacity and resilience are proactively managed and monitored.
• Provide technical leadership, coaching and mentoring to colleagues, supporting capability development across the engineering function.
• Develop and maintain documentation, engineering standards and knowledge-sharing practices that improve service quality and supportability.

Skills

Enterprise network engineering

IP networking

Cloud networking

Network security

DNS/DHCP/IPAM

Monitoring/observability

Network automation

Scripting (Python, Ansible)

Infrastructure as Code

ITSM (incident/change)

Stakeholder management

Mentoring/leadership

Tools

Python (scripting)

Ansible

VMware SD-WAN

Cisco Meraki

Job description

Management Level F EQ Retirement Solutions is transforming the retirement and pensions markets with leading administration and technology solutions. With over 1,200 employees globally, 189 years of knowledge and 11 million pension scheme members and policyholders, we are here to help people plan for a confident financial future by delivering innovative, reliable and customer-focused retirement services. Our teams are driven by a shared commitment to excellence, collaboration and making a real impact on the lives of our clients and customers. Role Summary EQ Retirement Solutions are looking for a Staff Network Operations Engineer within the Engineering department.

Core Duties/Responsibilities

• Define and influence network engineering strategy, standards and best practices aligned to business objectives.
• Architect, implement and maintain secure, resilient and scalable network solutions across cloud, hybrid and on-premises environments.
• Lead the delivery of complex network initiatives, ensuring quality, reliability and operational effectiveness.
• Act as a senior technical authority for complex network issues, major incidents and problem resolution.
• Drive network automation, configuration management and operational improvements to increase efficiency and consistency.
• Establish and maintain network governance, ensuring compliance with security, regulatory and organisational requirements.
• Collaborate with Architecture, Security, Product and Service teams to align network services with evolving business needs.
• Evaluate emerging technologies, platforms and suppliers, making recommendations that balance risk, cost and business value.
• Strengthen network security through implementation of appropriate controls, secure connectivity solutions and Zero Trust principles.
• Ensure network availability, performance, capacity and resilience are proactively managed and monitored.
• Provide technical leadership, coaching and mentoring to colleagues, supporting capability development across the engineering function.
• Develop and maintain documentation, engineering standards and knowledge-sharing practices that improve service quality and supportability.

Skills, Capabilities and Attributes

• Essential Extensive experience in enterprise network engineering and operations.
• Strong understanding of IP networking, routing, switching and network design principles.
• Experience with cloud and hybrid networking environments, including AWS and/or Azure.
• Expertise in network security technologies, including firewalls, VPNs and access controls.
• Knowledge of DNS, DHCP, IP address management and enterprise wireless networking.
• Experience of network monitoring, observability and performance management tools.
• Ability to diagnose and resolve complex technical issues using network analysis and troubleshooting tools.
• Experience of network automation and scripting using technologies such as Python and Ansible.
• Understanding of Infrastructure as Code, configuration management and source control practices.
• Knowledge of IT service management disciplines including incident, problem and change management.
• Strong stakeholder management, communication and influencing skills.
• Proven ability to mentor engineers and provide technical leadership across teams.

Desirable

• Desirable Experience with VMware SD-WAN, Cisco Meraki, EVPN/VXLAN or similar technologies.
• Knowledge of network observability, telemetry and advanced monitoring platforms.
• Experience of CI/CD approaches and network-as-code practices.
• Exposure to cybersecurity assurance, penetration testing remediation and security governance activities.

What We Offer

• Save For Your Future – Equiniti Pension Plan
• Equiniti matches your pension contributions up to 10%.
• Health and Wellbeing – Employee Assistance Programme offering counselling, legal and wellbeing support for colleagues and their households.
• Life assurance cover at 4x salary with the ability to purchase enhanced cover.
• Employee Discounts – Discounts and cashback at your favourite high street stores through our EQ Wins platform.
• Flexible Benefits – The ability to purchase a wide variety of benefits through our flex plan including gadgets, travel insurance, will writing and holiday trading.
• Time Off – Typically 29 days holiday plus bank holidays, with two paid volunteer days per year.
• Winning Together – Equiniti ICON award vouchers recognising colleagues who go above and beyond.
• Learning & Development – Investment in LinkedIn Learning and ongoing professional development opportunities.

Equal Opportunity Statement

We are committed to equality of opportunity for all staff and applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships. Please note any offer of employment is subject to satisfactory pre-employment screening checks.

Equiniti is a global fintech that connects the future of capital, communications, and governance, building trust and confidence in every market we serve. With more than 5,000 employees supporting over 20 million shareholders and 15,000 organizations worldwide, our mission is to digitize and modernize every aspect of shareholder interaction. Equiniti is uniquely positioned as the only global technology partner serving both investor relations and public relations professionals, creating a powerful platform at the intersection of reputation, disclosure, and engagement.