Senior Network Engineer

This role may be located in one of the following locations: Birmingham, Blackpool, Leeds, Manchester or Newcastle. Please find further information on the Corporate hub locations here.

Job Summary
Please note this role requires you to pass Security Check clearance. For further information, please see 'Selection process details'.

As a Senior Network Engineer, you will be a skilled Practitioner and a role model in Infrastructure solutions. Responsible for ensuring best practices are adhered to across the department and guiding teams on how to deliver quality Infrastructure products. You will assist in the design of Infrastructure services in collaboration with Architecture and Engineering principles.

You will also have the ongoing responsibility for the full range of products that make up Network Services. Working in collaboration with a range of internal/external partners, stakeholders and customers you will ensure the operational stability, robustness, resilience, availability, and quality of DWP Networks.

You will actively manage the work backlog and develop reliability improvements as well as leading initiatives to develop the automation of low-value tasks balanced against project delivery demands.

Job Description
As a Senior Network Engineer, you will:

• Lead and develop the team of Infrastructure engineers inputting into the selection, design and delivery of infrastructure services/solutions ensuring they are aligned to and help achieve IT and Departmental strategy.
• Effectively communicate at different levels, across support and engineering, business users, architecture and 3rd party suppliers.
• Manage the implementation of complex technical solutions, recognising and managing dependencies and risks, driving through to successful implementation.
• Design secure high availability Hybrid Cloud connectivity solutions (AWS & Azure and OCI).
• Design and manage VXLAN Overlays for scalable Datacentre networking.

It would be beneficial to have experience in the following areas when starting the role but not essential:

• Understanding of public cloud solutions and services such as: AWS, Azure and OCI.
• Familiarity with network automation coding and techniques (Python and ansible) is a plus.
• Implementing and maintaining TLS authentication to ensure secure communication across the network.
• Relevant certifications such as PCNSE, CCNP, Arista ACE or equivalent experience is highly desirable.

Person Specification
When giving details in your employment history and personal statement you should highlight your experience in line with essential criteria below.

Proven Experience In Designing, Deploying And Configuring High Performance, Secure And Scalable Network Infrastructure Including Strong Hands-on Experience In The Following:

• Configuring, designing and maintaining NGFWs with emphasis on Panorama and Palo Alto Firewalls.
• VXLAN overlay technology, EVPN and multi-site fabric architectures and VRF segmentation (e.g. Arista technologies).
• Load Balancing technologies and modules (e.g. F5 ASM, APM, DNS).
• Implement and troubleshoot dynamic routing protocols, in particular complex OSPF and BGP environments for optimized traffic flow and redundancy.
• DevOps, Infrastructure as Code, Configuration as Code and CI/CD practices.
• Cloud based WiFi automated solutions related authentication methods (e.g. Aruba Central, Clearpass and AOS10).
• Communication skills with the ability to document network designs and procedures effectively. Takes accountability of issues that occur and is proactive in searching for potential problems.

If you would like to learn more about the role, please contact Richard.hanley@dwp.gov.uk.

Salary Information
Pay for this role is from £55,557 to £66,058. The maximum salary for the grade is £66,058, however a Digital Allowance of up to £2,459 per annum is available for exceptional candidates. Digital Allowance is non-salary, and non-pensionable, and is classed as a temporary allowance. It is reviewed annually where it could be retained, amended, or removed.

Selection Process Details
Stage 1: Application

• A Personal Details application form.
• Employment history - this should contain your work experience and any skills, qualifications and accomplishments relevant to the jobs you have completed based on the essential criteria.
• Personal statement - up to 1000 words. This statement should be used to provide examples of how you meet the essential criteria listed in the Person specification.

Stage 2: Interview
If you’re successful at sift stage you will be invited to a video interview via Microsoft Teams. There, you will be assessed against the experiences listed in the essential criteria.

You will be asked to do a 10 minutes presentation on a project you have previously worked on, covering:

• The problem
• Role of the candidate
• Outcome of the project
• Lessons learned

Further Information
Find out more about Working for DWP.

Security Clearance Requirement
You must meet the security requirements before you can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check.

Reasonable Adjustment
At DWP we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.

Contact Point for Applicants
Job Contact

• Name: Richard Hanley
• Email: Richard.hanley@dwp.gov.uk

Recruitment Team

• Email: digitalrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk