Infrastructure Operations Engineer - National Crime Agency - HEO

Location

Birmingham, Bristol, Leicester, London, Warrington

About the job

Job summary

Information about the Command

Digital, Data & Technology (DDaT), supports NCA operational commands with how we exploit data and to ensure the NCA uses the best technology platforms with the right tools and applications to further enable the NCA to protecting the public from serious and organised crime. We are responsible for defining and delivering our data and technology strategy, policy and architecture, and building and sustaining resilient services which are critical to our mission success.
The pace of change within the digital and tech world means we need to be agile and innovative in how we respond to threats while exploiting the opportunities this presents.

Information about the Business Area

Enterprise Services provides and manages the enterprise IT capabilities that support the NCA and its partners in delivering operational outcomes across the Serious and Organised Crime (SOC) system. Operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year round, the team ensures services are reliable, resilient, and available when they are needed most.

Working in partnership with suppliers, Enterprise Services maintains a strong focus on delivering cost-effective, high-quality services that meet current organisational needs while supporting ongoing transformation. The team leads the introduction of new services into live operation, ensuring they are implemented smoothly and deliver tangible value across the estate.

Enterprise Services plays a critical role in managing and driving the supply chain, enabling the NCA to remain agile and responsive, while building and sustaining a future-ready technology environment.

Job description

The Specialist Operational Services (SOS) team works within the wider DDaT Enterprise Services function and runs and maintains the NCA's most sensitive operationally focused front-line IT services. The team is comprised of IT professionals, law enforcement officers and staff with a technology-focused mindset who are committed to delivering real-world benefits for the UK. Together, we ensure that specialist services are fit for purpose, resilient, available 24/7 and have a direct impact on the NCA's mission of protecting the public from serious and organised crime (SOC).

Through the support, maintenance and continuous improvement of specialist technology services, the SOS function helps enhance intelligence collection, surveillance and digital forensics capabilities that support the Agency's fight against serious and organised crime.

The SOS function brings together Digital Forensics and Targeted Interception services, including capabilities that support international operations. Additional teams and specialist services are also being identified to move into this Engineering function, enabling the Agency to respond proactively to the changing nature of serious and organised crime threats.

The Digital Forensics (DF) Engineering function is responsible for the deployment, configuration, support and maintenance of specialist digital forensics tools, infrastructure, networking and software used within the Investigations department and by overseas partners.

The Targeted Interception (TI) Engineering function is responsible for the deployment, configuration, support and maintenance of specialist technical capabilities, including infrastructure, networking and software used within the Integrated Communications Intelligence (ICI) department, wider policing partners including the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) and Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), and overseas partners. The team supports the delivery and operation of technical capabilities that enable intelligence collection and operational outcomes.

We are currently looking to recruit Infrastructure Operations Engineers at one of our locations in Warrington, London, Birmingham, Leicester or Bristol (team dependent - see below), with the ability to travel between sites. A full, clean UK driving licence is essential.

Please note that Targeted Interception (TI Domestic) Engineering posts are located only at our London and Warrington bases.

Targeted Interception (TI International) Engineering posts can be located at any of the advertised locations; however, these roles will also require regular international travel.

Our Digital Forensics (DF) Engineering roles can be located at any of the advertised locations.

Please note that staff within our TI (Domestic) and DF Engineering functions form part of an on-call rota. Our TI (International) team does not currently operate an on-call rota; however, this may be subject to change.

This role offers the opportunity to work with a wide range of specialist technologies in a highly operational environment, developing technical skills and expertise while contributing to the delivery, support and maintenance of capabilities that directly support the NCA's operational mission.

Role Description  

The purpose of this role is to support the delivery and maintenance of critical Intelligence Collection and Digital Forensics capabilities, ensuring they continue to meet the NCA's evolving operational demands.

The role is responsible for delivering 1st and 2nd line support, and supporting 3rd line activities, of technical systems to a professional (ITIL-aligned) standard, adapting to and meeting user requirements.

The role is responsible for delivering 1st and 2nd line support, and supporting 3rd line activities, of technical systems to a professional (ITIL-aligned) standard, adapting to and meeting user requirements. This includes installing new hardware, the installation and configuration of a mixture of operating systems including Microsoft Server 2016-24 and various flavours of Linux, on physical and virtual hardware (primarily Hyper-V and VMware), as well as supporting the use of containerised technologies. The post holder will assist with maintaining and upgrading systems in line with business and technical requirements. An understanding of network protocols would be beneficial.

Security is extremely important for all services maintained by SOS. Systems must therefore be managed and maintained in accordance with security and accreditation requirements. This includes contributing to the maintenance of system high-level and low-level designs, technical documentation and associated support materials.

Working as part of a small team of highly motivated IT professionals, the post holder will contribute to the support, development and maintenance of specialist NCA capabilities and networks. Sharing knowledge and developing technical skills across the team will help ensure the continued delivery of critical operational services.

This role aligns to the Infrastructure Operations Engineer within the Government Digital and Data career framework.

Person specification

Duties and Responsibilities  

• BAU Support – Deliver 1st and 2nd line support, and assist with 3rd line support, for supported SOS systems to a professional standard, meeting user requirements and responding to system issues to ensure continued availability of services within defined service levels.
• Hardware Provisioning – Support the identification and procurement of hardware solutions that meet business and technical requirements.
• Hardware Installation – Install, configure and maintain physical servers, storage systems and associated hardware. Undertake racking, cabling and asset management activities in accordance with industry best practice and organisational processes.
• Lifecycle Management – Assist in identifying hardware and software approaching end-of-life or obsolescence and contribute to lifecycle management activities to minimise operational risk.
• System Documentation – Create and maintain technical documentation, including support procedures, build guides and contributions to High-Level and Low-Level Design documentation, ensuring information remains accurate and up to date.
• Continuous Improvement – Contribute to the identification of service improvements and adoption of new technologies that enhance operational effectiveness and meet business requirements.
• Client Image Build – Support the creation, deployment and testing of client device images using Windows Deployment Services or equivalent technologies.
• Patching and Upgrades – Deploy, test and validate software updates, security patches and system upgrades using approved tooling and processes.
• Configuration Management – Configure and maintain Group Policies and system settings to support the secure and effective operation of server and client environments.
• DHCP and DNS Administration – Support the deployment, configuration and troubleshooting of DHCP and DNS services.
• Certificate Management – Generate, install, renew and maintain digital certificates in line with organisational processes and security requirements.
• Server Maintenance – Support the administration, monitoring, maintenance and upgrading of server infrastructure to ensure system stability and performance.
• Supporting the Wider SOS Team – Work collaboratively with colleagues across the wider SOS function, sharing knowledge and providing support where required to ensure effective service delivery.
• Project Support – Contribute to project activities through the implementation, testing and deployment of new technologies and services under the guidance of senior engineers and project leads.
• Interception or Digital Forensics Principles – Develop and maintain an understanding of Targeted Interception and/or Digital Forensics principles and how supporting technologies are used within operational environments.
• Networking – Apply a working knowledge of networking principles and protocols to support fault diagnosis and resolution of infrastructure and connectivity issues.
• Storage Management and Configuration – Provision, configure and maintain storage solutions for use within IT systems and services.
• Active Directory Administration – Support the administration, maintenance and improvement of Active Directory services in accordance with organisational standards and industry best practice.
• Messaging Services – Support, maintain and troubleshoot Microsoft Exchange and related messaging technologies.
• Firewall Technologies – Support the configuration, maintenance, patching and troubleshooting of firewall technologies including Fortinet, Cisco, Palo Alto and Dell solutions.
• Virtualisation Technologies – Support and maintain virtualisation platforms including Hyper-V and VMware technologies (vSphere, vSAN and Horizon/Omnissa).
• Targeted Interception Principles – Gain and maintain a working understanding of Targeted Interception (Lawful Intercept) capabilities and supporting technologies.
• Cyber Security – Follow security policies and procedures, identify potential vulnerabilities and contribute to the remediation of cyber security issues to help maintain secure and accredited systems.

Person Specification  

• Infrastructure Technologies
  Working knowledge of server, storage and infrastructure technologies, including the installation, configuration and maintenance of operating systems within physical and virtualised environments.

• Problem Solving
  Ability to analyse information, identify the root cause of technical issues and apply appropriate solutions to resolve incidents and minimise service disruption.

• Communication
  Ability to communicate technical and non-technical information clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing, tailoring messages appropriately to different audiences.

• Team Working
  Works collaboratively with colleagues, stakeholders and customers to achieve shared outcomes, supporting a positive and professional team environment.

• Adaptability and Learning
  Demonstrates a willingness to learn new technologies, tools and ways of working, adapting effectively to changing business and operational requirements.

• Technical Support and Fault Finding
  Experience of troubleshooting infrastructure and system issues, identifying resolutions and maintaining accurate records of incidents, fixes and lessons learned.

• System Administration
  Experience of supporting and maintaining enterprise infrastructure, including servers, operating systems, virtualisation platforms and associated technologies.

• Security Awareness
  Understanding of IT security principles and the importance of maintaining systems in accordance with organisational security policies, standards and accreditation requirements.

• Documentation and Knowledge Management
  Ability to create and maintain accurate technical documentation, support procedures and operational records to support ongoing service delivery.

• Continuous Improvement
  Identifies opportunities to improve services, processes and ways of working, contributing to the ongoing development and reliability of infrastructure services.

On-call working  

The post holder may be required to participate in an on call 24/7 Rota. If you do perform on-call duties, you will be entitled to an On-Call allowance, for each session you are on-call, aligned to renumeration policy.

Essential Criteria

You must meet the essential criteria and evidence this within your application to be considered for the role.

Entry Requirements  

• Experience of installing, configuring and supporting server operating systems within physical and virtual environments.
• Experience of maintaining infrastructure hardware and supporting associated upgrades and maintenance activities.
• Experience of administering Active Directory, Group Policy and certificate services.
• Experience of diagnosing and resolving infrastructure issues across server and virtualised environments.
• Experience of supporting and administering enterprise storage solutions.

Qualifications, Membership and Licences  

• A full, clean, UK Driving License is required 

Any applications from candidates not meeting this eligibility criteria will not progress.

Desirable Criteria

Desirable criteria are only used for assessment in the event of a tie break.

Knowledge of Microsoft Server and Linux operating systems.
Understanding of networking principles (e.g. TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, CCNA level).
Experience of virtualisation technologies such as Hyper-V or VMware.
Knowledge of containerisation technologies, including Docker and Kubernetes.
Understanding of SQL databases.
Awareness of Interception of Telecommunications and/or Digital Forensics principles.
Understanding of cyber security best practices.
Experience working within an ITIL-aligned environment.