Principal Network Engineer/Architect (Data Centre) - HO - G6
Government Digital & Data -
Location
Croydon CR0 2WF, Liverpool L3 9AF, Manchester M5 3LZ, Sheffield S3 8NU, Peterborough PE2 8YY
About the job
Job summary
As a Principal Network Engineer/Architect at the Home Office, you will play a pivotal role in leading the design, implementing, and ongoing operation of the Datacentre Network and edge capabilities that underpin our critical systems and services.
In this leadership position, you will oversee the development of robust, secure, and scalable network solutions, and blueprints with a focus on integrating hybrid architectures that span on-premises systems, private cloud environments, and public cloud platforms such as AWS and Azure. You will lead 3rd party suppliers in the ongoing operation of our Datacentre networks and oversee the multitude of projects that deliver new capabilities to the Home Office.
This role requires a strategic and collaborative mindset. You will work closely with multi-disciplinary teams, suppliers, and third-party providers to ensure our network infrastructure is designed and implemented with security, reliability, and performance at its core. By embedding Secure by Design principles, you will safeguard our operations, data, and resources while ensuring seamless integration across digital programs.
Job description
A Principal Network Engineer/Architect (Data Centre) is an accomplished technical leader. You develop the strategic and tactical engineering roadmaps for Data Centre technologies and services in their area of responsibility, ensuring that they are future proofed and the organisation derives maximum value from investment in technologies. You define engineering best practice within the Home Office and inspire others to follow.
You will own the technical operational relationships with suppliers and internal teams making sure Data Centre network services are delivered and aligned to industry best practice, regulatory and contractual requirements.
You will lead and direct network teams and suppliers in building, managing, transitioning, supporting and maintaining solutions according to departmental policy and strategy. You will work with technical architects to ensure there is continuous improvement to the service catalogue, future designs and service operability. You will lead on overall management activities such as workforce planning, budgeting, technology roadmaps, projects and tasks.
What you will do
Your main day to day responsibilities will be:
- leading internal teams, suppliers and departments in the design, implementation, administration and support of network solutions and services
- providing support to make sure that solutions and services are designed with security controls embedded, specifically engineered as mitigation against security threats
- ensuring that the right actions are taken to investigate, resolve and anticipate network problems, coordinating teams to investigate issues, implement solutions and establish preventative measures
- identifying the correct procedures and appropriate channels for resolution and monitor resolution activities and progress updates to users
- establishing standards and procedures across a service lifecycle including the development lifecycle and ensure that engineers adhere to this. You will manage resources to ensure that the networks integration function works effectively
- providing authoritative advice and guidance on test planning and identify network improvements to determine standards and best practice
Like many organisations we need to maintain our services 24/7, therefore, on occasions there may be a requirement to work out of hours, for which you will be paid an additional allowance.
Please note: occasional travel to other Home Office locations may be required.
Person specification
UK residency and security requirements - You need to have lived in the UK for the past 5 years.
Essential criteria
As a Principal Network Engineer/Architect, you will have experience of:
- Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) or equivalence in one or more of the following areas:
o Routing & Switching
o Data Centre
o Service Provider - Core technical concepts, switching, routing, firewalling, load balancing, segmentation and network security
- Key engineering principles and standards, and the ability to inspire others to follow these
- Managing and delivering complex technologies within time, cost and quality targets
- Ensuring all solutions are robust, resilient and appropriately implemented, secured, tested and documented
- Presenting verbal and written information clearly and accurately in language which is appropriate for different channels and which meets the needs of the user
- Advising on future technology changes and innovations and defining best practice for network improvements and information security
- Significant demonstration of experience of leading Network design/implementation and/or operations in large scale Private or Public Sector organisations
SFIA capability framework
Skills for the Information Age (SFIA) is the technical framework that sets the standard capability and development of all engineering levels in the Home Office. This is a link to the capability framework: All skills A–Z — English (sfia-online.org)
We use set SFIA technical skills to form our interview questions and we will assess you against these technical skills during the selection process.
SFIA levels of responsibility – Use the SFIA Levels of responsibility to understand what would be expected for each Technical Skill listed below.
SFIA Technical Skills
The essential technical skills listed above are reflective of the Home Office Government Digital and Data Profession Career Framework. Please see below for the relevant skills required for your role.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Leadership
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Specialist advice (TECH) - Level 4
- Network design (NTDS) - Level 5
- Testing (TEST) - Level 4
- Incident Management (USUP) - Level 4
- Systems installation and removal (HSIN) – Level 4
- Organisational facilitation (OFCL) - Level 5
