Lead Network Engineer

Our reward package

We're hiring for two Lead Network Engineers based in Exeter HQ with hybrid remote working.

As our Lead Network Engineer, your total reward package is potentially worth up to £57767.00 annually, which includes basic salary, potential corporate bonus and employer pension contributions.

Your starting salary will be £37418.00 and you will have opportunities to progress to £41159.00 over time. New joiners to the Met Office will start on the salary band minima.

You will receive a Recruitment Retention Allowance (RRA) of £6000.00 per annum paid monthly, pro-rated from the date of taking up the appointment. You will be paid this market driven allowance from April 2022 until March 2024 in your monthly pay whilst performing this role.

Your package includes: - Outstanding Civil Service Pension - Flexible hours and homeworking - Annual Leave starting at 27.5 days (plus Bank Holidays) rising to 32.5 days (plus Bank Holidays) after 5 years and option to buy or sell up to 5 days per year of annual leave - Cycle to work scheme for the purchase of a bicycle and equipment for healthy, low carbon travel - Access to discounted shopping on a range of retail, leisure and lifestyle categories

Who we are

We provide critical weather services and world-leading climate science, to help people make better decisions to stay safe and thrive.

Our exceptional people deliver scientific, technological and operational expertise and provide critical services. Our people work together to deliver extraordinary impact, making us one of the most trusted forecasters in the world.

Our values - it's who we are: - We're a force for good - We're experts by nature - We live and breathe it - We're better together - We keep evolving

We are the Met Office, come and join us and help us to make a difference.

Job Purpose

The Network Services team is responsible for the Met Office network.

The team is responsible for a range of services including LAN, WAN, private circuits, Internet and voice services. In addition, the team provides a range of other services such as load balancing, security and web filtering.

The Network Services Team Technical Leads will work for the Networks IT Manager to help deliver the required services under the technical guidance of the Network Services Infrastructure Architect and work with the Network Services Team Leader to organise specialist resources to provide a high level of Network service.

The services provided are essential to the continuing business success of the Met Office and include resolving a wide variety of technical networking issues that impact business continuity.

As our Lead Network Engineer , the key duties are:

• Provide technical leadership for the Support and Development of the Networks infrastructure.
• Agree customer requirements and plan, prioritise, and allocate work activity of specialist resources within the Network Services team such that customer expectations of the Network service can be met.
• Define technical processes and procedures to be used within the Network Services team which lead to service improvement activities as agreed with the customer.
• Line management and mentoring responsibility for team members, ensuring that staff performance and development issues are managed in accordance with Met Office values and policies.

Essential Qualifications, Skills & Abilities

1. A proven track record of supporting and developing operational networks infrastructure with a demonstrable understanding of the underpinning elements required to successfully develop and run operational IT services.
2. Technically competent in advanced networking skills (e.g. above CCNA or vendor equivalent), and an excellent understanding of networking principles. You must have extensive knowledge and experience of enterprise firewalls and Cisco products (routers, switches) including Cisco's Internetworking Operating Systems (IOS).
3. Expert level experience on enterprise networking technologies WAN, LAN, Wi-Fi, VPN, Proxy, Load Balancers, Firewalling and Network Security. Extensive knowledge of:
   • TCP/IP protocol communications.
   • IP addressing & subnetting using both IPv4 and IPv6 standards.
   • Network protocols and disciplines: OSPF, BGP, SNMP, VPC, BFD, HSRP, STP, VPN, MPLS technologies and Leaf/Spine architecture.
   • Knowledge of security technologies including NG Firewalls, VPN, Web Proxys, IDS/IPS.
   • Knowledge of encryption technologies including IPSEC & GRE tunnels, cyphers and cryptography.
   • Internet services such as DNS, SSL, HTTP
   • Experience of Cisco Meraki Solutions.
4. Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills, able to communicate, influence and negotiate in a clear manner with people at all levels inside and outside the organisation.
5. Proven ability to manage staff and experience in providing technical and team leadership, including support for mentoring, upskilling and knowledge sharing.
6. Proven ability to make, guide and assure effective decisions, explaining clearly how the decision has been reached. You must have the ability to understand and resolve technical disputes across varying levels of complexity and risk.

Desirable Qualifications, Skills & Abilities

We encourage you to apply if you believe you meet our essential criteria, but your application will be even stronger if you have:

1. Familiarity with scripting tools such as Powershell, Python.
2. Experience of Software Defined Networking and Network Automation in an enterprise environment.
3. Experience of researching and developing innovative solutions that support cloud connect strategies with Azure and AWS.

How to apply

Click Apply and attach your CV and Cover Letter/Supporting Statement (which must bullet point how you meet each of the essential criteria). Closing date 29/05/2022 at 23:59 with interviews commencing from 13/06/2022 . You will hear from us once the closing date has passed. Our interviews are taking place remotely via Microsoft Teams.

How we can help:

If you are considering applying and need assistance to do so, please contact us via . You can request adjustments either within your application or by contacting us. Should you be offered an interview, please be aware there may be a selection exercise which could include a presentation, written test or a scenario-based activity.

You can select in your application to be considered under the Disability Confident (Guaranteed Interview) Scheme. To be invited to interview/assessment under this scheme, your application must meet the essential criteria for the role.

We are an equal opportunities employer, welcoming applications from those with all protected characteristics. We recruit on merit, fairness, and open competition in line with the Civil Service Code.

We can only accept applications from those eligible to live and work in the UK - please refer to GOV.UK for information. Security clearance is required, which you need to have resided in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years to be eligible. You will need to achieve full security clearance within your first 6 months with us before we confirm your employment.

Additional information

We operate an on-call roster in Technology to provide 24/7/365 support to respond to operational service requirements. This post may be part of an on-call roster and the postholder would be required to participate in an on-call roster where in operation.