Senior Network and Infrastructure Engineer

The National Physical Laboratory is the UK's leading centre for measurement science, engineering, and technology. We develop national measurement standards, support scientific and commercial innovation, and collaborate with industries to ensure precision in products and processes. Through our important scientific and research work, we address key challenges in health, energy, security, telecommunications, and sustainability, driving economic growth and enhancing quality of life.

We're seeking a talented and experienced Senior Network Engineer to join our growing Technical Operations team. The primary focus of the role is network engineering, with a secondary requirement to provide on-premises infrastructure support. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in managing and supporting complex network environments and ideally have some experience of working in a hybrid network role.

The role offers exposure to a wide range of technologies across networks, physical infrastructure, and cloud computing. It will be instrumental in ensuring that the critical technical systems supporting the essential work our scientists do are maintained to a high standard.

Key responsibilities:

1. Design, implement, and manage on-premises network infrastructure primarily based on Alcatel-Lucent network switches and Wireless Access Points
2. Configure and maintain Fortinet firewalls to ensure network security
3. Monitor, manage, and maintain network performance and troubleshoot issues to ensure optimal operation
4. Implement network and infrastructure improvements and manage changes to support all users with minimal downtime
5. Undertake project work, maintenance, and remediation on NPL's on-prem infrastructure including virtualization, storage, and backup systems (e.g., VMWare, Hitachi Storage Array, Rubrik, Nimble)
6. Ensure that all network systems and equipment are appropriately patched and secured
7. Collaborate with cybersecurity to ensure internal and external networks are fully secured using network access control and segmentation technologies
8. Manage and report on network utilization and performance of wired and wireless infrastructure to meet business requirements and develop fit-for-purpose solutions
9. Create and maintain operational documentation and diagrams related to all of NPL's network and telephone systems

Key required experience, knowledge, and skills:

• Network protocols and topologies including OSPF, BGP, VRFs
• Experience with Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise switching and OmniVista management is ideal; experience with other enterprise networking technologies is acceptable
• Experience with Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise Stellar Wi-Fi or similar networks
• Stateful and Next Gen Firewalls (Fortinet) and VPN
• Network security concepts such as NAC, 802.1x, and segmentation systems; experience with Forescout is beneficial
• Protocols used in resilient systems e.g., VRRP, LACP, Virtual-Chassis
• Proficiency in network management tools (e.g., SolarWinds)
• Experience with SD-WAN, MPLS technologies
• Knowledge of IPv6 implementation and transition strategies
• Wireless security protocols (e.g., WPA3, 802.1X)

Additional experience beneficial to the role:

• Experience with Allied Telesis EPSR Ring topologies and management tools
• QoS configuration and management
• VMWare VCenter virtualization platform
• On-prem storage arrays (e.g., Hitachi)
• Managed backup solutions (e.g., Rubrik, Commvault)
• Active Directory, DNS, DHCP
• Microsoft 365 E5, Azure, Entra ID
• Cloud Virtual Networking (Azure)

The ideal candidate will live within commuting distance to our Teddington site and be able to work 3 days a week on-site. We welcome applications from experienced candidates with a broad range of technology experience, even if some technologies listed are unfamiliar to them.

We actively recruit citizens of all backgrounds, but due to the nature of our work, specific departments may have more tightly defined nationality, residency, and security requirements. You will be asked about this throughout the recruitment process. To work at NPL, you will need to obtain BPSS security clearance.

Please note: Applications will be reviewed, and interviews conducted throughout the duration of this advert. We encourage interested applicants to apply as soon as possible.