Enterprise Architect - Network Communications

ICT is part of the Council’s Customer and Digital Services Directorate. Its primary functions are:

• to provide high quality IT systems, support and maintenance across the organisation

• to provide strategic advice and guidance to the service areas and their directorates

• to contribute to the delivery of the Council’s Digital First approach

The ICT Service consists of several functions including:

• the Service Desk

• Enterprise Systems and Data teams responsible for the development, support and maintenance of both in-house developed and 3rd party applications

• ICT Services teams delivering network, server and end user computing services

• Security and Compliance

• Enterprise Architecture

The technologies supported are predominantly based around Microsoft Windows desktop, laptop and server platforms with applications delivered through a range of physical, virtual and cloud infrastructures. Within the school environment there is a strong adoption of Chromebooks and iPads along with both Google and Microsoft cloud-based service offerings.

You would be joining an enthusiastic and ambitious team with opportunities to work with a range of cutting edge technologies.

You will have access to a diverse range of learning opportunities to enable you to develop your career path as well as access to regular performance and development reviews.

• Lead, manage and develop teams responsible for the Council’s core network infrastructure, including internal and external networks, Wi-Fi and all aspects of network security and operations.
• Define, guide and govern the high-level design of the council’s network infrastructure so it aligns with business strategy, performance goals, security requirements and future needs.
• Address the inherent challenges of managing and supporting a diverse landscape of network requirements and associated hardware, configuration, tools and services.

• Manage and develop the Network Communications team and provide coaching and mentoring ensuring effective workforce planning, skills development and high performance.
• Coordinate workloads and priorities setting clear objectives and conduct regular performance reviews.

• Oversee the day-to-day operation, monitoring and optimisation of the council’s LAN, WAN and Wi-Fi, systems including on premises and cloud based networks.
• Ensure the network infrastructure supports current and future business applications, cloud services, security requirements and digital transformation initiatives.
• Manage network capacity planning, performance monitoring and fault resolution.
• Ensure high availability and resilience of critical network services.
• Manage the physical and virtual networking requirements of the authority.

• Assess emerging technologies (e.g. software-defined networking, AI-driven network management, IoT communications) and determine how/if they fit the within the council’s enterprise roadmap.
• Plan for capacity, performance and resilience for three to five years ahead.

• Implement and maintain network security measures, including firewalls, VPNs, intrusion detection/prevention systems and access controls.
• Ensure compliance with Public Services Network (PSN) and wider Local Government Cyber Security standards.
• Conduct regular network security audits, penetration testing coordination and vulnerability management.

• Maintain and test network resilience.
• Support the council’s emergency response arrangements for ICT services.

• Lead network-related projects, including upgrades, migrations and integration with cloud services (Microsoft 365, Azure, etc.).
• Support smart city initiatives, IoT deployments and other digital innovation projects.
• Drive automation, standardisation and adoption of best-practice processes.

• Manage relationships with external vendors, ISPs and framework suppliers in line with procurement regulations.
• Oversee maintenance contracts and ensure SLAs are met.

• Manage budgets for network communications infrastructure ensuring value for money.
• Lead procurement…