Network Engineer

Location: Gloucestershire

Position Summary
The Level 3 Network Operations Engineer delivers advanced operational support, configuration management, and lifecycle maintenance across the network estate for financial services clients. The role focuses on complex incident resolution, change execution, and performance optimisation for SDWAN, WAN, LAN/WLAN, VPN/SASE, and load-balancing environments, ensuring all activities meet stringent regulatory, security, and compliance standards.

Primary Purpose
Provide expert technical leadership for diagnosing, resolving, and optimising complex network issues. Lead configuration management and compliance, support onboarding and automation initiatives, and drive continuous improvement within regulated environments.

Essential

Roles & Responsibilities

* Diagnose and resolve complex incidents across SDWAN, WAN, LAN/WLAN, VPN/SASE, and load-balancing platforms, ensuring compliance with financial services regulations

* Implement network configuration changes using approved templates and security baselines, maintaining audit trails

* Validate device configurations, firmware posture, and compliance with golden standards and sector-specific requirements

* Support onboarding of new sites/services using Zero-Touch Provisioning (ZTP) and Infrastructure-as-Code pipelines

* Manage routing policies, QoS, wireless performance tuning, and load balancer configuration updates

* Collaborate with vendor management teams on escalated transport or device issues, ensuring regulatory requirements are met

* Contribute to CMDB enrichment through topology validation and asset reconciliation

* Support automated impact assessments and change risk analysis, with a focus on operational resilience

* Participate in continuous service improvement (CSI) initiatives, such as monitoring optimisation and capacity analysis

Financial Services & Regulatory Compliance

* Ensure all network operations adhere to financial services regulations and frameworks (e.g., FCA, PRA, DORA, ISO 27001, SOC)

* Maintain documentation and audit trails for all changes, incidents, and compliance activities

Governance & Reporting

Maintain accurate incident, request, and change records in Service Now

Produce and present operational reports, dashboards, and summaries for internal and customer stakeholders, highlighting compliance, risk management, and performance

Key Skills

* Advanced routing & switching (BGP/OSPF, ACLs, NAT)

* SDWAN technologies (e.g. Fortinet, Cisco)

* Wireless LAN operations and performance tuning

* Familiarity with F5 or equivalent load-balancing platforms

* Exposure to automation or scripting (Python, Terraform, Ansible)

* Experience with network compliance, configuration management, and infrastructure documentation

* Familiarity with automation frameworks and CI/CD for network configuration (Python, Terraform, Ansible)

Behavioural Competencies – Organisational & Behavioural Fit
Essential:

* 4+ years’ hands-on experience in network engineering, including advanced support and implementation for regulated/financial environments

* Strong understanding of network principles, design, operational environments, and compliance requirements

* Proven experience with complex incident resolution, change management, and performance optimisation

* Experience with data centre network technologies, cloud and security services (Azure, AWS, Load Balancing, DNS)

* Effective under pressure; strong written and verbal communication

* Familiarity with ITSM workflows, SDWAN/VPN concepts, and Service Now

* SASE management (Fortinet / Netskope)

* Fluent written and spoken English is essential. The role requires the ability to produce audit ready documentation and communicate confidently with senior and executive level stakeholders

Highly Desirable:

* Hands-on provisioning/troubleshooting with Voice technologies (Avaya, Cisco Call Manager)

* Relevant certifications (CCNP, Fortinet NSE5/7, Meraki ECMS2, F5)

* Experience with Solar Winds, Infoblox, Zero-Touch Deployment, automation tools