VodafoneThree - Core Probing Lead

Location:

London OR Newbury + Hybrid. Salary:
Excellent basic salary plus bonus and Vodafone benefits.

Working Hours:

Full time 37.5 hours per week – Monday to Friday.

Hybrid working approach:
We allow flexibility for employees to work both in the office and loyees are expected to attend office 2-3 days each week for at least 8 days per month, coordinating with their line manager.

We’re here to build a network the UK can count on – connecting people, places and potential. We strive to close the digital divide, empower communities, and drive meaningful progress. We believe everyone should feel they belong, building a workplace where diverse perspectives are welcomed and everyone can show up as themselves.

This role leads the design, implementation, and optimisation of core network probing solutions to ensure 24/7 visibility of service quality from the customer’s perspective. It plays a critical role in detecting, analysing, and resolving systemic issues and supports Vodafone Three’s commitment to delivering a best‑in‑class network experience.

• Own and manage the core probing strategy and solutions for end‑to‑end service quality monitoring.
• Ensure continuous visibility of core network performance through advanced probing tools.
• Help with trace analysis of critical customer‑impacting issues, identifying root causes and driving resolution.
• Collaborate with engineering, operations, and CX teams to address systemic performance issues.
• Maintain and optimise probing infrastructure, ensuring accuracy, reliability, and cost efficiency.
• Deliver regular insights and reports on core network performance trends and anomalies.
• Drive automation and innovation in probing and analysis processes.
• Manage vendor relationships and ensure compliance with SLAs for probing services.
• Support benchmarking and supplier performance initiatives with probing data.
• Contribute to continuous improvement in service quality assurance processes.

The role requires a strong technical foundation in core network architecture and transport protocols, combined with hands‑on experience analysing network performance and service quality. You will apply structured analytical thinking to investigate issues, identify root causes, and drive continuous improvement across performance, tooling and processes. Strong collaboration skills are essential, as the role involves working closely with suppliers and internal engineering teams.

• Deep understanding of core network protocols and architectures, including IP, TCP, UDP, TLS/SSL, HTTP/HTTPS and QUIC.
• Proven experience using probing tools and methodologies to measure and assess service quality.
• Good knowledge of mobile network benchmarking practices and performance comparison techniques.
• Hands‑on experience with trace analysis (including pcap files) and fault/root cause identification.
• Excellent analytical and problem‑solving capability.
• Ability to manage suppliers and technical work streams effectively.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and cross‑functional collaboration skills.
• Experience driving automation and process optimisation initiatives.

We understand that candidates may not meet every desired criterion. If you are excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align exactly, we encourage you to apply. Our recruitment team will help you see how your skills fit this or another role.

We care about our people’s success by offering competitive pay, bonuses, up to 28 days of paid leave plus bank holidays, paid time for charity work, and a pension plan. We provide learning tools, parental leave policies and other benefits to support your career growth.

We are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. All offers of employment for this role are subject to background checks, including criminal (DBS) and financial checks to meet regulatory standards.

If you require any reasonable adjustments or have an accessibility request during recruitment, please consult the Accessibility section of our Careers website for guidance.

We use AI in various parts of our business to boost innovation and improve efficiency. While candidates may use AI to fine‑tune CVs or prepare for interviews, we value your unique experiences and achievements. During the interview, we ask you to rely on your own knowledge and skills to demonstrate authenticity.