Senior Network Engineer at The University of Sheffield

Overview

• You will be at the heart of delivering critical IT networking infrastructure and services to all students and staff across the University that enable world class research, learning and teaching.
• Your role sits within the Core Network Systems Team, part of Network Services within the wider Infrastructure and Operations section.  As part of the team, you will co-design, deliver, manage and maintain resilient, reliable and secure  IT networking services across the organisation. You will keep abreast of emerging technologies, supporting the adoption of automation and orchestration to optimise management and performance of connectivity solutions. 
• You will have an active role, providing  expertise and advice to other IT Services teams, taking lead technical responsibility for delivering critical  IT Services projects.  You will work in conjunction with the wider networking teams as well as third party technology partners.  You will therefore require excellent communication and time management skills as well as having a keen interest in self development, supported by the University.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Design, develop, build, configure and maintain core IT networking infrastructure and services across campus and data centre environments.  Including but not limited to routers, switches, firewalls, DDI, NAC systems, wireless management platforms, remote access and load balancers
• Manage core network infrastructure updates and upgrades, ensuring compatibility with existing systems and minimal disruption to users.
• Act as technical lead on large and complex projects with significant value or organisational impact
• Contribute to planning and development of networking related roadmaps.
• Contribute to  relevant procurement processes.
• Act as expert in area of expertise advising on the use of emerging technologies and trends to make best practical use of these.
• Develop and champion the adoption of automation for network implementation, administration and assurance activities
• Identify and manage potential risks proactively implementing and coordinating solutions to optimise performance and user experience.
• Conduct preventive maintenance to identify and address potential hardware, software or configuration issues.
• Collaborate with IT colleagues to ensure seamless integration of core networking components with other systems and infrastructure.
• Coach and mentor team members providing knowledge transfer to ensure best practices are implemented and adhered to.
• Deputise for the Core Network Systems manager where required including operation and technical management of team activities
• Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post

End Date:12th April 2026