Senior Network Engineer - AR

About the Role

West Yorkshire Police is seeking an experienced Senior Network Engineer to join the Digital Policing team. This is a key technical role responsible for supporting, maintaining, and improving the force's critical network, voice, security, and communications infrastructure.

Working as part of a team of network specialists, you will provide technical leadership across a complex enterprise environment, ensuring reliable and secure connectivity for policing services across multiple locations.

You will play a key role in the design, implementation, troubleshooting, and continual improvement of infrastructure services that support frontline policing.

Location: Dudley Hill, Bradford (with travel across the West Yorkshire Police force area)

Contract: Temporary - 12 months

Working Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00am - 4:00pm

Department: Digital Policing

Key Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and support across the force's network, voice, ICCS, and security infrastructure.
• Manage and maintain critical enterprise network services across multiple sites and data centres.
• Monitor network performance using industry-standard tools, identifying issues and implementing corrective actions.
• Troubleshoot complex infrastructure incidents, acting as a technical escalation point for challenging problems.
• Design, implement, test, and document network changes in line with change management processes.
• Support major infrastructure projects and technical work packages aligned with Digital Policing strategy.
• Develop and maintain technical documentation, procedures, and operational standards.
• Provide specialist technical advice to internal teams, partners, and suppliers.
• Mentor and support junior engineers, helping develop technical capability within the team.
• Ensure services meet agreed SLAs, performance targets, security standards, and operational requirements.

Technical Environment

The successful candidate will support a broad range of technologies, including:

• Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI)
• Cisco Nexus and Catalyst switching platforms
• Cisco ASA and Firepower firewalls
• Check Point firewall technologies
• Wireless LAN Controllers (WLCs) and Access Points
• Enterprise LAN/WAN and campus networks
• Data centre connectivity
• VPN solutions (remote access and site-to-site)
• Public and private APN connectivity
• Microsoft 365 and Azure connectivity
• Voice technologies including PSTN, Microsoft Teams Telephony, SIP, SBCs, and ATAs
• Load balancers and reverse proxy technologies
• IP Address Management solutions

Essential Skills and Experience

The ideal candidate will have:

• Proven experience supporting and managing enterprise-scale network infrastructure.
• Strong Cisco networking experience, ideally with CCNP certification or equivalent practical experience.
• Experience working in large, multi-site environments with high availability requirements.
• Strong knowledge of:
  • TCP/IP and UDP protocols
  • BGP and OSPF routing
  • VLANs, trunk ports, STP, and port channels
  • NAT and PAT
  • Firewall rule management and security principles
  • VPN technologies including IPSec
  • DNS and DHCP
  • PKI and certificates
  • Voice networking technologies
• Experience managing incidents, problems, and changes within a structured IT environment.
• Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills with the ability to resolve complex technical issues.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to explain technical issues to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Desirable Experience

• Experience working within public sector, government, defence, policing, or other highly secure environments.
• Previous experience mentoring or leading technical teams.
• Experience with network automation or improving operational processes.

Additional Requirements

• Ability to travel across the West Yorkshire Police force area when required.
• Full UK/European driving licence or ability to travel for business purposes.
• Ability to achieve and maintain SC clearance and NPPV3 vetting.
• Willingness to participate in an out-of-hours callout rota.

What We Are Looking For

We are looking for a proactive and experienced network professional who takes ownership, enjoys solving complex technical challenges, and can lead from the front. You will be a key contributor in maintaining resilient digital services that support policing operations across West Yorkshire.