Network Security Engineer

What will you be doing?

North Northamptonshire Council are in the process of delivering their technology strategy and digital transformation, and this involves a complete overhaul of our IT infrastructure and supporting network estate. 

This role will play a key part in both the project delivery of new network services (both LAN and WAN) across the estate, and in the ongoing support and security of these services as the organisation evolves in future years.  

This role will work closely with both the infrastructure and cyber security leads, with the focus on the day-day support and monitoring of the network and security services.

The key focus of this role is to:

• Play a leading role in the day-to-day monitoring and support of the North Northants Council network and cyber security services. This involves both on-site and remote support across the North Northants Council estate.
• Contribute to any planning and/or documentation required to improve and maintain resiliency and security for the North Northants Council network and cyber security services. Make proposals for changes and work with the wider teams to implement such changes as they are agreed.
• Act as an escalation point for any network, cyber security and infrastructure related support incidents.
• Co-ordinate reporting of any cyber security or network-based incidents to relevant teams and managers. This will include point in time escalation of critical incidents, as well as regular status reports which can be used for developing the service and evidencing due diligence to internal and external auditors
• Support the regular delivery and follow up remediation activity, of penetration tests and assessments for security certifications (such as Cyber Essentials, PSN compliance, PCI compliance and various others) as and when required.   
• In conjunction with service delivery maintain and monitor the end-point patching processes for user and server devices, including anti-virus, operating system and hardware specific updates.

As the job spec shows, this is a role with a broad remit and will provide a huge opportunity for someone to have a genuine impact on safeguarding the critical services delivered by the authority.

About you

We are looking for someone with a solid grounding in technical support and networking, but who also has a passion for all things cyber and security. This role will be a critical link between the policy controls and the technical aspects of actually delivering cyber security for a complex organisation.

To enable you to thrive in this role, you will need :

• These qualifications or equivalent experience: 
  • 
    
    • Technology related degree level certification or equivalent experience 
    • Relevant apprenticeship or A-Level qualifications 
    • 5 GCSE’s grades A-C including English and Maths or other equivalent qualifications
• This working knowledge:
  • 
    
    • At least 2 years working in a relevant role
    • Proven experience of working with network and cyber security tools across leading providers such as Microsoft, HP, Cisco, Sophos and others
    • Experience working with 3^rd parties and coordinating incidents and changes
    • A base background in infrastructure, network and security related support
    • A working knowledge of ITIL processes and demonstratable experience of working within a service desk operating model
• These personal skills:
  • 
    
    • Excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail
    • Strong communication and teamwork abilities
    • Ability to translate business requirements into technical solutions

Any additional qualifications or experience which would also be beneficial:

• Any 3^rdparty security-based certification e.g:
  • Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals
  • Microsoft Identity and Access
  • Comptia Security +
  • ISC² associate
• Any fundamental network or supplier certification:
  • 
    
    • Comptia Network +
    • Cisco CCNA
    • HP Aruba ACP/ACSP
  • Previous experience operating as a dedicated network and/or cyber security-based engineer
  • Any experience working with these technologies:
    • 
      
      • Palo Alto
      • Cisco Meraki
      • Fortinet
      • Juniper
      • Sophos / Trend Micro end-point tools
      • AlienVault/LevelBlue SIEM
  • Previous experience supporting SDWAN based wide area networks
  • Any experience working in a local authority or central government-based organisation

Our benefits

Here at North Northamptonshire Council, we’re transforming for the better, using all our creativity and imagination to create the best life for our local people.

You’ll find that we have a wide range of careers that may be more surprising than you think!

Why choose us?

We offer a vibrant working environment with:

• a competitive salary
• a pension scheme, where we pay a significant contribution on top of your contribution. It provides life cover and ill-health protection.
• lots of opportunities to develop your skills, knowledge and potential in a large unitary council
• generous leave entitlement (28 days, rising to 33 days) and bank holidays, plus the option to buy up to an extra 10 days
• hybrid and flexible working arrangements, where practicable for service needs to help you with a healthy work-life balance.

We provide a range of great benefits such as an Employee Assistance Programme, an Employee Benefits Scheme, wellbeing support, travel rates at HMRC rates, as well as supporting a range of active Employee Network Groups.

About us

Our Values and Behaviours

Our values define who we are and how we operate, by forming the foundation for how we interact with our customers, colleagues and provide our services. They are also at the forefront of our decision making and delivery and are:

Customer-focused
Respectful
Efficient
Supportive
Trustworthy

Our Key Commitments

Our key commitments help ensure that the priorities we make, now and in the future, maintain the necessary breadth of focus in those areas that we believe matter most.

We are proud to be a recognised Disability Confident Employer and is committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role.

North Northamptonshire Council re-signed the Armed Forces Covenant in June 2024 which highlights the Council’s pledge to support the Armed Forces community. The council obtained the silver status award for the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) and we are now currently working towards achieving Gold status.

We aim to be a carbon neutral Council by 2030.

Further information can be found at Jobs and careers | North Northamptonshire Council (northnorthants.gov.uk)