Senior Network Engineer (North Kent/Chelmsford) in Ashford

Kent and Essex Police IT Services are looking for a motivated and experienced Senior Network Engineer to join our Network Services Team – supporting Policing. We have an extensive network with over 100 police buildings split across two counties, our network technology is first-class, and we are early adopters of Cisco’s technology platforms. We provide a wide range of services including, Data Centre network services, security, wireless technology, and voice including ACD systems.

We have a large investment programme ensuring our network technology platform is resilient, scalable, and highly available, allowing us to incorporate the latest technologies to ensure we are providing the best possible service that is also secure. We support critical services such as our 999 control rooms and have an end-user base of over 14,500 staff utilising our network platform. We have a strong team with a high level of team ethos – supporting each other, supporting IT, supporting our policing colleagues and maintaining the confidence of our key public users. Our investment in people, resources, and equipment is a high priority. We shall invest time in you to ensure you are able to learn our technologies and support such a vital element of society.

Our Network workstreams are varied, and we need to focus on a balance of skills in the team. We are looking for a candidate with a range of skills and experience in the networking arena but with a focus towards the Security and/or voice aspects.

In your application please evidence the following essential skills/experience:

• Proven and demonstrable network experience – Able to evidence the ability to support and develop network infrastructure.
• Network security experience - Able to evidence recognition of threats and vulnerabilities to the network and mitigation of security threats.
• Working in a 3rd line role.
• Firewall and/or voice experience.

Please tell us if you have any experience of the following desirable skills/experience:

• Cloud based technologies
• ITIL

This is a Monday-Friday ‘office hours’ role, 37 hours a week, with an expectation to join the on-call 24/7 rota on a (1 week in 4) basis, which is also paid for. This is a ‘Home Based’ working role, with an expectation to visit Police site(s) as required.

Place of work: Kent: in the event that home working is agreed for the successful candidate based in Kent, there will be a requirement to regularly attend a ‘Team Zone’ at Northfleet on an average one or two days a week, as agreed with the line manager. Please note that any excess travel costs from the existing Team Zone to any future Team Zone will not be paid and applicants are advised to take potential travel mileage increases into consideration when deciding to apply.

Essex: The role will offer flexibility in terms of place of work, including home working. The extent of flexibility will be agreed through individual assessment with the line manager to assess operational requirements and individual’s suitability for home working. In the event that home working is agreed for the successful candidate, there will be a requirement to regularly attend Chelmsford HQ, the contractual workplace.

Kent Police offer incremental increases within this salary band, therefore the salary for this position will rise to a maximum of £47,505.00. Kent Police and Essex Police have separate salary grading systems; therefore, the salary for this position will be dependent on which home office force you are appointed to. This will be discussed with the successful applicant before a final offer is made.

Your application for this role will be shortlisted based on the content you provide within the “reason for application” question, within the application form itself. CVs, covering letters or attachments are not included in the shortlist. Within your “reason for application” answer, please refer to any experience, skills, and abilities you feel you have that will make you suitable for this role, based on the role criteria stated in the job advert or job description. Please provide as much detail as possible as insufficient content may mean you do not meet the shortlisting criteria; however, please note this question is limited to 9000 characters and this system will count spaces and blank lines as characters.

All of our posts require a level of vetting and security clearance. During the recruitment process, you will be sent vetting information forms to complete. Kent Police and Essex Police welcome applications regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, sex, or employment status. Please let us know if you require extra support at any stage of the application process, or for further information regarding this position, please email us at recruitment.business.services@ecis.police.uk stating ‘Application Support and Adjustments’ in the title of your email. Alternatively, you can call us on 01245 452833. Where appropriate we will make adjustments to the selection process, working arrangements and/or the working environment provided it is reasonable in all the circumstances to do so.

If you’re not from the UK, you must be a resident in the UK and have lived here continuously for the last three years. You must also be free from restrictions with indefinite leave to remain. If you’re from the UK you must have lived here continuously for the last three years. This doesn’t apply to those serving abroad in the British Armed Forces.

Essex Police is a Disability Confident Leader, we have subjected our Disability Confident self-assessment to external challenge and validation and are taking an active leadership role in encouraging and helping other employers on their journey to becoming Disability Confident. Diversity, Equality and Inclusion are central to the values of our organisation. At Essex Police we value and embrace the unique experiences, identities and abilities that each of us bring to our roles. We strive to empower everyone to bring their authentic self openly and safely to work. Through the dedicated commitment of our support networks, DE&I team and wider HR departments, we are on a journey to embed our DE&I commitments, ensuring Essex Police is an employer of choice; where everyone feels included. Essex Police and Kent Police are equal opportunities employers.

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