Information Technology Operations Engineer in Milton Keynes

Pen Test Partners works with clients globally providing cyber security consultancy and testing services. We work with the most cutting-edge industries, including Automotive, Aerospace, and Maritime. With over 150 employees across pen testing, consultancy, digital forensics, sales and support functions, we pride ourselves in working on cool research, delivering exceptional work for our customers, helping the greater good of cyber security, enabling people to sleep better at night.

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced IT Operations Engineer with a strong background in enterprise IT infrastructure, networking, security, and cloud technologies. They will play a key part in the IT team, responsible for enhancing, supporting, and maintaining a highly available, secure, and scalable IT infrastructure. They will play a vital role in system upgrades, performance optimisation, and ensuring robust security, while collaborating closely with colleagues to drive operational excellence and align IT services with business needs.

Role Requirements

• Act as an escalation point, diagnosing and resolving complex technical issues across infrastructure, networking, security, and cloud environments.
• Help manage daily operational tasks within the IT team, ensuring alignment with business objectives.
• Manage, support, and optimise Windows Server and Linux environments, ensuring stability, security and performance.
• Support and maintain virtualisation (VMware) and cloud services (AWS & Azure), ensuring stability, scalability & security.
• Maintain and enhance networking infrastructure across on-premises, data centre, and cloud environments.
• Proactively monitor system performance, troubleshoot issues, and implement preventative measures to maintain high availability.
• Assist in managing system security, patching, updates, backups, and disaster recovery procedures.
• Work collaboratively with cross-functional teams to align IT operations with business needs and objectives.
• Ensure IT security best practices, performing risk assessments, vulnerability management, and maintaining compliance with frameworks such as ISO 27001, NIST & CIS.
• Contribute to IT infrastructure projects, ensuring on-time delivery, documentation, and stakeholder communication.
• Good prioritisation and problem-solving skills, managing multiple tasks and escalations effectively in time-sensitive situations.
• Eligibility for and willingness to undergo security clearance (e.g. SC) as required for the role.
• Ensure the IT team meets personal and team KPIs, optimising efficiency and service quality.

Skills and Experience

• 6+ years of experience in IT infrastructure, networking, and system administration in a fast-paced environment.
• Advanced networking knowledge, including TCP/IP, VLANs, routing protocols VPNs, zero-trust and firewall administration.
• Proficient cloud experience with AWS and/or Azure, including networking, security, IaaS and performance management.
• Strong communication skills, capable of translating technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
• Experience in team leadership or technical mentoring, supporting the development of junior staff.
• A full UK Driving licence is required.
• Desirable: Knowledge in automation and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools such as Terraform, Ansible, or Salt.
• Strong scripting skills (e.g. PowerShell, Bash, Python) for automation and system management.
• Knowledge of virtualization and containerization technologies, including Hyper-V, Docker and Kubernetes (K8s).
• Experience with Microsoft Defender and Microsoft Purview for threat protection, security monitoring and data governance and compliance.
• Relevant certifications (e.g., Microsoft, Linux, VMware, AWS, Kubernetes, or security-related) are beneficial.

Current benefits include:

• Competitive salary based on experience.
• 25 days holiday + 8 bank holidays.
• Private Medical Insurance and Healthcare Benefit on completion of probation.
• Life insurance cover.
• Group personal pension.
• Financing available for training and conference attendance.
• EV lease salary sacrifice scheme on completion of probation.
• An environment where you can flourish, learn, and grow, as a person not just as an employee.