Network Engineering Manager

£70,000 per annum plus £5,688 per annum car allowance, bonus and benefits. Hybrid working - 60% at our Head Office, Swindon. Happy to consider flexible working. You must have the right to work in the UK on a long-term ongoing basis; we are unable to sponsor individuals for this role.

Our reputation as the UK’s largest newspaper and magazine wholesaler speaks for itself. Every day, we serve more than 22,400 customers from 33 distribution centres across the country. Behind every nightly miracle is a team of dedicated people carrying out more roles than you realise – we’re the unseen force that delivers.

The Network Engineering Manager will manage the design, implementation, and optimization of our enterprise network infrastructure. The networks head will provide expert-level guidance and mentorship to network engineers under their control. They will be expected to drive innovation in network architecture and ensure the reliability, scalability, and security of the corporate Wide Area and Local network services.

• Architectural Lead: Lead the deployment and management of large-scale, mission-critical network environments (LAN, WAN, SD-WAN, cloud and hybrid environments). Define and enforce best practices for network security, resilience, and performance.
• Team Leadership: Line management of a team of offshore skilled Network Engineers and network support staff; strong project management skills are also required. The ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment is essential.
• Network Oversight and Ownership: Oversee the configuration and maintenance of routers, switches, firewalls, VPNs, load balancers, and other networking components. Ensure robust and secure remote connectivity through effective VPN solutions and Cisco Umbrella integration. Evaluate and integrate emerging networking technologies to improve operational efficiency and reduce costs.
• Driving business change: Collaborate with cross-functional teams to support business requirements and digital transformation initiatives.
• Managing our estate: Troubleshoot complex network issues and lead root cause analysis. Drive network automation and orchestration efforts using tools such as Ansible, Terraform, or similar.

• Free onsite parking
• 4x salary life assurance
• 5% match pension
• £5,688 per annum car allowance
• Company bonus
• Company funded Health Cash Plan – providing cash back for everyday healthcare costs such as dental, optical and physiotherapy
• 25 days holiday plus holiday buy scheme
• 24/7 E-Learning modules, Training and Development opportunities
• Sharesave Scheme, Cycle to work schemes, Health cash plan
• Private medical insurance
• Colleague Assistance Programme & Colleague referral scheme

• Certification: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field. Cisco Certification – with a Minimum of CCNP, but ideally with Expert Level or Architect level qualifications.
• Experience: 10+ years of experience in network engineering, with at least 3 years in a senior or principal role. Deep expertise in Cisco technologies, including switching, routing, firewalls, and security solutions. Strong experience with SD-WAN technologies and Cisco Umbrella cloud security. Expert-level understanding of networking protocols and technologies (TCP/IP, BGP, OSPF, MPLS, VLANs, STP, QoS, etc.). Proven ability to manage and optimize VPN infrastructure at scale. Extensive hands-on experience with Cisco as well as other technologies such as Fortinet, Palo Alto, and other enterprise networking solutions.
• Skills: Demonstrate skills in Next Generation Firewall technology and migration to Next Generation firewalls from on-site ASA firewalls. Proven experience with cloud networking (AWS, Azure, or OCI) and hybrid environments. Strong knowledge of network security principles, tools, and technologies (IDS/IPS, firewalls, NAC). Proficiency in scripting and automation (Python, Bash, Ansible, etc.). Excellent communication skills are essential for this role.

A career with us is a career filled with people, pride, and passion. We rely on each other to get the job done, and we deliver what we say we will. Let’s see if we can rely on you, too. Apply now.