Infrastructure Engineer

Infrastructure Engineer Required for: As soon as possible

Location: Dean’s Yard, Westminster School

Contract: Full-time, permanent

Hours of work: 35 hours per week, with a one-hour unpaid lunch break each day. Working hours will fall within the 8:00 to 17:30 operational window, with specific start and finish times determined by service requirements and agreed with the Senior Infrastructure and Cybersecurity Engineer.

Salary: £40,000 - £45,000 per annum (depending on experience)

Benefits of working at Westminster include:

• Generous School pension scheme
• Free access to the School’s leisure facilities, including a fitness gym (restricted hours)
• Cycle to Work Scheme and season ticket loans following completion of our standard probation period
• Private medical insurance (opt in)
• Discretionary Christmas shutdown period
• Professional development opportunities
• Free school meals are also available when on-site during working hours for the role.

The Infrastructure Engineer provides hands-on operational management of the School’s core IT infrastructure, under the direction of the Senior Infrastructure and Cybersecurity Engineer. You will provide day-to-day resolution of infrastructure-related escalations, working with the IT Helpdesk and other colleagues to resolve more complex problems. You will also contribute to IT projects, planned maintenance, system upgrades and service improvement initiatives, with opportunities to provide cover or additional operational capacity across adjacent areas of the IT service where appropriate.

Professional experience working with IT infrastructure or a closely related operational IT role is therefore essential. Demonstrable experience of supporting network technologies and supporting Windows Server and/or Linux server environments is also required. The successful candidate may not have worked in an educational environment, however this would be highly desirable.

This role covers operational administration, monitoring, maintenance and configuration across networking, server, storage, backup, identity and security systems across the School’s sites. This includes switches, firewalls, wireless networks, virtualised environments, cloud platforms, backups, disaster recovery arrangements, CCTV, access control and related services.

As part of a small, collaborative IT team supporting a large and high-profile school environment, this role offers broad hands-on exposure to a wide range of technologies and services. It is well suited to someone who wants to strengthen their practical experience, broaden their technical skills and contribute to the reliable delivery of IT services in a varied operational setting.

You will be responsible for operational administration, monitoring, maintenance and improvement of the School’s core infrastructure services, including network, server, cybersecurity and systems infrastructure; delivering planned maintenance, technical project tasks and escalation support for more complex technical issues.

The role is on-site, primarily at Westminster Great School, within infrastructure, network engineering and systems responsibilities across both Great School and the Under School.

Key Responsibilities

Network Administration and Support

• Administer and maintain wired and wireless networks, including Ruckus, Cisco and Meraki switching, routing and Wi-Fi
• Monitor network performance, availability and security, resolving issues and implementing improvements
• Operate and monitor next-generation firewalls (e.g. Palo Alto), including routine checks, incident follow-up and minor changes to filtering, VPN and security settings in line with agreed processes
• Maintain comms rooms, network cabinets, structured cabling, data patching, racks and UPS equipment to agreed housekeeping and safety standards
• Monitor physical network and server room environments, escalating issues relating to ventilation, dust, access, security or health and safety
• Maintain up-to-date network diagrams and configuration records
• Use monitoring tools and automation to track network performance and risks, escalating concerns and producing alerts or reports where required

Server, Virtualisation and Storage Administration

• Administer Windows Server and Linux environments
• Operate and monitor Hyper-V and, where still in use, VMware virtual platforms, including routine administration and changes to individual virtual machines and workloads
• Administer storage, file services and other core infrastructure components
• Implement and monitor backup and recovery processes (Veeam and Barracuda) and support disaster recovery activities
• Carry out lifecycle management tasks for infrastructure hardware and software to maintain reliability and continuity

Identity, Cloud and Platform Administration

• Support Active Directory, Group Policy and Entra ID administration where these relate to infrastructure, access, authentication or service availability
• Assist with enterprise application, SSO and Microsoft 365 configuration changes under agreed standards and senior technical direction
• Investigate infrastructure-related identity or cloud platform issues, escalating policy, security or design decisions as required

Systems, Security and Endpoint Support

• Carry out operational cybersecurity measures, including patching, endpoint protection and compliance monitoring, escalating risks and remediation requirements as appropriate
• Maintain CCTV and access control systems, working with Estates and Security teams where required
• Provide cover or additional support for endpoint management platforms such as Intune and Jamf where required, working with the Lead Endpoint Engineer to maintain continuity of service and develop shared operational knowledge across the IT team
• Carry out system updates, upgrades and maintenance activities within agreed change, communication and escalation processes
• Support disaster recovery and business continuity readiness by reviewing maintenance agreements, buffer stock and critical infrastructure components, and taking follow-up action where required

Advanced Support and Collaboration

• Provide escalation support for technical issues passed on by the Helpdesk Manager or Senior Helpdesk Engineer, drawing on infrastructure knowledge and collaborating with senior technical colleagues where needed
• Collaborate with the Senior Infrastructure and Cybersecurity Engineer, Lead Endpoint Engineer, Software Engineering team, IT Operations Manager, Helpdesk staff and external suppliers to resolve cross-platform issues
• Carry out practical IT project tasks, including configuration, testing, implementation, documentation and handover activities
• Maintain accurate technical documentation, configuration records and procedures

Hours of work

This is a full-time role of 35 hours per week, with a one-hour unpaid lunch break each day. Working hours will fall within the 8:00 to 17:30 operational window, with specific start and finish times determined by service requirements and agreed with the Senior Infrastructure and Cybersecurity Engineer. The Infrastructure Engineer may occasionally be required to work out-of-hours when necessary to support planned maintenance, system upgrades or urgent issues. Where such additional work is required and has been agreed with the Senior Infrastructure and Cybersecurity Engineer, appropriate time off in lieu may be granted. Time off in lieu is not automatic and applies only to significant additional hours worked by prior agreement or subsequent approval.

Equal Opportunities

We are an equal opportunities employer. We therefore encourage candidates to apply irrespective of age, disability, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion and belief, gender identity, sex or sexual orientation.

Safeguarding and Child Protection

Westminster School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Working at Westminster

Westminster School is a busy, purposeful and vibrant place to be and an excellent workplace. The community is made up of around 750 pupils, 120 teaching staff and 108 support staff. Our staff are friendly and welcoming, and all newcomers quickly become part of the rhythm of life here. There is a real sense of community here as, being a boarding school many members of staff and pupils live on site and the School’s premises are very much treated as a home away from home. School life starts before breakfast and continues way beyond the working day; as a result, there is always a lively atmosphere in and around School and always someone to share a tea and biscuit with in the Common Room. Support staff as much as teaching staff are encouraged to embrace the School’s day-to-day activities, whether that be attending an evening concert or a morning service in the Abbey.

At Westminster we will always select the best candidate for every position. We do know, however, that we can only truly choose the best person on every occasion if a broad and diverse pool of candidates see the job advertised and are encouraged to apply. As such, we continue to work on how our job roles are encountered, and particularly welcome applications from groups who have traditionally been underrepresented here. Westminster School is for everyone, regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or any other protected characteristic. We hope you are encouraged to apply.

The School

Westminster School is an independent day and boarding school for boys aged 13-18 and girls aged 16-18, with a long history, a distinctive ethos, and a unique sense of place in the very heart of London. Pupils achieve exceptional examination results and entrance to some of the top universities in the world. It is a busy, passionate and purposeful place where independent and deep thinking is enjoyed, encouraged and respected by all, and where holistic excellence is nurtured and valued. While the School is one of the foremost centres of academic excellence in the country, its commitment to academic life does not make it a hothouse for passing examinations. Pupils’ success at examinations and entry to leading universities is instead a result of their enjoyment of academic enquiry, debate and search for explanation, well beyond published syllabuses. Pupils are intellectually, socially, ethically and politically engaged and our aim is to ensure that their enthusiasm for learning is developed further, allowing them to take full advantage of the opportunities presented to them in the future.

At Westminster, pupils have the freedom to lead on projects outside of the classroom and embrace a whole range of extra-curricular activities and interests. A host of pupil-led societies take place every week at the School, often with expert guest speakers, and pupils can choose to study an additional language, play an instrument or two, volunteer in local primary schools, row along the Thames, take part in plays and musicians, and much more.

The School’s ethos resides in the enduring values of the liberal tradition reflected in the 1560 Charter of Westminster’s Elizabethan foundation, where it is stated that: ‘the youth which is growing to manhood, as tender shoots in the wood of our state, shall be liberally instructed in good books to the greater honour of the state’. Whilst academic and cultural attainments are highly prized at Westminster, the School is fully committed also to each pupil’s spiritual, moral, emotional and physical development and wellbeing – with a particular emphasis on drawing out individual talent wherever it lies – and to prepare young people for fulfilled private and public lives.

From September 2028, the School will welcome both girls and boys at 13+ entry, offering a Westminster education to all. By 2026, Westminster Under School will have opened its brand new pre-prep for girls and boys at 4+ and girls will have joined boys in Years 3 and 7, at the 7+ and 11+ entry points. By 2030, all year groups at Westminster School and Westminster Under School, from ages four to 18, will be fully co-educational, reflecting the School’s dedication to inclusivity and excellence.