At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the architectural direction for network services and ensure compliance with security standards.
- Company: Join Vodafone, a leading tech company with a focus on innovation and collaboration.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive pay, bonuses, 28 days off, and personalised benefits for you and your family.
- Other info: Hybrid working model with opportunities for career growth and development.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in network architecture while working with cutting-edge technology.
- Qualifications: Strong experience in enterprise network security solutions and excellent communication skills.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
Location: Farnborough/Newbury, or regional site (Birmingham, Livingston, Bristol, Northern Ireland). Hybrid working.
Salary: Excellent basic salary plus bonus and Vodafone benefits.
Working Hours: Full time 37.5 hours per week – Monday to Friday.
Security Clearance: Requires the ability to obtain and hold SC (Security Clearance). The successful candidate must be able to obtain and maintain SC level security clearance.
Hybrid Working: We don't require you to be in on specific days; instead, we ask people to come into the office 2‑3 days each week, for at least 8 days per month. Work with your line manager to understand expectations for your role and team.
Responsibilities:
- Define and own the architectural direction for network services, ensuring alignment to customer and business strategy.
- Govern design standards, patterns and reference architectures, driving consistency, re‑use and adherence to customer architecture principles.
- Assure solution compliance with security, regulatory, performance and availability requirements, including oversight of risk and remediation activities.
- Provide technical leadership and design authority across engineering, operations and security teams, ensuring alignment to architectural intent and resolution of complex issues.
- Own stakeholder engagement and technical governance, communicating design decisions, risks and progress to internal and external stakeholders.
Qualifications:
- Strong experience designing enterprise network security solutions, ideally using Fortinet (FortiGate, SD‑WAN, IPSec/ADVPN) – Essential.
- Solid understanding of IP networking and secure design, including routing, WAN/LAN and segmentation – Essential.
- Experience defining design standards and scalable architectures, balancing customer needs with re‑use and consistency – Essential.
- Knowledge of security and compliance requirements, including penetration testing, risk remediation, and logging/monitoring integration – Nice to have.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder skills, able to lead technical discussions and influence decisions across teams.
Benefits:
- We care about our people’s success by offering great pay, bonuses, up to 28 days off plus bank holidays, paid time for charity work.
- Personalise our benefits for you and your family, like discounts, vouchers, a pension plan and loads more.
- We help with your career through our amazing learning tools and top‑notch parental leave policies.
Legal and Compliance:
We are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and all offers of employment for this role are subject to background checks, including criminal (DBS) and financial checks to meet the regulators' standards.
VodafoneThree - Network Architect in Farnborough employer: VodafoneThree
Vodafone is an exceptional employer that prioritises the well-being and growth of its employees, offering a competitive salary, generous benefits including up to 28 days off plus bank holidays, and personalised perks for you and your family. With a hybrid working model and a strong focus on career development through advanced learning tools, Vodafone fosters a collaborative and inclusive work culture where technical leaders can thrive and make impactful contributions in a dynamic environment across various regional sites.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land VodafoneThree - Network Architect in Farnborough
✨Tip Number 1
Network, network, network! Reach out to current employees at Vodafone or in similar roles. Use LinkedIn to connect and ask for informational chats. It’s a great way to get insider info and show your genuine interest.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for the interview by brushing up on your technical knowledge, especially around enterprise network security solutions. Be ready to discuss your experience with Fortinet and how you’ve tackled complex issues in the past.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your communication skills during interviews. Practice explaining technical concepts in simple terms, as you’ll need to engage with various stakeholders. This will highlight your ability to lead discussions and influence decisions.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining the team and makes it easier for us to track your progress.
We think you need these skills to ace VodafoneThree - Network Architect in Farnborough
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV is tailored to the Network Architect role. Highlight your experience with enterprise network security solutions and any relevant projects you've worked on. We want to see how your skills align with what we're looking for!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about this role and how your background makes you a perfect fit. Don’t forget to mention your understanding of IP networking and secure design.
Showcase Your Communication Skills:Since excellent communication is key for this role, make sure your application reflects that. Use clear and concise language, and don’t hesitate to share examples of how you've successfully engaged with stakeholders in the past.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply through our website for the best chance of success. It’s super easy, and you’ll be able to keep track of your application status. Plus, we love seeing applications come directly from our site!
How to prepare for a job interview at VodafoneThree
✨Know Your Network Security Inside Out
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of enterprise network security solutions, especially with Fortinet products. Be ready to discuss your experience with FortiGate, SD-WAN, and IPSec/ADVPN, as these are essential for the role.
✨Understand the Architectural Direction
Familiarise yourself with the architectural direction for network services. Be prepared to explain how you would align design standards with customer and business strategies, showcasing your ability to govern design patterns effectively.
✨Communicate Like a Pro
Since excellent communication skills are crucial, practice articulating complex technical concepts clearly. Think about how you can convey design decisions and risks to both technical and non-technical stakeholders during the interview.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Be ready to share examples of how you've provided technical leadership in past roles. Highlight instances where you've resolved complex issues or influenced decisions across teams, as this will demonstrate your capability to lead in a collaborative environment.
