Lead Network Architect

• Excellent opportunity to make a real difference in a public sector organisation!
• Over 27% pension, excellent benefits, hybrid working

About Our Client

The Government Property Agency is changing the way the Civil Service works and is at the forefront of Government's transformation agenda; reshaping the relationship civil servants have with their place of work. The Agency is central to the delivery of key Government policies including moving 22,000 Civil Service roles out of London by 2030 and tackling climate change by contributing to the Net Zero agenda. To do this we are delivering a major change programme across the UK and consolidating our portfolio in order to save £1.4 Bn over 10 years.

Beyond the bricks and mortar, the GPA is about providing great workplaces for our people. Through programmes like Hubs, Whitehall Campus and Smart Working you will be in the vanguard of creating model working environments and promoting flexible working practices.

This is an ambitious and exciting task, for which we need innovative people, with strong commercial acumen, who are passionate about visualising and implementing customer needs. Launched as an Executive Agency of the Cabinet Office in 2018, we're a relatively new department and we are growing fast so we also need people who thrive in ambiguity, can adapt quickly to change and are comfortable stepping outside of their remit to drive outcomes.

The GPA is committed to representing the communities we serve by making Diversity, Equality and Inclusion part of everything we do.

To ensure that we are always recruiting and retaining a diverse mix of talent, we are particularly inviting applications from candidates who are disabled, ethnically or gender diverse, and people who identify as being part of the LGBTQ+ community.

Job Description

As well as the exciting UK-wide property agenda, we are delivering a leading-edge technology programme. We're looking for an exceptional Lead Network Architect to help drive the strategy and shape the technology to move this programme forward at pace. We want someone who will seize the challenge and own the role, with energy and a commitment to quality.

We are moving away from traditional enterprise networks. We're delivering high-quality Internet connectivity via cloud-managed networks in government buildings. We support thousands of civil servants to work more effectively in government offices. Building on the success of GovWifi, we want you to help us create exceptional WiFi experiences and deliver the best networking technology to support essential building functions, help other government departments deliver networks to support their business operations, and provide effective networking for physical security solutions.

We operate a range of network vendor technologies and need you to work with our suppliers and OEMs to deliver and optimise our networks. You will develop strong working relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders, using your influence and technical expertise to develop the optimum solutions.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own the technical strategy for delivering end-user networks in government buildings.
• Own the High-Level Design and develop cross-government standards for in-building networks.
• Develop approaches to delivering a range of networking solutions for IT, OT, and Physical Security Systems.
• Work with the GPA's supply chain to deliver and support end-user networks across the UK, supporting thousands of civil servants daily.
• Be responsible for the technical performance of the GPA's in-service networks.
• Assist in incident and problem resolution to maximise network performance.
• Explore and implement advanced networking technologies including enhanced automation and observability, SASE, improved WiFi performance, and advanced network security.
• Act as an escalation point and subject matter expert for network architects.
• Coach and mentor network architects and associate network architects.
• Lead on technical engagement both internally and externally with suppliers and customers
• Ensure compliance with best practices, security standards, and regulatory requirements.

The Successful Applicant

Person specification

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the communities and wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and well-being and aim to create a sense of belonging in a workplace where everyone feels valued. The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.

Experience & Technical skills

Essential criteria:

• Demonstrable level of experience as a Network Architect, creating high level designs for network solutions
• Experience in designing and delivering large WiFi networks.
• A deep understanding of all network technology including WAN, LAN, WLAN, WiFi, MPLS and Firewall
• Experience with a range of network equipment and vendor technologies.
• Evidence of working with and managing suppliers when delivering and supporting networks.
• Strong customer engagement skills.

Desirable criteria:

• Evidence of software skills or use of technologies for automation (eg, Ansible or Terraform).
• Evidence of systems engineering and solutions architecture.

Qualifications & Accreditations

Desirable:

• Cisco certifications: CCNA, CCNP, or CCIE.
• Meraki certifications: ECMS1 and/or ECMS2.
• AWS Solutions Architect certification.
• Gold standard: Attained, working towards, or willing to work towards Chartered status in the British Computer Society (CITP).

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Managing a Quality Service
• Seeing the Bigger Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Customer Perspective
• Commercial Acumen
• Property Market Knowledge
• Innovation

What's on Offer

Salary

£61,700 - £67,500 (broken down as a basic salary of up to £57,000 with a non-contractual and non-pensionable Recruitment and Retention Allowance of up to £10,500).

There is also an additional gold standard of £5,000 on offer if the candidate holds the client's gold standard accreditation: a CITP chartered IT professional with the BCS.

Alongside your salary, the Government Property Agency contributes on average 27% towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Learning and development tailored to your role An environment with flexible working options A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27% Generous annual leave

Things you need to know:

This role can be based in any of these locations:

Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Manchester, Newport (Gwent), Norwich, Nottingham, Swindon

Please click the link here to read more - Alternatively, please contact Steve Brown at Michael Page to request a candidate pack.

It is imperative that all applicants visit this link and read the document and associated links contained within prior to applying, to find out more about the selection criteria for this role. Other information covered in this document include:

• Job description
• Selection process
• Great Places to Work for Veterans
• Civil Service Redeployment
• Prison leaver recruitment
• Sifting
• Interview
• Security
• Nationality Requirements
• Working for the Civil Service
• Diversity and Inclusion
• Further application information

Where specific UK qualifications are required we will take into account overseas equivalents. All third party applications will be forwarded to Michael Page.

Ref Code: MPSSJNZ