Senior Network Engineer (Contract)

Sword is a leading provider of business technology solutions within the Energy, Public and Finance Sectors, driving transformational change within our clients. We use proven technology, specialist teams and domain expertise to build solid technical foundations across platforms, data, and business applications. We have a passion for using technology to solve business problems, working in partnership with our clients to help in achieving their goals.

About the role:

We’re looking for a Senior Network Engineer with deep technical expertise and a passion for solving complex problems to join us on a contract basis. You’ll play a pivotal role in our Managed Services team, supporting critical infrastructure and leading the design, deployment, and troubleshooting of network and security solutions.

This is a hands-on role for someone who thrives in dynamic environments, brings a methodical approach to problem-solving, and is confident working across a wide range of technologies.

Here’s what the role looks like:

• Provide expert-level support to clients and act as a senior escalation point for technical incidents
• Diagnose and resolve complex network and security-related issues
• Manage change control and risk assessments across managed service environments
• Implement infrastructure changes and upgrades with precision and minimal disruption
• Support project engineering activities and contribute to solution design
• Maintain and improve technical documentation, policies, and procedures
• Manage vendor escalations and technical case handling
• Assist the Technical Services Manager with major incident reports, service reviews, and root cause analysis
• Perform regular maintenance and patching of network and security systems
• Identify and recommend service improvements and automation opportunities
• Mentor junior engineers and share technical knowledge
• Participate in the on-call rota to ensure 24/7 support coverage

What We’re Looking For:

• Proven experience in senior-level network engineering roles
• Strong understanding of network security, firewalls, VPNs, and monitoring tools
• Logical and methodical approach to troubleshooting and implementation
• Excellent communication and documentation skills
• Ability to lead by example and mentor others
• Passion for continuous improvement and delivering high-quality service

Requirements:
Here are the key skills and experience relevant to this role:

Key Skills & Experience:

• Extensive experience in a similar role, or in a field-based / consulting capacity
• CCNP Certification is desirable
• A valid driving licence is essential, as travel may be required
• Strong experience troubleshooting complex enterprise networks and associated technologies
• Solid understanding of Wide Area Networking technologies and routing protocols such as EIGRP, OSPF, and BGP
• Proficiency with tools like Wireshark and other network troubleshooting utilities

Essential Technical Expertise:

Experience administering and troubleshooting the following technologies and platforms:

• Cisco ISR and ASR Routers (2900 / 4000 / 1000ASR)
• Cisco ASA Firewalls and Cisco FirePOWER / Threat Defence
• Cisco Nexus Switching (9K) and Catalyst (3850 / 3650 / 2960X / 4500X) and associated technologies including VTP, STP, and VSS
• Palo Alto Firewalls

Beneficial Experience (Not Essential)

• Cisco Meraki Technologies, including Wireless, Switching, Security (MX), and SD-WAN
• Cisco SD-WAN, including vManage, vSmart, and vEdge components, with experience in deployment, administration, and troubleshooting
• Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE)
• Cisco Catalyst Center