Principal Network Engineer

at  Persimmon Homes

From the commitment we pour into our homes, to the belief we bring to supporting amazing careers, a role at Persimmon is a springboard for Building Your New Possible. Discover new opportunities to grow, learn new skills and release your potential.
We’re Persimmon Homes, a FTSE 250 listed company and a leading UK house builder serving local communities across the UK and delivering around 10,000 homes a year. We have 29 operating businesses in England, Wales and Scotland, three house-building brands and three off-site manufacturing facilities.
Established seven years ago, FibreNest is Persimmon’s own brand home broadband service. Ensuring that every customer is connected to the internet from the day they move into their new Persimmon home, FibreNest now has over 35,000 customers. Persimmon pledges that every property on every new site will be connected to FibreNest on time and have fast, reliable broadband access.

WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU?

• Degree in Computer Science, or a related field.
• 8+ years of experience in network engineering, with a specialisation in addressing complex issues and debugging protocols.
• Advanced knowledge of routing protocols (e.g., BGP, OSPF, EIGRP).
• In-depth understanding of switching technologies and protocols (VLANs, STP, VTP).
• Experience with Layer 2 and Layer 3 devices and configurations.
• Proficiency in implementing and managing security measures such as firewalls, intrusion detection/prevention systems, VPNs, and access control lists (ACLs).
• Familiarity with security best practices and the ability to identify and mitigate security vulnerabilities.
• Ability to design and implement scalable and resilient network architectures.
• Knowledge of high-availability and failover mechanisms for critical network components.
• Understanding of Quality-of-Service principles to ensure optimal performance for different types of traffic.
• Experience with wireless technologies (e.g., Wi-Fi, WPA2/WPA3).
• Proficiency in using network monitoring tools (e.g., SNMP, NetFlow) to identify and resolve issues.
• Troubleshooting skills to diagnose and resolve complex network problems.
• Knowledge of scripting languages (e.g., Python, Bash) for automation of repetitive tasks.
• Familiarity with network automation tools and frameworks (e.g., Ansible, Puppet).
• Expertise in the configuration and management of networking equipment from specific vendors commonly used in ISPs (e.g., Cisco, Juniper).
• Detailed understanding of service provider network protocols (BGP, MPLS, OSPF, ISIS, EVPN, DNS, DHCP etc).
• Awareness of industry standards and best practices.
• Ability to create comprehensive network documentation.
• Effective communication skills for reporting and presenting technical information to all audiences.
• Understanding of security best practices in a corporate environment.
• Awareness of emerging technologies and trends in the Networks/IT industry.
• Strong teamwork and collaboration skills.
• Leadership qualities to guide and mentor junior engineers.Willingness to travel to deliver what is expected from the role

WHAT IS THE ROLE?

This is an exciting opportunity for a Principal Network Engineer to join the FibreNest Team. This role typically reports to the Chief Technology Officer.
When needed, working in our datacentres and in the field to support new projects and troubleshoot complex issues, particularly when field engineer resources are not available
The Principal Network Engineer is a key role in FibreNest and has technical and operational responsibility for the design, integration, deployment, configuration and performance evaluation of the across all our full end to end Network (Core-Distribution-Aggregation-Access).
Working with in-house teams, and outsourced service partners, the Principal Network Engineer ensures that FibreNest continues to grow and maintain its full end to end network. This includes network architecture, hands on network configuration, datacentre configuration, network element maintenance, providing network arc rapid resolution of network issues. This is to deliver exemplary service experiences to our customers with a high-quality broadband experience with class leading uptime and high security.

THE ROLE WILL INCLUDE:

• Spearheading the design and implementation of a scalable, high-performance network architecture to meet complex business requirements.
• Collaborating with cross-functional teams to analyse and define intricate network requirements.
• Analysing technical architecture of Network (Core- Distribution and access levels) to understand dependencies, points of failure, impacts, to provide recommendations for Network and continuously improve resiliency across our infrastructure.
• Creating and implementing high and low-level designs in alignment with architecture principles and standards.
• Overseeing the deployment, configuration, and maintenance of routers, switches, firewalls, and other networking equipment, resolving complex issues with an emphasis on vendor and product selection.
• Conducting regular assessments of the network infrastructure for optimisation opportunities.
• Continuously improving existing automated functional and non-functional monitoring scripts and tools.
• Providing advanced technical support for complex network issues, specialising in protocol debugging and working closely with the operations team to swiftly resolve incidents.
• Utilising creative skills for solving complex technical network across multiple functions, including in-depth troubleshooting issues efficiently while effectively communicating escalations and outcomes
• Participating in an on-call rota for the support of 4th line critical network issues as part of the CTO team.
• Conducting thorough root cause analyses for recurring problems and implementing preventative measures.
• Acting as a subject matter expert, providing in-depth knowledge and guidance to the team on network engineering best practices.
• Serving as a technical mentor, fostering a culture of continuous learning and development among team members.
• Collaborating in the selection of equipment vendors and product evaluation, ensuring alignment with our technical goals.
• Designing, implementing and enforcing advanced security practices to fortify the network against potential threats.
• Ensuring compliance with industry standards and regulations related to network security, emphasising collaboration with vendors for effective solutions.
• Collaborating with stakeholders to forecast network growth and strategically plan for capacity expansion.
• Implementing strategies to optimise network performance and resource utilisation, especially in debugging and addressing capacity-related issues.
• Complying with Group Health, Safety and Environment Policy to ensure Health and Safety standards are met