Infrastructure Specialist (Network)

The University  
  
At Durham University we are proud of our people. A globally outstanding centre of educational excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, a unique and historic setting – Durham is a university like no other. We believe that inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham enables Durham people to do outstanding things professionally and personally.    
Across the University we have a huge variety of roles and career opportunities, which together make us a large and successful community, which is a key hub of activity within our region and nationally.  We would be thrilled if you would consider joining our thriving University. Further information about the University can be found here
 
The Role and Department   

As a member of the technical services team, the Infrastructure Specialist (Network) will perform tasks equivalent to a network engineer to ensure the integrity and high availability of the network infrastructure so that it provides the maximum performance for users. The post holder will be responsible for coordinating support around the configuration, deployment, and maintenance of the network infrastructure. This will encompass switches, routers, firewalls, telephony, wireless, fibre and copper  infrastructures.

The post holder will demonstrate a high level of technical knowledge and competency and an enthusiasm to undertake continual professional development to further their expertise. The Infrastructure Specialist (Network) will have experience of delivering outstanding customer service, possess risk management skills and the ability to convert business requirements into viable technical solutions. Be able to organise workloads by prioritising and multi-tasking. 

Further information about the role and the responsibilities is at the bottom of this job description.  
  
Working at Durham   
  
A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University: you will also receive access to the following fantastic benefits:   
•    30 Days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year – a total of 42 days per year.    
•  The University closes between Christmas and New Year

•    We offer a generous pension scheme, As a new member of staff you will be automatically enrolled  into the University Superannuation Scheme (USS).  
•    No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered. We have parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies.  
•    There is a genuine commitment to developing our colleagues professionally and personally. There is a comprehensive range of development courses, apprenticeships and access to qualifications and routes to develop your career in the University. All staff have dedicated annual time to concentrate on their personal development opportunities.   
•    Lots of support for health and wellbeing including discounted membership for our state of the art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme.  
•    On site nursery is available and access to holiday camps for children aged 5-16 throughout the year. 
•    Family friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, which are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers).  
•    The opportunity to take part in staff volunteering activities to make a difference in the local community  
•    Discounts are available via our benefits portal including; money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, the cinema and days out at various attractions.   
•    A salary sacrifice scheme is also available to help you take advantage of tax savings on benefits.   
•    If you are moving to Durham, you may be eligible for help with removal costs and we have a dedicated team who can help you with the practicalities such as house hunting and schools. If you need a visa, we cover most visa costs and offer an interest free loan scheme to pay for dependant visas.  

Durham University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion 
 
Our collective aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and we believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work. As a University equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key part of the University’s Strategy and a central part of everything we do. We also live by our values and our Staff Code of Conduct. At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive. It’s important to us that all of our colleagues are aligned to both our values and commitment to EDI.  
  
We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our work force including people with disabilities, women and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. If you have taken time out of your career, and you feel it relevant, let us know about it in your application. If you are a candidate with a disability, we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role.  

What you need to demonstrate when you apply/Person Specification  
When you apply it is important that you let us know what skills/experience you have from a similar role and/or what skills/experience you have which would make you right for this role. Further information about the role and responsibilities is at the end of this job description. Where a criteria has an asterisk* next to it, it may be given additional weighting when your application is considered.    
  
Your application should cover the following criteria:

Essential Criteria

Qualifications/Experience

       1.    Proven experiencing working on a policy management platform i.e., Aruba ClearPass *

       2.    In depth working knowledge of Next Generation Firewall Fortinet and F5* 

       3.    Five years plus, experience as a network engineer managing complex environments *

       4.    Previous experience of CISCO ACI is essential *

       5.    ITIL Foundation. *

       6.    Experience with solutions design, either formally or as part of an infrastructure role

       7.    Extensive knowledge of Cisco switches and routers

       8.    Experience with support and configuration of HP/Aruba Infrastructure  

       9.    A good working knowledge of layer 3 routing protocols (OSPF, BGP, MPLS, etc.), and switching (VLANS, STP, etc.)

      10.  Strong understanding of corporate LAN and WAN data networks

      11.  Experience working with network management monitoring tools. 

      12.  Proven experience of service operation and continual service improvement

Skills/Abilities/Knowledge

      13.   A thorough understanding of data network principles, standards and technologies, including wired and wireless.

      14.   High levels of self-motivation, initiative and ability to promote and demonstrate a flexible 'can do' attitude.

      15.   Excellent written communications ability, specifically in relation to the provision of technical documentation.

      16.   A self-starter able to work independently but comfortable working in a team environment.

      17.   Excellent listening skills with the ability to understand end user requirements and translate into business solutions.

      18.   Ability to solve problems and decide on and plan appropriate solutions.

      19.   Knowledge and experience of ensuring compliance with regulatory and organisational policy and guidelines.

Desirable Criteria

• A graduate degree or have an equivalent professional qualification or equivalent experience in this IT Field
• Ensuring compliance with architectural frameworks
• Experience of providing specialist advice and guidance to a range of customers and colleagues, including more senior colleagues

How to Apply

To progress to the assessment stage, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification above. It will be at the discretion of the recruiting panel as to whether they will also consider any desirable criteria, but we would urge candidates to provide evidence for all criteria. Please don’t forget to check if there is any weighted criteria (see above).  
  
While some criteria will be considered at the shortlisting stage, other criteria may be considered later in the assessment process, such as questions at interview.     
    
Submitting your application   
We prefer to receive applications online. We will update you about your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to make sure you have not missed any of our updates.  
    
What you need to submit

• A CV: and   
• A supporting statement or covering letter which outlines how you meet all of the essential criteria within the Person Specification in the job description, and where possible, the desirable criteria. 

Contact details     
For a chat about the role or any further information please contact [email protected]

Typical Role Requirements

Service Delivery/Development
•    Show a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and the University’s values.
•    Provide specialist advice and guidance relating to your professional area of expertise in line with the University’s policies, regulations and values.
•    Operate as a point of expertise for colleagues and other stakeholders, helping to interpret and resolve complex Network problems.
•    Manage the delivery of infrastructure support services across the University to a high standard.
•    Provide the best possible service by continually reviewing what is required from staff and students across the campus and contribute to ideas and service improvements.
•    Provide specialist knowledge and support when interpreting and analysing complex data and information sources.
•    Look for ways to improve systems and services across all areas of your work.
•    Identify any learning needs that should be met by the Network Team and design activities and arrange any training.
•    Ensure safe working practices by monitoring and updating risk assessments and safety procedures.

Planning and Organisation
•    Plan, manage and deliver assigned projects and activities using appropriate tools to deliver agreed objectives and solve any problems which you encounter.
•    Schedule and monitor any IT system patching that is required in the Network area across the University.
•    Seek feedback from the university so that services can be planned and adapted to meet customer expectations and future needs.
•    Meet the development needs of your stakeholders providing training when required.
•    Manage budgets and expenditure including buying (and returning) goods and services.

Communication/Liaison
•    Use your operational expertise to lead and participate in business meetings, working groups and sub-committees.
•    Provide regular status reports on projects and ongoing work to managers and colleagues, highlighting any risks and contingency plans.
•    Interact and collaborate with other specialists across the University to ensure the integrity and delivery of consistent services 
•    Promote and encourage a collaborative approach to problem solving and project delivery in order to motivate, mentor and coach less experienced project staff.
•    Create positive working relationships, including internal and external networks, using your networks to increase your knowledge and skills and swap information with peers.
•    Liaise with internal colleagues and external companies where required.

•    Any other reasonable duties.

Useful links  
Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement Privacy Notices - Durham University which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.     

When appointing to this role the University must ensure that it meets any applicable immigration requirements, including salary thresholds which are applicable to some visas.