Lead Network Architect at Home Office, London, 12 Months, £Contract Rate

On behalf of The Home Office, we are looking for a Lead Network Architect for a 12 contract based in Greater London - Hybrid working.

The first duty of Government is to protect the public. Since 1782, the Home Office has led work to keep the country safe from those who seek to do it harm; in doing so, we make a vital contribution to HM Government's plan for a stronger, fairer, outward-looking and united Britain.

The Network Architect (contractor) will primarily be engaged in the DRS Exit Project and other supportive roles in various other projects/demands within N&I and Policing. The DRS Exit Project is a critical policing data centre decommissioning programme that involves migrating the Vodafone managed policing DR data centre to the Crown Commercial Data Centre known as HODC1. This project requires meticulous coordination with various technical teams in N&I, PPPT, stakeholders, and suppliers, with the N&I network engineering team being a key part of the transition process. There is a main tiger team and multiple sub tiger teams focusing on the DRS transition to HODC1 and Network Engineering is part of the tiger group.

As a Lead Network Architect your main responsibilities will be:

• The Network Architect will lead the DRS Exit Project on behalf of the N&I Engineering Team and collaborate closely with the delivery partner Capgemini, as well as other policing technical teams in N&I and PPPT.
• Overall, the role of the Network Architect encompasses leading the DRS Exit Project, collaborating with multiple stakeholders, addressing technical challenges, and contributing to various network engineering initiatives.

Essential:

• In-depth understanding of TCP/IP, OSI model, subnetting, and routing protocols (e.g., BGP, OSPF, EIGRP)
• Extensive experience in LAN/WAN network design, implementation, and troubleshooting.
• Proficiency in firewall technologies, including but not limited to Cisco ASA, Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet, Juniper, and Check Point   
• Ability to establish and enforce network governance processes, standards, and policies.

SC Clearance is an essential requirement for this role, as a minimum you must be willing & eligible to undergo checks.  Please note, due to the exceptional requirements of this position (short-term nature of this role and speed at which we require a postholder in situ) preference may be given to candidates who meet all of the essential criteria and hold active security clearance. 

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.

Disability Confident 

As a member of the Disability Confident Scheme, the Home Office guarantees to interview all candidates who have a disability and who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of candidates who have a disability who meet all the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. This scheme encourages candidates with a disability and/or neurodivergence to apply. In exceptional circumstances, we may also need to apply the desirable criteria in our shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

Armed Forces Covenant

The Home Office guarantees to interview veterans or spouses / partners of military personnel who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of ex-military candidates / military spouses or partners, who meet all of the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. In exceptional circumstances, we may also need to apply the desirable criteria in our shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

In applying for this role, you acknowledge the following this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation. Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs. As such the payment to the intermediary and your income resulting from this contract will be different.