Lead Infrastructure Engineer (Networks)

Job summary

We have an exciting opportunity to join our Network team. This lead technical role is vital to providing network services to Companies House. You will be part of a small network team responsible for day-to-day support of both cloud-hosted and on-premise network services on a 24/7/365 basis. In addition, you will be expected to take the lead in delivering strategic and tactical enhancements to the existing cloud infrastructure utilising Infrastructure as Code (IaC).

Watch this video to find out more about working in Digital at Companies House

Companies House offers a flexible and welcoming culture that promotes a healthy work life balance as well as a proactive approach to wellbeing that allows us to be our best at work. We recognise that people are the key to our success so offer a fantastic benefits package including flexible working with no core hours, 30 days annual leave, 8 bank holidays and 1 privilege day as well as enrolment into the Civil Service Pension scheme with a contribution rate averaging 28%.

Find out more about what a great place Companies House is to work

Please note:

• Companies House cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign.
• Security Clearance is an essential requirement for this campaign. You'll need to have been in the UK for at least 3 out of the last 5 years to be eligible to apply for SC.
• The team for this role is based in our Cardiff office, and a hybrid employment contract will be provided as the standard offering. Current office expectation is a minimum office attendance of 1 day per week, however, when on call, you may be required to attend the office more regularly as required. Availability to commute into Cardiff office at short notice is essential.
• On-call allowance is paid in addition to the base salary and allowance advertised, please see the 'On-call Allowance and Overtime Pay' section below.

Job description

As a Lead Infrastructure Engineer in our Network team, your responsibilities will include:

• Leading the delivery of technical improvements and upgrades to the cloud and on-premise network infrastructure
• Continuing the migration of network services to the cloud
• Playing an active role in the continuing migration of network services to the cloud, and implementation of the cloud infrastructure required to host all CH systems
• Working with the Network Architect on future network strategy and design for cloud-hosted services in AWS and Azure
• Leading the delivery of on-premise hardware upgrades such as switch stacks and wireless controllers
• Collaborating with other teams on projects and for troubleshooting issues that may arise with network services
• Supporting the existing network infrastructure (on premise and in the cloud) alongside the existing team members and participate in a 24/7/365 on-call rota
• Represent the Networks team when the Network Manager is unavailable

You can read more about a career in Digital and Data within the Civil Service in the Government Digital and Data Candidate Information Pack.

Person specification

We are looking for individuals with:

• A high level of technical skills (see the knowledge and experience section)
• Drive and enthusiasm to own, lead and implement network infrastructure changes
• High level of self-motivation
• Confidence in engaging with a range of technical specialists across the Digital and Technology Directorate
• Collaboration skills to engage with colleagues and users at all levels
• Troubleshooting and problem-solving skills
• Qualifications in networking, cloud or traditional, would be an advantage

The successful candidate will have the following experience:

• Working with network technologies in cloud environments
• Leading the delivery of cloud network infrastructure
• Using infrastructure as code e.g. Terraform to build and configure network technologies in cloud environments
• Working within a 24/7 support environment
• Delivering network infrastructure upgrades in cloud and traditional LAN / WAN networking

Behaviours

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

• Managing a Quality Service
• Changing and Improving
• Working Together
• Leadership

Technical skills

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

• Network security and connectivity to and from cloud and on-premise environments, including firewall technologies (traditional layer 3/4 and WAF) and DDoS
• Terraform / IaC - Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) solutions e.g. iboss
• Wireless LANs, preferably using Cisco APs and WLCs
• Working on a switched, both layer 2 and layer 3, and routed Ethernet network, preferably using Cisco switches and routers

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £42,923, Companies House contributes £12,434 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

We believe that our success is driven by the well-being and satisfaction of our team members at all levels of the organisation. At Companies House we’re committed to providing a comprehensive benefits package that goes beyond the ordinary, ensuring your career journey with us is not only fulfilling, but also rewarding. We pride ourselves on offering a quality work-life balance with our employee wellbeing being central to our working practices.

Head to Our benefits - Working for us - Recruitment (companieshouse.gov.uk) to find out more about the fantastic benefits package we have at Companies House.

We celebrate diversity...

As an equal opportunity employer, we celebrate diversity, being committed to ensuring we’re representative of the citizens we serve and creating an inclusive environment. Everyone in Companies House brings something different, and so will you. To fulfil our commitment to recruiting and attracting diverse talent we welcome applications from underrepresented groups. We also welcome applications from Welsh speakers.

We are proud to be a disability confident leader. Our recruitment process is fully inclusive and we can make adjustments as needed through our process. These could include having an interview buddy, extra time at interviews/assessments and receiving interview questions in advance, to name a few.

If you require any reasonable adjustments at application stage, or if you'd like to discuss any person-centred adjustments, please contact us by emailing recruitmentCH@companieshouse.gov.uk.

Read our 'Applying under the Disability Confidence Scheme (DCS)' guide to find out how to successfully complete an application under the Disability Confidence Scheme (DCS).

Where will you be working?

You will be aligned to our Cardiff office, where you will be expected to attend on a regular basis. We are currently using a hybrid approach to the way we work which provides opportunities for you to be adaptable in the way you work so that you can achieve a healthy balance between your work and home life. The degree of choice you have will depend on your role and your day-to-day work activities. Your manager will agree regular patterns of attendance with you, however you may be required to make yourself available to attend the office more frequently when required to meet business needs.

Please note: Current office expectation is a minimum office attendance of 1 day per week, however, when on call, you may be required to attend the office more regularly as required. Availability to commute into Cardiff office at short notice is essential.

On-call Allowance and Overtime Pay

Please see the below table for details of our flat rate on-call allowances.

Period

On-call Allowance (per 24-hour period)

On-call Allowance (per 12-hour period)

Weekdays

£47.32

£23.66

Weekends & BH

£94.64

£47.32

The flat rate on-call allowance payment assumes up to 30 minutes spent in resolving incidents in a 24-hour period. Any incident (or cumulative incidents) that require longer than 30 minutes resolving would attract standard overtime rates. If attendance on site is necessary, then a minimum of 3 hours’ overtime would be payable.

In addition, during weekend on-call you will be able to claim additional overtime when responding to an alert/call as set out below:

Time Spent Working on an alert/call

Weekend On-call and Overtime

30 mins or less

No Overtime claimed

More than 30 mins

Time worked (minimum of 3 hours) at weekend overtime rate (currently time and quarter)

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.

What will the process look like?

Stage 1 – Sift

An initial sift of applications will be carried out to create a shortlist. This will be based on the evidence provided for the following Success Profile elements: Experience.

In your application form we’d like you to:

Write a CV: tell us about your employment history, including key responsibilities and achievements.

Write a Personal Statement of 1250 words: tell us, using examples, how you meet the following criteria:

• Working with network technologies in cloud environments
• Leading the delivery of cloud network infrastructure
• Using infrastructure as code e.g. Terraform to build and configure network technologies in cloud environments
• Working within a 24/7 support environment
• Delivering network infrastructure upgrades in cloud and traditional LAN / WAN networking

We'd encourage you to use the full word count, and to give us clear examples and evidence of the different elements of the essential minimum criteria.

We’re committed to being diverse and inclusive, so please make your application anonymous by removing all identifying personal information (such as your name and age) from your personal statement.

Please note: In the case of a large number of applications, before conducting a full sift as described above, the panel may conduct a pre-sift assessing all applications against the following Experience criteria: Working with network technologies in cloud environments.

Once the advert has closed, we will sift applications - this involves reading through them all, please bear with us as this can take some time.

We may raise the score required if we receive a high number of applications.

At sift we may choose to take through the highest performing candidates to the next stage. If, after the final stage is completed and roles are unfilled, we will proceed to invite lower scoring candidates to interview.

Stage 2 - Interview

Companies House uses a blended interview technique, allowing us to find out more about you. We use the Success Profile framework and at interview we will use Success Profiles assessing the Behaviours and Technical skills listed in the advert, and Strengths.

Successful candidates from the sift stage will be invited to a virtual interview, which will be conducted using Microsoft Teams.

As part of the interview stage, candidates will be expected to complete a scenario based activity. This will assess the Technical skill: Network security and connectivity to and from cloud and on-premise environments, including firewall technologies (traditional layer 3/4 and WAF) and DDoS.

The lead criteria to distinguish between tied candidates will be the Behaviour: Changing and Improving.

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles.

If after the interview you are not found appointable at the advertised grade, you may be offered the lower grade role if you are considered to meet the skills, experience and behaviours for the lower level. The benchmark for appointing to the lower grade is set at the start of each campaign.

All offers will be made in merit order.

Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of recruitment based on fair and open competition with decisions made on the basis of merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles.

Key Dates (dates are indicative only and could be subject to change)

• Closing date: 15th March 2026
• Sifting: w/c 16th March 2026
• Interview: w/c 23th March 2026

Sponsorship

Companies House cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign. Companies House holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify. Should you apply for this role and require sponsorship, your application may be rejected, and any provisional offers of employment withdrawn.

Security Clearance

Successful candidates must pass a Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) check before they can be appointed.

BPSS is an entry level security check. It uses the Police National Computer (PNC) to make sure a candidate has no convictions. The check returns evidence of any current criminal record and un-spent convictions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements for Security Check (SC) before they can be appointed.

The requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years. Failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected.

Further information on National Security Vetting

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Teodora Arnold
• Email : tarnold@companieshouse.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitmentch@companieshouse.gov.uk

Further information

We welcome applications in Welsh / Rydym yn croesawi ceisiadau yn y Gymraeg. Selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit, on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles, our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of appointment on the basis of merit by fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact infopoint@companieshouse.gov.uk in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commission .

info@csc.gov.uk

Civil Service Commission, Room G/8, 1 Horse Guards Road SW1A 2HQ