National Physical Laboratory (NPL)
Infrastructure Engineer
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About the Role
Infrastructure Engineer
Office-based | Oxfordshire
We are expanding our engineering capability and are looking for an Infrastructure Engineer to support the design, commissioning, and operation of our telecoms and enterprise IT lab.
This is an office-based, hands-on role working closely with researchers and senior engineers to ensure lab infrastructure is robust, accurately configured, and meets the requirements for deep technical research into telecoms and IT network systems.
We are looking for someone with practical infrastructure and/or networking experience who is keen to deepen their skills. While prior hands-on knowledge is important, we are willing to provide training and support to help the right candidate grow into the role.
The Role
- Supporting the design, build, and layout of lab infrastructure containing telecoms and enterprise equipment
- Network planning including numbering (e.g. IP addresses, GTs, Cell IDs) and RF frequency allocation
- Installation and commissioning of routers, switches, firewalls, servers, and telecoms systems
- Day-to-day operation, monitoring, and maintenance of lab environments to ensure reliability and availability
- Working with Linux-based systems for configuration, management, scripting, and troubleshooting
- Network configuration, connectivity testing, and fault-finding across physical and virtual environments
- Preparing, maintaining, and adjusting lab setups to support ongoing research activities
- Maintaining accurate documentation of lab configurations, changes, and procedures
- Ensuring the safety of the lab environment and staff, including physical, electrical, and RF
About You
Essential Skills & Background
- Experience installing and commissioning network or telecoms equipment
- Practical knowledge of TCP/IP networking fundamentals
- Familiarity with router and switch CLIs and GUIs (e.g. Cisco, Juniper, Nokia)
- Understanding of routing protocols such as MPLS, OSPF, or BGP
- Familiarity with Linux (command-line usage, system basics, configuration, and troubleshooting)
- Experience in an infrastructure, networking, telecoms, or lab-based engineering role
- A hands-on, methodical approach to working with both physical and logical infrastructures
- Willingness to learn new technologies and develop deeper expertise over time
- Comfortable working in a lab environment with real hardware
- Ability to maintain technical network diagrams and commissioning procedures using Microsoft Office
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Desirable Experience
- Ability to configure IP addressing, VLANs, and basic Layer 2/Layer 3 network settings
- Experience of common IETF network protocols (e.g. SNMP, TACACS+/RADIUS, Syslog, NTP, DHCP, DNS, IPsec, X.509)
- Knowledge of mobile telecoms (e.g. cellular network concepts, mobile cores, RAN fundamentals, or related protocols)
- Experience setting up virtual, containerized, or cloud computing environments
- Relevant certifications (e.g. CCNA, Linux certifications)
What’s On Offer
- Hands-on work with real-world enterprise and telecoms infrastructure
- Opportunity to work alongside experienced engineers and researchers
- Training and support to develop and maintain skills in specialist telecoms and lab environments
- Collaborative, engineering-driven culture, with high standards for quality
- Competitive salary and benefits
- Based in Oxfordshire
Eligibility
As you will be required to work with UK Government departments, all applicants must already hold, or be able to obtain, the necessary UK security clearance. Therefore, the following must apply:
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- You must be a British Citizen. If you hold dual nationality, of which one component is British, your application will still be considered.
- You’ll usually need to have been a resident in the UK for seven out of the last ten years before applying for a role with us.
About Us
The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is a world-leading centre of excellence that provides cutting-edge measurement science, engineering, and technology to underpin prosperity and quality of life in the UK. Find out more about what it is like working here
At NPL, we believe our success is a result of the diversity and talent of our people. We strive to nurture and respect individuals to ensure everyone feels valued by treating everyone on the basis of their own individual merits and abilities regardless of their own or perceived identity. As part of our commitment to diversity & inclusion, we ensure we’re creating an environment where all our colleagues feel supported and welcome. More about this on our Diversity & Inclusion page.
We are committed to the health and well-being of our employees. Flexible working and social activities are embedded in our culture to create a positive work-life balance, along with a broad range of rewards, benefits, and recognition. Our values are at the heart of what we do, and they shape the way we interact, develop our people, and celebrate success.
To ensure everyone has an equal chance, we’re always willing to make reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process. If you would like to discuss, please contact us.
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