Network Support Engineer (3rd Line)

The role reports into the support function and escalates into the Network Operations Centre for anything sitting in the core network. There is an on-call rota, and this role will participate in it.

Key Responsibilities

(Please note that this list is not exhaustive)

• Own escalated faults through to resolution – working with suppliers, field teams, and the customer all at the same time as required.
• Make and document configuration changes on live customer-facing network equipment, under change control.
• Troubleshoot complex faults across routing, switching, and wireless, on both Vorboss and customer-owned equipment.
• Troubleshoot wireless faults remotely while a field engineer is on site, directing them through survey work, AP placement, cabling and power checks, and confirming the fix from the customer’s side before closing.
• Build and hold the deep wireless knowledge the support team relies on, across the platforms we run, so that wireless faults are diagnosed properly rather than resolved by replacing kit.
• Escalate into the Network Operations Centre where a fault sits in the core network, with the diagnosis and the customer impact already established.
• Monitor the core network where an event has the potential to affect more than one customer, correlate it against incoming faults, and get it in front of the Network Operations Centre with the impact already established.
• Run problem management: spot the recurring faults, find the root cause, and drive the permanent fix rather than closing the ticket again.
• Write the root cause analysis and reason for outage for customer-facing incidents.
• Contribute to the playbooks and technical knowledge for the support team, so that 1st and 2nd line resolve more without escalating.
• Improve monitoring and alerting: tune thresholds, reduce the noise, and add coverage where it is missing.
• Handle technical escalations with third-party suppliers and offnet providers.
• Provide technical input on complex customer configurations before they go live.
• Take part in the on-call rota as the escalation point behind 2nd line.
• Communicate clearly in writing and on the phone, to colleagues and to customers.

Essential

The right candidate:

• Substantial experience in a 3rd or advanced 2nd line or senior network support role, ideally in a service provider, ISP, or carrier environment.
• Strong routing and switching fundamentals, including TCP/IP and BGP, and the ability to reason about a fault rather than follow a script.
• Hands-on configuration experience on carrier and/or enterprise network equipment. We run multiple vendors across our core and customer networks: Nokia, Juniper, Fortinet, RAD, ADVA, Ruckus and Mist.
• Comfortable making changes on live customer-facing equipment, and disciplined about change control and documentation.
• Experience owning incidents in a customer-facing environment where downtime has real consequences.
• Excellent written communication. A large part of this job is explaining and troubleshooting a technical fault to someone who is not technical.

Desirable

• Experience running remote wireless diagnostics with an engineer on site.
• Scripting or API experience for diagnostics and automation.
• Experience with Layer 1 fibre networks.
• Familiarity with ticketing and monitoring platforms.

Certifications

• Routing/Switching: Juniper JNCIS or equivalent minimum, working towards JNCIP-SP or equivalent.
• Firewalling: Fortigate NSE 4 or equivalent minimum, working towards NSE 7 or equivalent.
• Wireless: Juniper JNCIA-MistAI, working towards JNCIS-MistAI or equivalent.
• Advanced Wireless: Ekahau ECSE Advanced and ECSE Troubleshooting or equivalents.

Certifications can be obtained after joining, and we will support you through them, but you are expected to complete them. This applies to the wireless track in particular.

Benefits

We believe in taking care of our staff both mentally and physically and in order to support this we offer a range of benefits that you can access.

• Employee Share Plan
• Company pension scheme.
• Bonus scheme.
• 25 days of annual leave allowance that increases with years served (excluding bank holidays).
• Private Healthcare.
• Life assurance.
• Income Protection.
• Access to Spill, our mental health support partner.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Half price gym memberships through the healthcare provider.
• Free eye test.
• Travel loan.
• Hastee app, to help manage your salary and finances.

Diversity, Inclusion, And Equal Opportunities

We aim to be an equal opportunities employer and we are determined to ensure that no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of gender, age, disability, religion, belief, sexual orientation, marital status, or race, or is disadvantaged by conditions or requirements which cannot be shown to be justifiable.

We aim to create a working environment free of bullying, harassment, victimisation, and unlawful discrimination, promoting dignity and respect for all, and where individual differences and the contributions of all staff are recognised and valued.

This commitment includes training managers and all other employees about their rights and responsibilities under the equality, diversity, and inclusion policy. Responsibilities include staff conducting themselves to help the organisation provide equal opportunities in employment, and prevent bullying, harassment, victimisation, and unlawful discrimination.

Vorboss promotes step-free access at our main headquarters, whilst taking into consideration physical barriers employees might face across all other sites.