Network Consultant

Our client is a leading UK defence and security prime, delivering mission-critical managed IT services across some of the nation’s most secure and sensitive government environments. This is far from a typical infrastructure role — you’ll be operating within high-pressure, high-assurance settings where security, resilience, and operational excellence are absolutely essential.

The successful candidate will join a nationwide team responsible for managing large-scale enterprise infrastructure across multiple government sites, supporting complex and highly secure operations. This is a senior-level appointment with significant visibility, reporting directly into programme leadership and playing a key role in service delivery and stakeholder engagement.

To be considered, you’ll need strong technical expertise across LAN/WAN networking, SD-WAN, VMware/Hyper-V, and Citrix environments, alongside proven ITIL service management experience. You should also be comfortable leading CAB meetings, engaging with senior stakeholders, and presenting confidently at programme board level.

Working Patterns and location – Hybrid – 2-3 days on site per week

• Take ownership of the end-to-end network and infrastructure estate across multiple secure government locations, covering servers, virtualisation platforms, WAN/LAN/SD-WAN, Citrix, and Riverbed technologies.
• Oversee daily infrastructure operations, ensuring consistent service performance and delivery against agreed SLAs and KPIs.
• Lead the transition of new and enhanced infrastructure services into live environments, ensuring operational readiness and minimal disruption to service.
• Serve as the senior escalation point for critical incidents, leading Major Incident Reviews and driving effective root cause analysis and resolution.
• Chair the Change Advisory Board (CAB), governing the full change management process in line with strict government security and compliance standards.
• Provide leadership and mentorship to a team of infrastructure and network engineers, fostering high performance and a culture of continual service improvement.
• Manage infrastructure budgets, including forecasting, supplier engagement, commercial negotiations, and cost optimisation initiatives.
• Ensure full compliance across the estate with government security frameworks and policies, including Cyber Essentials Plus, JSP 440, JSP 604, and NCSC best practice guidance.

• Proven senior-level experience in infrastructure, network, or IT service delivery management within government, defence, or a regulated sector.
• Deep technical knowledge of LAN/WAN, routing and switching, firewalls, SD-WAN, and WAN optimisation technologies such as Riverbed.
• Hands-on experience managing virtualised environments including VMware vSphere and Hyper-V alongside enterprise storage platforms.
• Extensive experience managing Citrix environments in a multi-site enterprise context.
• Strong practical knowledge of ITIL service management frameworks (ITIL 3 or ITIL 4 Foundation or above).
• Proven ability to manage multi-million-pound IT budgets including forecasting, variance analysis, and cost management.
• Experience chairing CAB and representing IT at senior stakeholder and programme-level governance forums.
• Strong understanding of UK government and public sector security standards and compliance requirements.

• Annual bonus up to 10%.
• Pension up to 5% Employee/10% Employer.
• Private Medical Cover.
• Dental Insurance.
• Health Assessment.
• Life Assurance.

Our client is committed to providing a diverse and inclusive workplace and welcomes applications from all backgrounds. 

Part-time opportunities/flexible working is available to suit individual needs.

RECOMMEND A FRIEND: If you have professional friends/colleagues who would be interested in one of our roles and our excellent levels of service too, we'd like to recognise your recommendations with a 'thank you' of our own. For every friend you refer who then starts a role through Datasource either Contract or Permanent, we will send you £200 of Love to Shop Gift Vouchers & gift your friend £100 in Love to Shop Gift Vouchers as well!

You will be required to hold a minimum of DV Clearance. If you do not hold an active DV Clearance, please familiarise yourself with the vetting process before applying.

(c) Copyright Datasource Computer Employment Limited 2026.