Network and Communications Lead
Permanent, Full Time
£52,621 to £61,906 per annum
Location: Chelmsford
Working Style: *
Interviews will be held W/C 20th October 2025.
*Experience the best of both worlds with our flexible hybrid working arrangements. Enjoy the freedom to work from home while still benefiting from in-person collaboration at our Chelmsford office, typically around 2 to 3 days per month dependent on business need.
Join a Council Shaping the Future of Public Services
Essex County Council (ECC) is on a bold journey to become one of the most effective, forward-thinking, and financially sustainable councils in the UK by 2030. At the heart of this transformation is a bold commitment to digital innovation and world-class customer service.
In this central role, you’ll lead the design, delivery, and optimisation of ECC’s network and telephony infrastructure, ensuring secure, high-performing, and scalable communications across the organisation. As Network and Communications Lead, you’ll act as the council’s intelligent client managing strategic supplier relationships, overseeing multi-million-pound contracts, and driving innovation to support around 9,000 users and devices. Your leadership will ensure ECC’s connectivity is resilient, future-ready, and aligned with business growth and digital ambitions.
Key Responsibilities:
1. Act as ECC’s technical lead for network and voice services, overseeing strategic planning, delivery, and performance across all communication platforms.
2. Manage the design and documentation of network and telephony systems, ensuring alignment with business needs, security standards, and resilience requirements.
3. Lead the delivery of network and voice services, ensuring high availability, performance, and rapid issue resolution to minimise downtime.
4. Oversee telephony upgrades and integration with other communication tools, rationalising services to ensure value for money.
5. Lead infrastructure improvement projects, aligning network development with ECC’s strategic goals and digital roadmap.
6. Ensure compliance with relevant regulations, standards, and ECC’s cyber security policies to protect data and minimise risk.
7. Manage vendor relationships and service contracts, negotiating SLAs and monitoring performance to ensure cost-effective, high-quality service delivery.
The Experience You Will Bring:
8. Educated to degree level in Computer Science, IT, or a related field, with at least 5 years’ experience in network and communications management.
9. Strong technical expertise in networking technologies (LAN, WAN, VPN, wireless) and telephony systems (VoIP).
10. Proven experience in network security, troubleshooting, and performance optimisation.
11. Excellent communication, customer service, and stakeholder engagement skills.
12. Demonstrated leadership in managing budgets, resources, and multi-disciplinary teams.
13. Experience working with enterprise infrastructure and service operations in large organisations.
14. Committed to continuous professional development and staying current with emerging technologies and delivery practices.
Why Join ECC?
As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we’re committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost.
Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in. With flexible working, excellent development opportunities, and the chance to work with a supportive team that’s passionate about what they do, Essex is the ideal place for you.
What else do you need to know?
In February 2025, Greater Essex was accepted onto the Government’s devolution priority programme, which will see local authorities in Essex work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority by May 2026. You can read more about
, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.
Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.
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