ICT Network Specialist – Core Location: South Wales Police Headquarters, Bridgend, Wales Permanent Salary £50,949 - £54,696 Are you looking for your next career step? Do you want to be a part of an Innovative Organisation? About Us: South Wales Police is the largest police force in Wales, serving a population of approximately 1.3 million people across an area of 2,117 square miles. We are dedicated to keeping our communities safe and secure, and we rely on cutting-edge technology to support our operations. As an ICT Network Specialist, you will play a crucial role in ensuring the smooth functioning of our ICT infrastructure and providing technical assistance to our staff. We have recently invested heavily in our ICT department with exciting new projects and opportunities funded by significant investment. We are going through a period of significant growth and technological change, there has never been a better time to join! The role The ICT Network Specialist – Core will support the development, implementation, and maintenance of South Wales Police’s network infrastructure. The Networks Specialist’s role includes the implementation of concepts to ensure the provision of highly reliable and secure connectivity (LAN, WAN, WLAN), VPNs, and high availability services. Purpose To ensure that South Wales Police’s network infrastructure is robust, efficient, and meticulously maintained to ensure total business continuity within our 24/7 organisation. To provide resilience to the Voice and Fabric Network Specialists by offering the technical resources necessary to support day-to-day operations as well as project-led activity. To ensure that SWP’s network infrastructure can be developed in response to the ever-evolving technical demands of the organisation. Responsibilities To lead, support and motivate a team of technical specialists. To manage and maintain the network architecture of our in-house datacentres. To take ownership of the development, maintenance and overall reliability of our switching and routing platform (Cisco). To ensure the reliability of our High Availability clusters and services. To manage the performance of major routing protocols such as VLANs, VRF, multi-context Cisco firewalls and load balancing technologies To conduct meticulous network capacity planning and modelling across LAN / WLAN / WAN / Wi-Fi / MPLS / SDWAN and Data Centre / Cloud network technologies Requirements Must possess any of the following: A bachelor’s degree in an ICT related subject An ICT related qualification Demonstratable equivalent skills or experience in networking Must have experience of designing, installing, and managing an on-premise and cloud-based network infrastructure including layer 2 and 3 switching and routing. Must have experience of managing network security hardware and software, including firewalls and network intrusion detection systems. Must demonstrate in-depth understanding of datacentre network architectures, ICT disaster recovery strategies, and LAN / WLAN / WAN / Wi-Fi / MPLS / SDWAN networking technologies. Must have proven experience of managing a team of technical specialists. Where You’ll Fit In The ICT Network Specialist - Core sits within the Technical Delivery section and is responsible for: ICT Network Architecture and Design ICT Network Cloud Provision and Services ICT Datacentre Interconnectivity, ICT Communication and Routing Protocol ICT Wired and Wireless ICT Network Platforms, Systems and Software ICT Network and Voice Protocols ICT Operations Management ICT Cyber Security management Benefits Include Training and professional development opportunities Local Government Pension Scheme 24 days Annual Leave increasing to 29 years after 5 years employment. Flexible working dependant of duties Free on-site parking On site fitness centre and canteen Collaborative and supportive work environment. Cycle to work scheme. Wellness programmes SWP Diolch Vectis & Blue light Discount Card Opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to public safety and community well-being. Diversity, Equality & Inclusion As a Force, we are committed to developing the overall structure of equality, diversity and inclusion across South Wales Police: in our workforce and in the services we provide. South Wales Police is an equal opportunities employer and is determined to attract, employ and support a workforce which is representative of the diverse society which it serves. We are committed to achieving a working environment which is free from any form of harassment, intimidation, bullying or victimisation. Applications are welcomed from all under-represented groups and support will be made available for all applicants as and when requested. The successful Candidate must be willing to undergo vetting to MV/SC Vetting. Please note, if you are an internal candidate and subject to an ongoing PSD investigation, your appointment or placement in the role may be delayed pending an outcome. Whether the role is held open will be considered on a case-by-case basis For more information about the role please contact Ben.Lawless@south-wales.police.uk Note : Due to the sensitive nature of the work performed by South Wales Police, all applicants will undergo a comprehensive background check as a part of the recruitment process.