Principal Network Engineer

About the Role

The Principal Network Engineer will be a key technical leader within the Network Engineering team, responsible for the design, implementation, and operation of ITV's core network infrastructure, encompassing routing, switching, security, and wireless technologies. This role requires an individual with deep technical expertise, a proven track record in NetDevOps practices, and the ability to drive technical strategy and standards. The successful candidate will provide robust technical leadership, mentor team members, support the Product Owner in defining the engineering roadmap, and collaborate closely with the Principal Network Architect to evolve ITV's network capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Provide hands-on, deep technical expertise and serve as the final escalation point for complex network issues across core routing/switching, security, and wireless domains.
• In partnership with the Principal Network Architect, contribute significantly to the definition of the long-term technical strategy and architecture for the network platform, ensuring alignment with ITV's overall technology goals.
• Lead the evaluation, selection, and deployment of new networking technologies and services, driving innovation and efficiency across the network.
• Develop, maintain, and enforce technical standards, best practices, and documentation for network deployment and operations.

NetDevOps & Automation

• Champion and drive the adoption of NetDevOps principles and practices across the team, focusing on automation, infrastructure-as-code, continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD), and automated testing.
• Design and implement network automation solutions using programming/scripting languages (e.g., Python, Ansible, Go) and NetDevOps tools to provision, configure, and monitor network infrastructure at scale.
• Integrate network operations with broader IT service management and monitoring tools using API-driven approaches.

Network Engineering & Operations

• Lead the design and implementation of highly-available, scalable, and secure network solutions that meet the demanding requirements of a major media and entertainment company.
• Oversee and manage complex network change projects, ensuring minimal disruption and adherence to security policies.
• Provide expert guidance on network security best practices, ensuring network infrastructure adheres to stringent security and compliance requirements.
• Define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) and operational metrics for the network platform.

Collaboration & Mentoring

• Act as the primary technical interface for the Product Owner, translating business requirements into technical deliverables and helping to shape the engineering backlog and roadmap.
• Collaborate effectively with the Principal Network Architect to ensure architectural vision is practically executed by the engineering team.
• Mentor and coach Network Engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence, continuous improvement, and ownership within the team.
• Work closely with other platform and infrastructure teams (e.g., Cloud, Compute, Security Operations) to ensure seamless, end-to-end service delivery.

Skills & Knowledge

• Deep Domain Expertise: Extensive, demonstrable experience in designing, deploying, and troubleshooting large-scale, enterprise-grade networks across:
• Routing & Switching: Mastery of core routing protocols (BGP, OSPF, EIGRP), L2/L3 switching concepts, QoS, and modern data centre fabrics (e.g., VXLAN, EVPN).
• Security: Expertise in firewall technologies, IDS/IPS, network access control (NAC), VPN solutions, and DDoS mitigation.
• Wireless: Proven experience with enterprise-grade wireless technologies, including controller-based and cloud-managed systems.
• NetDevOps/Automation: Strong practical experience working in an environment heavily focused on NetDevOps, Infrastructure-as-Code, and continuous delivery.
• Advanced proficiency in network automation tools (e.g., Ansible, Terraform) and scripting languages (e.g., Python).
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines (e.g., GitLab CI, Jenkins) for network deployments.
• Experience with API integration for network management and monitoring.
• Technical Leadership: Proven ability to lead, influence, and drive technical change across engineering teams, coupled with strong problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Desirable

• Experience with cloud networking concepts (AWS, Azure, or GCP).
• Relevant industry certifications (e.g.,Cisco, Juniper, AWS)
• Experience in the Media or Broadcast technology sector.
• Familiarity with network monitoring and observability platforms (e.g., Nautobot, Netbox, Batfish, Prometheus, Grafana, ELK stack, Solarwinds).