Join BT Business in Manchester as a Senior Network Security Engineer supporting a major UK defence security partnership. This full-time role offers 24/7 shift and day shift patterns, a competitive salary plus a 10% annual bonus, and a robust benefits package. You will operate as a 3rd-line subject matter expert, protecting critical customer network environments and leading incident resolutions.
Requirements
Significant hands-on experience as a 3rd-line Network Security Engineer or SME in large-scale or 24/7 operations.
Proven experience leading technical resolution for complex P1/P2 incidents and high-risk network security changes.
Strong technical knowledge of firewalls, VPNs, Palo Alto, F5 Load Balancers, Forescout NAC, and Netskope.
Desirable: Industry-recognised certifications like Palo Alto PCNSE, automation/scripting experience, and ITIL practices.
Mandatory: Must be a sole UK national, continuously resident in the UK for at least 5 years, and eligible for Security Check (SC) clearance.
Skills & Responsibilities
Palo Alto & Firewalls: Deliver 3rd-line troubleshooting and technical leadership for firewalls, VPNs, and secure connectivity technologies.
F5 & Netskope: Manage and secure load balancers, web application firewalls, and network security tools across multi-vendor environments.
Incident & Change Leadership: Lead the technical resolution of critical P1/P2 incidents and provide assurance for high-risk network security changes.
Automation & Mentoring: Identify opportunities for automation and scripting while mentoring engineers to develop technical capabilities.
Potential transition routes: People from Network Engineer, Security Operations Centre (SOC) Analyst, or Systems Administrator roles may bring relevant networking and troubleshooting skills, alongside meeting mandatory SC clearance and security experience requirements.
Job description
Job Req ID: 63674
Function: Security
Positions: 7
Shift work: 24/7 shift and day shift patterns available
Base location: Manchester - lives within a commutable distance i.e Leeds, Sheffield, Liverpool, Derby
SECURITY CLEARANCE: This role requires Security Check (SC) clearance. Due to the security requirements of the role, applicants must be sole UK nationals and have been continuously resident in the UK for a minimum of five years.
About the role
Our network security team is growing, we have 7 positions available to support one our major security defence partnerships.
As our Senior Network Security Engineers, you’ll be senior technical experts within our Secure Networks team, helping protect and support critical customer network environments.
Operating from a 3rd-line subject matter expert perspective, you’ll provide deep technical expertise across complex network security services and act as a key escalation point when incidents, changes or technical challenges require specialist knowledge.
You’ll lead the technical response to complex and critical incidents, provide oversight of higher-risk changes and help guide technical decision-making across multi-customer and multi-vendor environments.
Beyond resolving immediate issues, you’ll use your expertise to strengthen service resilience, develop technical capability across the team and identify opportunities for automation and continuous improvement.
You’ll be a trusted technical advisor to engineers, customers and stakeholders, bringing the judgement, technical depth and problem-solving skills needed to tackle some of our most challenging network security problems.
Security requirement: This role supports a major UK defence security partnership. You must therefore be eligible to obtain the required UK Security Clearance and be a sole UK national passport holder, having sole residency in the UK for a minimum of 5 years.
What you’ll be doing
Providing 3rd-line technical leadership and SME expertise across Network Security Operations, acting as a key escalation point for complex technical issues.
Leading the technical resolution of complex and critical P1/P2 security incidents, providing clear technical direction through to service restoration.
Providing specialist troubleshooting where incidents cannot be resolved through standard operational or 2nd-line support.
Leading or providing technical assurance for complex and higher-risk network security changes, ensuring they are appropriately assessed, peer-reviewed and risk-managed.
Providing deep technical expertise including firewalls, VPNs, secure connectivity and associated network security technologies (Palo Alto, F5 Load Balancers and Web Application Firewall, Forescout NAC, Netskope).
Analysing recurring and systemic technical issues and developing longer-term solutions that improve resilience and reduce repeat incidents.
Acting as a senior technical advisor to customers, colleagues and stakeholders, providing specialist recommendations and influencing technical decisions.
Mentoring engineers and sharing specialist knowledge to develop technical capability across the wider team.
Identifying opportunities to use automation, scripting and tooling to improve operational efficiency, consistency and scalability.
Creating and maintaining high-quality technical documentation, service maps and implementation artefacts for complex services and changes.
Contributing specialist expertise to technical discussions, workshops and service or solution design.
Collaborating across Product, Engineering and Operations teams to resolve complex problems and improve customer outcomes.
Maintaining rigorous standards across information security, data protection, risk and change governance.
Essential Skills / Experience
We're looking for three core areas of experience.
3rd-line network security expertise
Significant hands-on experience operating as a 3rd-line Network Security Engineer, escalation point or SME across a large scale or 24/7 Network or Security Operations environments, with strong technical knowledge of firewalls, VPNs, secure connectivity and associated network security technologies (Palo Alto, F5 Load Balancers and Web Application Firewall, Forescout NAC, Netskope).
Complex incident and change leadership
Proven experience leading the technical resolution of complex or critical P1/P2 incidents and providing technical leadership or assurance for complex, higher-risk network security changes within live operational environments.
Technical leadership and continuous improvement
Experience using deep technical expertise to solve recurring problems, improve service resilience and develop technical capability, including mentoring engineers and contributing to automation, technical design or operational improvements.
Desirable Skills / Experience
It would be great if you have experience across some of the following:
Complex, multi-customer or multi-vendor security environments
Industry-recognised security or networking certifications, such as Palo Alto PCNSE, or equivalent practical experience
Automation or scripting within network or security operations
Technical or service design and producing high-quality technical documentation
ITIL incident, problem and change-management practices
You’ll be someone who remains calm when dealing with complex or high-impact incidents and can provide clear technical direction when others need your expertise.
You’ll be able to simplify complex technical information for different audiences, challenge constructively and build strong relationships across Engineering, Product, Operations and customer teams.
Most importantly, you’ll combine deep technical knowledge with curiosity and a continuous-improvement mindset, looking not just at how to fix today’s problem, but how to prevent it happening again.
Our Package
Tailored benefits make a real difference. That’s why we offer a comprehensive range to support your growth, wellbeing, and everyday life. You can design the package to suit you and your lifestyle.
Your core benefits include:
• Competitive salary • 10% on target annual bonus • Access to an online private GP 24/7 for you and your immediate family • Market-leading paid carers leave with up to 2 weeks off • Equalized maternity, paternity, and adoption leave – 18 weeks’ full pay and 8 weeks’ half pay • Discounted EE and BT products, including mobile and broadband • Market leading Pension scheme – 5% from you and 10% from us • Holiday purchase scheme
You can select additional benefits, including healthcare, dental, gym memberships and more when you’re ready.
Ready to connect for good and help shape the future? Apply now
Join us at a pivotal moment for BT Business. We are executing a multi-year transformation to restore growth, modernise at scale and unlock new markets beyond connectivity. Our ambition is clear – return to sustainable revenue and EBITDA growth, strengthen our market position, and deliver meaningful shareholder value through disciplined execution and bold reinvention.
We are fundamentally reshaping the business – simplifying our portfolio, digitising our customer experience and building market-leading capability across cyber, AI and managed services, all powered by the UK’s leading fixed and mobile networks. This is a shift from a legacy connectivity provider to a modern, solutions-led, AI-first business that can truly differentiate in a competitive and fast-moving market.
With execution momentum building and a clear path to growth, the opportunity now is to scale what works, accelerate performance and fully realise our potential. This is about delivering against ambitious financial outcomes while transforming how we operate – creating a business that is simpler, faster, more innovative and easier to do business with.
If you want to be part of the team shaping the turnaround of a multi-billion-pound business – and building a stronger, more competitive BT for the future – this is your moment.
