Platform Technical Lead, Enterprise Network Services

About us

At National Grid, our commitment to a cleaner, greener energy future is powered by the dedication and ingenuity of our people. Join our team as Platform Technical Lead, Enterprise Network Services and be a part of something bigger—where your unique skills and passions can make a real difference. Together, we are superpowered.

National Grid is hiring a Platform Technical Lead, Enterprise Network Services on a permanent basis. This position is based in Warwick. This role operates under a hybrid working model. Hybrid work expectations are subject to business needs and company policy.

About the role

Enterprise Network Services is a global infrastructure technology service delivery function which operates in the UK and northeast US. We deliver high-uptime LAN/WAN/Internet connectivity and voice across multiple technologies at over 1000 sites for 35000 colleagues. Our major interfaces are security, property, critical national infrastructure (CNI)/operational technology teams. As Director, Platform Technical Lead for Enterprise Network Services (ENS), you'll own the technical journey of the platform from where our enterprise network is today to where the organisation needs it to be.

Working from cloud to ground, you'll bridge business strategy, technology strategy, architecture, engineering and operations, and you'll not only design but take a role in building the systems integrations and automation that deliver our shift-left strategy. This role contributes to our vision by setting the platform's technical north star, leading the ENS domain architecture and its alignment with Enterprise and Solutions Architecture standards, and establishing guardrails that help network teams deliver faster and more safely.

You'll also own the technical health, lifecycle, value and coherence of the platform, ensuring that investment decisions, service evolution and delivery outcomes remain aligned to business priorities, security requirements and measurable operational value.

What you'll do

• As the Technical Lead for the Enterprise Network Services (ENS) Platform, your key responsibilities will include:
• Define and drive the technical vision, strategy, and multi-year roadmap for the Enterprise Network Services platform.
• Partner with network platform owners and operational stakeholders across the UK and US to align technology strategy with business objectives.
• Lead network modernization initiatives, including standardization, consolidation, lifecycle management, and OT/IT convergence.
• Provide architectural leadership across enterprise networking technologies, including SD-WAN, LAN, Wi-Fi, voice, network security, observability, and management platforms.
• Serve as the primary interface between Enterprise Architecture, Solution Architecture, and the network domain.Establish and govern architecture standards, design patterns, technical guardrails, and technology governance processes.
• Define technology selection criteria, architecture exception processes, technical debt management, and production-readiness standards.
• Ensure seamless integration of network services with cloud, cybersecurity, identity, endpoint, workplace, data, and service management platforms.
• Own platform health, resilience, performance, availability, capacity planning, and technology lifecycle management.
• Develop and track KPIs covering reliability, security, compliance, cost efficiency, automation, service quality, and business value realization.
• Partner with Finance, Procurement, and platform leaders to build investment cases and optimize technology, supplier, and cloud-network spend.
• Lead vendor and supplier architecture reviews, ensuring alignment with enterprise standards while minimizing technology lock-in.
• Shape reusable network services and standard consumption models that support scalable, repeatable business solutions.
• Embed Zero Trust, segmentation, SASE, secure-access, and threat management principles into network architecture.
• Provide architecture assurance and governance for major programs, ensuring solutions meet standards, support models, and operational requirements.
• Lead the ENS Zero-Ops, automation, and AI strategy, driving increased self-service and reducing manual engineering and operational work.
• Oversee data, automation, and AI architecture, including systems integration, network orchestration, governance, and automated change controls.
• Design and implement integrations using APIs, scripting, webhooks, ServiceNow, automation platforms, and AI-enabled workflows.
• Establish modern engineering practices, including CI/CD, Infrastructure as Code, automated testing, and software-defined network management.
• Mentor engineering teams, evaluate emerging technologies, and advise leadership on network innovation, market trends, risks, and strategic opportunities.

About you

Strong progressive experience in the network domain through operations, engineering, and architecture with significant expertise in leading technology strategies.

Formal academic qualifications in a relevant technical discipline, or equivalent experience.

Network automation and development - a proven, hands-on track record of building and operating production network automation and systems integrations, including:

Python for network automation (e.g. Netmiko, NAPALM, Nornir, Scrapli, ncclient), with structured parsing and test frameworks such as Cisco pyATS/Genie and TextFSM, plus Linux and shell scripting.

Model-driven programmability using NETCONF, RESTCONF and YANG data models, and streaming telemetry (gNMI).

Vendor and controller APIs across the network estate, e.g. Cisco Catalyst Center, Meraki Dashboard, Catalyst SD-WAN Manager, Cisco ISE, Infoblox, F5, NetBrain and ThousandEyes.

Systems integration with ServiceNow (ITSM, ITOM, Telecom Network Inventory, CMDB and scripted REST APIs) and CSDM-aligned CMDB data, using REST APIs, webhooks and event-driven workflows, bots and Microsoft Teams ChatOps, and AI and agentic architecture for ticket deflection.

Infrastructure as code and NetDevOps - strong working knowledge of tools used across the infrastructure-as-code space, including:

Ansible (including Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform) and Terraform/OpenTofu for declarative configuration and provisioning, with Jinja2 templating and YAML/JSON data models.

Git-based workflows and CI/CD pipelines (e.g. GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Azure DevOps or Jenkins) with automated testing and peer review of every change, taking prototypes and MVPs to production.

Network source of truth platforms such as NetBox or Nautobot, with golden-configuration, drift and compliance management.

Pre-change validation and network digital-twin testing (e.g. Batfish, Containerlab, Cisco Modeling Labs), secrets management (e.g. HashiCorp Vault) and containers (Docker).

Solid understanding of multi-vendor enterprise network technologies and operations, and of shift-left KPIs such as automated versus manual change, auto-remediation rate, alert-to-incident ratio, MTTD/MTTR and self-service adoption.

Experience designing infrastructure solutions that are audited against cybersecurity frameworks such as ISO/IEC 27001, NCSC CAF, NIST and CIS.

Proven ability to lead in a matrixed environment across the US and UK, aligning teams to shared objectives and fostering collaboration.

Demonstrated experience managing technology lifecycle, technical debt, platform health, total cost of ownership, investment trade-offs and measurable benefits realisation.

Experience providing design authority and delivery assurance across complex programmes, strategic suppliers and cross-platform integrations.

Strong understanding of Zero Trust network architecture, identity-aware access, segmentation, SASE and the governance of security exceptions and technical risk.

Desirable: exposure to emerging Cisco capabilities such as Cisco Cloud Control, AgenticOps (AI Canvas, Agentic Workflows, Deep Network Model, Cloud Control Studio), ThousandEyes Agentic Actions, Splunk Agent Builder, unified Meraki and Catalyst Center management, and MCP servers. Experience with OT systems (especially utility) and OT/IT convergence patterns. Certifications such as CCNP or CCIE Automation (formerly Cisco DevNet), Red Hat Certified Specialist in Ansible Network Automation or HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate.

What you'll get

Competitive Salary, based on capability and experience

Bonus of up to 30% based on personal and company performance

Additional benefits

• A competitive contributory pension scheme where we will double match your contribution to a maximum company contribution of 12%
• Flexible benefits such as a cycle scheme, share incentive plan, technology schemes
• Access to apps such as digital GP service for round the clock access to GP video consultations and NHS repeat prescriptions, wellbeing app to support your health and fitness
• Access to Work + Family Space, providing support and resources for work and family life, including paid emergency childcare and eldercare

More Information

The closing date for this vacancy is 9th November. However, we encourage candidates to submit their applications as early as possible and not to wait until the published closing date. National Grid’s recruitment periods can and may vary. We reserve the right to remove this advert or close it to further applications at any point during the recruitment process.

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We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace for all. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates – we make appointments purely on merit, assessed against objective selection criteria. We support flexible working and will make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process should you have any physical or mental impairment which may affect your ability to participate in the process.

Please note that in most cases, National Grid is unable to offer sponsorship for employment under the UK points-based immigration system. As such, applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK without requiring sponsorship now or in the future under the UK points-based immigration system. However, in exceptional circumstances where there is a clear and demonstrable need for specialist skills that cannot be sourced from the local labour market, National Grid may consider offering sponsorship. All applications are welcome from candidates who meet these requirements, regardless of race, nationality, or ethnic origin.