IT Senior Network Officer

Posted 06 February 2026
Salary £38000 - £40000 per annum
LocationBallymena
Job type Permanent
Discipline Tech
ReferenceVR060226_1770397203

Job description

IT Senior Network Officer

Location: Ballymena (plus travel to other sites in NI)| Sector: Education / Public Sector
Salary: 38-40k pa

An established and well-regarded organisation is seeking an IT Senior Network Officer to join its IT Systems team. This is a senior technical role with responsibility for the ongoing development, resilience and security of a complex, multi-site network environment supporting critical organisation-wide services.

Working closely with the IT Systems Manager, you will take ownership of day-to-day network operations while contributing to the design, evolution and long-term strategy of the network and communications architecture.

The Role

You will be responsible for the management, maintenance and optimisation of the organisation's network and communication systems, ensuring performance, availability and security across all sites.

Key responsibilities include:

  • Managing LAN and WAN infrastructure, including switches, VLANs and routing

  • Supporting enterprise wireless networks, VPNs and remote access solutions

  • Administering firewalls, network security controls and access management

  • Supporting Microsoft network services including DNS and DHCP

  • Managing telephony and unified communications platforms

  • Proactive monitoring, fault diagnosis, traffic analysis and capacity planning

  • Delivering network projects, upgrades and new technology implementations

  • Working with suppliers and contractors to maintain service quality

  • Supporting incident, problem and change management in line with ITIL best practice

  • Providing technical guidance, mentoring and supervision to network staff

The role may involve occasional out-of-hours support and hands-on work in comms rooms or building environments.

Essential Criteria

Applicants must meet one of the following qualification/experience pathways:

  • Hold a Level 4 qualification (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline plus at least three years' experience in IT networking and telephony support and maintenance
    OR

  • Have at least seven years' relevant experience in IT networking and telephony support and maintenance
    OR

  • Hold an associate-level networking qualification (e.g. Cisco CCNA, HP ATA or equivalent) plus two years' relevant experience in IT networking and telephony support and maintenance

In addition, candidates must demonstrate:

  • Experience of data networking within a multi-site IT service environment

  • Advanced knowledge of Ethernet switching and routing protocols

  • Detailed knowledge of network security equipment and system maintenance

  • Proven experience in fault identification, troubleshooting and resolution

  • Strong knowledge of Cisco and/or HP networking technologies and Microsoft network services

  • Detailed understanding of low-level network protocols and how they support higher-level services

  • Strong experience supporting wireless network infrastructure and associated systems

What's On Offer

  • Competitive salary aligned to experience

  • Generous annual leave entitlement - 24 days plus public/bank holidays

  • Strong employer pension contribution

  • Ongoing training and professional development

  • A stable, long-term role within a collaborative IT environment

Please click apply to share your CV or feel free to get in touch with VANRATH for a confidential chat.