Network Engineer jobs

An IT network engineer is responsible for the IT infrastructure in their organisation, in particular ensuring the integrity of data and voice networks as required. Network engineer jobs vary in terms of seniority. A junior network engineer might be assigned specific duties by a manager and work primarily on routine maintenance and planned upgrades. In contrast, a senior network engineer holds greater responsibility and may be placed in charge of multinational networks that are critical to business continuity.

Network support engineers can provide a responsive service, diagnosing and repairing problems with their organisation's networks as and when they arise. This can be as an internal network engineer on a permanent basis, or as an external network support engineer brought in on a temporary contract.

Typical tasks of a network engineer

Network engineer jobs vary considerably, but in general the role of an IT network engineer involves developing and maintaining computer networks, IP voice systems and related cyber security precautions such as the network firewall. You may work on any kind of network, including local area networks, wide area networks and storage area networks, better known by their respective acronyms LAN, WAN and SAN.

As a junior network engineer you may be given specific tasks to carry out, such as auditing network security provisions and identifying weaknesses, or conducting load balancing to make the best use of the network's server capacity, including the servers' aggregated CPU and RAM.

Senior network engineers may have a broader remit, or may be given an area of focus with an expectation of in-depth expertise. Your role could require you to design new extensions of the corporate network, to recommend new hardware to maintain sufficient capacity, and to respond to network configuration errors, poor performance and suspected security breaches.

Qualifications required for a network engineer job

For most roles, including junior network engineer jobs and network support engineer positions, a bachelor's degree or higher is a significant advantage. Your degree should be in computer science or a computer networks subject, or in a linked academic subject such as maths or physics.

While it is possible to enter the profession based on your experience rather than education, you may be asked to complete additional professional training and accreditation such as the Cisco Networking Academy programme, as a condition of your employment.

Hard/soft skills needed for a network engineer job

Hard skills required for junior and senior network engineers alike include a detailed understanding of IT networks, including how to build them, their administration and maintenance, and what to do if a network stops working. You may need an appreciation of procurement processes if you will be working on the design, build and installation of a new network.

The soft skills required depend on your role. As junior network engineer jobs often require you to work in a team, in which case good communication skills and teamwork will be beneficial. For senior network engineer roles leadership and independence can be more valuable, along with the commitment to put in overtime in an emergency.