Network Operations Engineer - 12-Month Contract (Inside IR35)- London (Hybrid)

We are seeking an experienced Network Operations Engineer to join a collaborative Network Operations Team supporting a major research client. This is a hands-on, operational role focused on maintaining and securing complex network environments, with a strong emphasis on Firewall technologies.

The successful candidate will be responsible for BAU (Business As Usual) support, Firewall policy management, and ensuring secure, stable network operations across the client's infrastructure., Deliver BAU network support as part of the Network Operations Team, ensuring operational excellence and service continuity. Manage and resolve incidents, service requests, and changes via the ITSM system in line with defined SLAs. Implement and maintain Firewall rules across Fortigate, Check Point, and Palo Alto Firewalls. Perform Firewall software upgrades, configuration backups, and post-upgrade validation. Support and enforce network security policies to ensure compliance with organisational standards. Collaborate with other IT teams to diagnose and resolve connectivity and access issues. Maintain accurate configuration and change documentation for all managed devices. Provide technical input for ongoing network security improvement initiatives.

Strong, hands-on experience managing enterprise Firewall technologies (Fortigate, Check Point, Palo Alto). Solid understanding of network security principles and Firewall rule management. Experience in ITSM-based environments managing incidents and service requests end-to-end. Familiarity with TACACS and Cisco ISE for authentication and access control. Good working knowledge of Routing & Switching (Layer 2/3 fundamentals, VLANs, routing protocols, etc.).