Engineering Lead – Network Services

JOB TITLE: Engineering Lead – Network Services

SALARY: From £125,000 depending on experience and location    

LOCATION(S): London / Leeds / Manchester with travel required, as the Network Labs are spread across multiple hub locations 

HOURS: Full time  

WORKING PATTERN: Our work style is hybrid, which involves spending at least two days per week, or 40% of our time, at our locations noted above. 

WE WELCOME INTERNATIONAL APPLICATIONS: We are proud to be an inclusive employer and welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds. Visa sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route may be available for the successful candidate, subject to the role and the candidate meeting the relevant Home Office criteria. We are pleased to offer relocation support to international applicants who are successful in securing the role.  

About this Opportunity  

The Lloyds Banking Group Network is one of the largest networks in the UK, covering data centres, cloud services, offices, and branches across the UK, Europe, and India. Network Services Labs consists of about 250 colleagues (permanent and partner) and manages an expenditure of £100m. The Network Labs are responsible for maintaining and transforming the networking infrastructure, software and ways of working. 
 
Our core technologies are: 
• Software Defined Networking using Cisco ACI and SDWAN  
• WIFI services including DNA centre, DNAC  
• Telephony services including Avaya, HUCS and ring central  
• Loading balancing services using F5  
• Firewall technologies utilising Checkpoint, Fortinet, and Cisco 
• Network Security services including Forescout, NIPS, NDR  
• DNS and IPAM management using Infoblox  
• Utilising GitHub, Harness, Ansible and Terraform to deliver Infrastructure as Code (IaC)  
 
The goal over the next 5 years is to offer a software-defined automated set of network services by utilising Infrastructure as Code (IAC) through open APIs provided by modern engineering tools such as GitHub, Harness, Terraform, and Ansible. This approach will increasingly enable a self-service capability for customers while decommissioning our legacy network services and systems. 

Why Lloyds Banking Group 

We’re on an exciting journey to transform our Group and the way we’re shaping finance for good. We’re focusing on the future, investing in our technologies, workplaces, and colleagues to make our Group a great place for everyone. Including you. 

Key responsibilities 

• As the Engineering Lead, you will collaborate with the CIO and lab leaders to build a value-generating Network product. Much of Network Services delivery involves inbound tasks delivered to support initiatives for other areas, exceptional collaborative abilities are required, with a strong passion for fostering productive teamwork.  

• Define team objectives and rationale, develop implementation strategies, integrate engineering solutions, and implement process changes. 

• Driving teams' engagement in Guilds, forums, and meet-ups where engineering methodologies and practices are discussed and refined. This involvement will enable the sharing of new insights and ideas, which can be integrated into the lab to enhance engineering effectiveness. Additionally, you will be a part of the broader engineering leadership team within Core Infrastructure, supporting your continuous professional development. You will also participate in initiatives beyond the Lab, such as contributing to the implementation of engineering changes like developing engineering learning pathways. 

• Recruit and champion Network engineering talent in various areas to support team growth. 

• It is critical to cultivate a culture of learning and continuous improvement by promoting a “Fail Fast, Learn Faster” mentality within teams. This approach encourages experimentation and testing of innovative engineering methods, acting as a catalyst for change in both engineering practices and team dynamics.  It is important to encourage a systems-thinking approach and prioritise user-friendly design methodologies. The ideal candidate will motivate effective performance while promoting simplicity and fostering confidence and trust. 

What you’ll need 

• Strategic Leadership: Define and lead the end-to-end engineering strategy for the Networks Product domain. 

• Team Leadership at Scale: Inspire, coach and grow high-performing multidisciplinary teams across geographic locations – embedding engineering excellence and modern ways of working.  

• Networking: Demonstrated experience delivering and managing large-scale networking solutions across hybrid architectures, with a deep understanding of how network design impacts product scalability, security and user experience.  

• Technology Transformation: Experience leading large scale technology transformation across hybrid architectures, championing the shift to software defined, API driven, and cloud integrated networking platforms. 

• Budget & Commercial Ownership: Own and manage a £100m+ investment portfolio, ensuring robust financial controls, partner governance and commercial value.   

• Cross Functional Collaboration: Partner with CIO and Lab Leaders to build a value-generating Network product.  

• Operational Excellence: Maintain high levels of network resilience, service availability and risk mitigation while simplifying and automating legacy platforms. 

About working for us 

Our ambition is to be the leading UK business for diversity, equity and inclusion supporting our customers, colleagues and communities and we’re committed to creating an environment in which everyone can thrive, learn and develop. 

We were one of the first major organisations to set goals on diversity in senior roles, create a menopause health package, and a dedicated Working with Cancer Initiative. 

We offer reasonable workplace adjustments for colleagues with disabilities, including flexibility in office attendance, location and working patterns. And, as a Disability Confident Leader, we guarantee interviews for a fair and proportionate number of applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the role with a disability, long-term health or neurodivergent condition through the Disability Confident Scheme. 

We provide reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process to reduce or remove barriers. Just let us know what you need. 

Please reach out to layla.abdulrahman@lloydsbanking.com if you would like to arrange an informal chat.  

We also offer a wide-ranging benefits package, which includes 

• A generous pension contribution of up to 15% 

• An annual performance-related bonus 

• Share schemes including free shares. 

• Benefits you can adapt to your lifestyle, such as discounted shopping. 

• 30 days’ holiday, with bank holidays on top 

• A range of wellbeing initiatives and generous parental leave policies 

Want to do amazing work, that’s interesting and makes a difference to millions of people? Join our journey.