{"id":4223670,"url":"https://alion.io/job/leonardo-principal-network-engineer","title":"Principal Network Engineer","company":{"id":54177,"name":"Leonardo","domain":"leonardo.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/leonardo-com","size_band":"5000+","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Workday","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":76,"open_postings":201,"ghost_share":0.005,"stale_share":0.955,"repost_share":0.01,"time_to_fill_p50_days":28,"computed_at":"2026-11-12T10:38:37Z"}},"role":"Networking","role_family":"Networking","seniority":"lead","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"hybrid","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Bristol, United Kingdom"],"countries":["GB"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":4,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Ansible","optional":false},{"name":"AWS","optional":false},{"name":"Azure","optional":false},{"name":"BGP","optional":false},{"name":"MPLS","optional":false},{"name":"OSPF","optional":false},{"name":"Python","optional":false},{"name":"Terraform","optional":false},{"name":"Active Directory","optional":true},{"name":"DNS","optional":true},{"name":"PKI","optional":true},{"name":"SIEM","optional":true}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-11-12T00:00:00Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-11-12","last_verified_at":"2026-11-13T13:33:21Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":1,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":1},"description":"Job Description:\nYour impact\nAre you ready to take on complex technical challenges and shape secure networks that underpin the UK’s most critical missions? At Leonardo, our Principal Network Engineers are recognised as subject matter experts, providing advanced technical authority and leading the design, integration, and delivery of resilient network solutions.\nYour work at Leonardo UK will see you take the lead in solving customer problems in an agile, innovative and team-centric manner. The role may involve a blended hybrid working model, with a mixture of working from home and working on site at one of our Leonardo offices to ensure close collaboration with the wider team and with our customers.\nWhat you will do as a Principal Network Engineer\nAct as the technical authority across one or more networking domains (LAN/WAN, cloud, security, or SDN). \nLead the design and implementation of secure networks across on-premise, hybrid, and cloud environments. \nCapture and analyse complex requirements, shaping high- and low-level network designs. \nEnsure secure-by-design principles are embedded across all network solutions. \nOwn technical delivery within work packages, including planning, estimation, and reporting. \nProvide guidance, mentoring, and technical leadership to junior and senior network engineers. \nSupport technology assessments, innovation projects, and roadmap development. \nEngage with customers, stakeholders, and vendors to define and defend technical solutions. \nWhat you’ll bring\nExtensive technical expertise across multiple networking domains with proven delivery experience. \nAbility to balance hands-on engineering with technical leadership and solution ownership. \nA problem-solving mindset with the ability to innovate and recommend the best approaches for complex challenges. \nCore areas (must have):\nDeep understanding of networking protocols and technologies (BGP, OSPF, MPLS, VPNs, QoS, IPsec, MCLAG). \nExperience with Cisco (CCNP level) or equivalent multi-vendor technologies (Dell, Palo Alto, Fortinet). \nStrong knowledge of firewalls, IDS/IPS, and network security principles. \nExperience designing and integrating networks within secure environments. \nExperience with cloud networking (AWS, Azure) and hybrid integration. \nFamiliarity with network automation and scripting (Python, Ansible, Terraform). \nDesirable:\nFull CCNP or equivalent certification/experience (4-7 years). \nExperience with software-defined networking (SDN, SD-WAN) and cloud-native networking. \nKnowledge of DevSecOps pipelines and integration with security monitoring tools (SIEM, SOC platforms). \nInvolvement in industry forums, technical publications, or best-practice development. \nExperience with enterprise IT services (Active Directory, DNS, PKI, monitoring). \nThis is not an exhaustive list, and we are keen to hear from you even if you might not have experience in all the above. The most important skill is a good attitude and willingness to learn.\nSecurity Clearance\nThis role is subject to pre-employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply, this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV). For more information and guidance please visit: https://careers.uk.leonardo.com/gb/en/security-and-vetting\nLocation\nThis role can be based at one of our UK sites, Bristol, with hybrid/custom working options where appropriate.\nWhy join us\nAt Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive, company-funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work-life balance. Whether you're looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we’re here to help you thrive.\nTime to Recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year. \nSecure your Future: Benefit from our award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution. \n Your Wellbeing Matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee-led networks championing inclusion and diversity (Enable, Pride, Equalise, Armed Forces, Carers, Wellbeing and Ethnicity). \nRewarding Performance: All employees at management level and below are eligible for our bonus scheme. \nNever Stop Learning: Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning. \nRefer a friend: Receive a financial reward through our referral programme. \nTailored Perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more. \nFlexible working: Flexible hours with hybrid working options. For part time opportunities, please talk to us about what might be possible for this role. \nFor a full list of our company benefits please visit our website.\nLeonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security. Headquartered in Italy, we employ over 53,000 people worldwide including 8,500 across 9 sites in the UK. Our employees are not just part of a team-they are key contributors to shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety.\nLeonardo UK operates a grade-based salary framework with broad bands. The salary range shown reflects the approved grade band for this role, or a narrower hiring range published within that band, and is benchmarked against the external market. Exceptions above the standard range are managed through governance controls to protect internal equity.\nAt Leonardo we are committed to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know. \n\nBe part of something bigger - apply now!\nPrimary Location:\nGB - Bristol - Coldharbour LaneContract Type:\nPermanentHybrid Working:\nHybrid","description_format":"text","description_chars":6134,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":4,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":null,"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Equity","Flexible schedule","Gym membership","Hybrid work"],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United Kingdom","iso":"GB","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["C4ISR","Defense Manufacturing","Aircraft Manufacturing"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-11-13T06:46:19Z"}],"visa":[{"country":"GB","licensed_sponsor":true,"adverts_offering_sponsorship_24m":0,"sanctioned_now":false,"evidence":"Licensed UK visa sponsor (Secondment Worker, Senior or Specialist Worker, Skilled Worker)","filings_12m":null,"filings_prev_12m":null,"green_card_filings_12m":null,"median_offered_wage_usd":null,"route":"Global Business Mobility: Secondment Worker; Global Business Mobility: Senior or Specialist Worker; Skilled Worker","cap_exempt":false,"checked_at":"2026-11-13T08:07:55+00:00","sources":["UK Home Office: register of licensed sponsors (workers)"],"filings_for_role_12m":0}],"liveness":{"score":86,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.86,"p_room":1,"age_days":1,"expected_fill_days":28,"reasons":["conf:0","win:early","comp:brand"],"computed_at":"2026-11-13T13:55:31Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/leonardo-principal-network-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/leonardo-principal-network-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-11-13T13:55:31Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":27905,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-11-14T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.1,"usd":0.01,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":54177},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=54177"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fleonardo-principal-network-engineer"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"free","price":{"credits":0,"usd":0},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fleonardo-principal-network-engineer"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.1,"usd":0.01},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fleonardo-principal-network-engineer"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/leonardo-principal-network-engineer\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fleonardo-principal-network-engineer"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":4223670}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"leonardo.com","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":4223670},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. Docs: https://alion.io/developers"}}