Network Discipline Lead

At Sword, we’re on a mission to redefine how organisations experience technology and data services. With over 600 professionals in the UK and a global presence, we’ve evolved from traditional support models into a strategic partner delivering secure, scalable, and sector-specific managed IT services.

Our Managed Services function has grown to become a cornerstone of our digital services offering. We provide customers with reliable, cost-effective services that empower their teams and streamline operations.

We’re now looking for a passionate Network Discipline Lead to join our dynamic team and help us continue this journey of innovation and excellence.

The Network Discipline Lead will be dedicated to a single strategic Oil & Gas customer, acting as the primary technical authority and focal point for all Network and Security services delivered under our managed service.

This role requires a strong blend of technical depth, customer engagement, and operational leadership. You will interface directly with the customer’s technical and operational teams, as well as internal Service Delivery and Customer Experience Managers, ensuring the network and security infrastructure continues to meet the customer’s availability, performance, and compliance requirements.

You will bring deep expertise across Cisco and Palo Alto technologies, an understanding of IT/OT integration, and awareness of industry regulatory standards such as OG86 and IEC 62443.

What the opportunity looks like:

Customer Engagement & Leadership

• Act as the primary technical contact and trusted advisor for the customer’s IT network domains.
• Build strong working relationships with customer stakeholders across operations, security, and compliance.
• Interface with internal SDM and CXM teams to ensure service alignment, escalation management, and continuous improvement.
• Lead and contribute to technical and service governance meetings.

Technical Authority

• Serve as the subject matter expert across the customer’s network and security infrastructure, including Cisco LAN/WAN, Data Centre (Nexus/ACI), Wireless, and Palo Alto Firewalls/Prisma Access.
• Provide design validation, architecture assurance, and input to network strategy and roadmaps.
• Lead technical incident and problem resolution, supporting the NOC and field teams where required.
• Identify and drive service enhancements, automation, and proactive monitoring improvements.

Operational & Compliance Focus

• Ensure services and designs adhere to regulatory standards such as OG86 and IEC 62443.
• Support audits, compliance reviews, and documentation updates.
• Champion secure-by-design and zero-trust principles across IT environments.
• Contribute to the customer’s digital transformation and network modernisation strategy.

Requirements

The skills and experience you’ll bring:

Core Competencies:

• Customer Partnership: Demonstrates a strong service ownership mindset, focused on customer outcomes and satisfaction.
• Leadership & Influence: Leads technical teams with clarity, sets direction, and builds collaboration across disciplines and suppliers.
• Strategic Thinking: Aligns initiatives with the customer’s long-term technology and business strategies.
• Operational Excellence: Applies ITIL principles to ensure consistent, reliable, and measurable service delivery.
• Vendor Management: Skilled in negotiating, managing, and governing multiple vendor relationships to achieve value and accountability.
• Technical Depth: Deep understanding of both IT and OT networking environments, including segmentation, latency sensitivity, and deterministic design principles.
• Problem Solving: Analytical and pragmatic in resolving service issues and driving root cause elimination.
• Communication: Clear and confident communicator with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Continuous Improvement Mindset: Looks for opportunities to enhance efficiency, cost control, and service quality through innovation.

Required Experience & Skills:

• Proven experience leading network operations or service delivery for critical infrastructure or energy sector customers.
• Strong customer-facing and communication skills with the ability to engage confidently at both technical and senior stakeholder levels.
• Deep understanding of IT networking environments, including segmentation, latency sensitivity, and deterministic design principles.
• Expertise across:

• Cisco: SD-WAN (Viptela), Nexus (Leaf/Spine), Catalyst LAN/WLAN, DNA Center, Meraki
• Palo Alto Networks: Next-Gen Firewalls, Panorama, Prisma Access
• Core protocols: BGP, OSPF, VXLAN, IPsec VPN, QoS, NAC (ISE), SNMP/NetFlow

• Working knowledge of regulatory frameworks: OG86, IEC 62443, NIS2 (advantageous).
• Ability to produce and review technical documentation, designs, and service reports.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a focus on continuous improvement and innovation.

Preferred Certifications:

• Cisco CCNP/CCIE (Enterprise, Data Centre, or Security)
• Palo Alto PCNSE or equivalent
• IEC 62443 Certified Professional (advantageous)

Benefits

At Sword, our core values and culture are based on caring about our people, investing in training and career development and building inclusive teams where we are all encouraged to contribute to achieve success.

We offer comprehensive benefits designed to support your professional development and enhance your overall quality of life.  In addition to a Competitive Salary, here's what you can expect as part of our benefits package:

Personalised Career Development: We create a development plan customised to your goals and aspirations, with a range of learning and development opportunities within a culture that encourages growth.

Flexible working: Flexible work arrangements to support your work-life balance.  We can’t promise to always be able to meet every request, however are keen to discuss your individual preferences to make it work where we can.

A Fantastic Benefits Package: This includes generous annual leave allowance, enhanced family friendly benefits, pension scheme, access to private health, well-being, and insurance schemes, an employee assistance programme, discounted cash plan and more…..

At Sword we are dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace and are proud to be an equal opportunities employer, ensuring that all applicants receive fair and equal consideration for employment, regardless of whether they meet every requirement.  If you don’t tick all the boxes but feel you have some of the relevant skills and experience we’re looking for, please do consider applying and highlight your transferable skills and experience.  We embrace diversity in all its forms, valuing individuals regardless of age, disability, gender identity or reassignment, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity status, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. Your perspective and potential are important to us.

If we can do anything to help make the hiring process more accessible, please let our talent acquisition team know when you apply so we can support any adjustments.