Apply before
14/09/2026, 23:55
Reference number
1152
Salary
£47,049 - £56,996
London weighting allowance (Per Annum)
£4,379
RRA - Recruitment and Retention Allowance (Per Annum)
£ 3,000
Role grade
G4
Contract type
Permanent, Fixed Term Appointment, Loan, Secondment
Length of employment
24 months
Please note that the Length of Employment does not include those hired on Permanent contracts.
Command
Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT)
Business Area
Enterprise Services
Type of role
Information Technology
Working pattern
Full time, Flexible Working
Number of roles available
4
Infrastructure Operations Engineer
Location(s)
Birmingham, Bristol, Leicester, London, Warrington
About the Role
Information about the Command
Digital, Data & Technology (DDaT), supports NCA operational commands with how we exploit data and to ensure the NCA uses the best technology platforms with the right tools and applications to further enable the NCA to protecting the public from serious and organised crime. We are responsible for defining and delivering our data and technology strategy, policy and architecture, and building and sustaining resilient services which are critical to our mission success.
The pace of change within the digital and tech world means we need to be agile and innovative in how we respond to threats while exploiting the opportunities this presents.
Information about the Business Area
Enterprise Services provides and manages the enterprise IT capabilities that support the NCA and its partners in delivering operational outcomes across the Serious and Organised Crime (SOC) system. Operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year round, the team ensures services are reliable, resilient, and available when they are needed most.
Working in partnership with suppliers, Enterprise Services maintains a strong focus on delivering cost-effective, high-quality services that meet current organisational needs while supporting ongoing transformation. The team leads the introduction of new services into live operation, ensuring they are implemented smoothly and deliver tangible value across the estate.
Enterprise Services plays a critical role in managing and driving the supply chain, enabling the NCA to remain agile and responsive, while building and sustaining a future-ready technology environment.
Role Summary
The Specialist Operational Services (SOS) team works within the wider DDaT Enterprise Services function and runs and maintains the NCA's most sensitive operationally focused front-line IT services. The team is comprised of IT professionals, law enforcement officers and staff with a technology-focused mindset who are committed to delivering real-world benefits for the UK. Together, we ensure that specialist services are fit for purpose, resilient, available 24/7 and have a direct impact on the NCA's mission of protecting the public from serious and organised crime (SOC).
Through the support, maintenance and continuous improvement of specialist technology services, the SOS function helps enhance intelligence collection, surveillance and digital forensics capabilities that support the Agency's fight against serious and organised crime.
The SOS function brings together Digital Forensics and Targeted Interception services, including capabilities that support international operations. Additional teams and specialist services are also being identified to move into this Engineering function, enabling the Agency to respond proactively to the changing nature of serious and organised crime threats.
The Digital Forensics (DF) Engineering function is responsible for the deployment, configuration, support and maintenance of specialist digital forensics tools, infrastructure, networking and software used within the Investigations department and by overseas partners.
The Targeted Interception (TI) Engineering function is responsible for the deployment, configuration, support and maintenance of specialist technical capabilities, including infrastructure, networking and software used within the Integrated Communications Intelligence (ICI) department, wider policing partners including the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) and Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), and overseas partners. The team supports the delivery and operation of technical capabilities that enable intelligence collection and operational outcomes.
We are currently looking to recruit Infrastructure Operations Engineers at one of our locations in Warrington, London, Birmingham, Leicester or Bristol (team dependent - see below), with the ability to travel between sites. A full, clean UK driving licence is essential.
Please note that Targeted Interception (TI Domestic) Engineering posts are located only at our London and Warrington bases.
Targeted Interception (TI International) Engineering posts can be located at any of the advertised locations; however, these roles will also require regular international travel.
Our Digital Forensics (DF) Engineering roles can be located at any of the advertised locations.
Please note that staff within our TI (Domestic) and DF Engineering functions form part of an on-call rota. Our TI (International) team does not currently operate an on-call rota; however, this may be subject to change.
This role offers the opportunity to work with a wide range of specialist technologies in a highly operational environment, developing technical skills and expertise while contributing to the delivery, support and maintenance of capabilities that directly support the NCA's operational mission.
Role Description
The purpose of this role is to support the delivery and maintenance of critical Intelligence Collection and Digital Forensics capabilities, ensuring they continue to meet the NCA's evolving operational demands.
The role is responsible for delivering 1st and 2nd line support, and supporting 3rd line activities, of technical systems to a professional (ITIL-aligned) standard, adapting to and meeting user requirements.
The role is responsible for delivering 1st and 2nd line support, and supporting 3rd line activities, of technical systems to a professional (ITIL-aligned) standard, adapting to and meeting user requirements. This includes installing new hardware, the installation and configuration of a mixture of operating systems including Microsoft Server 2016-24 and various flavours of Linux, on physical and virtual hardware (primarily Hyper-V and VMware), as well as supporting the use of containerised technologies. The post holder will assist with maintaining and upgrading systems in line with business and technical requirements. An understanding of network protocols would be beneficial.
Security is extremely important for all services maintained by SOS. Systems must therefore be managed and maintained in accordance with security and accreditation requirements. This includes contributing to the maintenance of system high-level and low-level designs, technical documentation and associated support materials.
Working as part of a small team of highly motivated IT professionals, the post holder will contribute to the support, development and maintenance of specialist NCA capabilities and networks. Sharing knowledge and developing technical skills across the team will help ensure the continued delivery of critical operational services.
This role aligns to the Infrastructure Operations Engineer within the Government Digital and Data career framework.
Duties and Responsibilities
BAU Support – Deliver 1st and 2nd line support, and assist with 3rd line support, for supported SOS systems to a professional standard, meeting user requirements and responding to system issues to ensure continued availability of services within defined service levels.
Hardware Provisioning – Support the identification and procurement of hardware solutions that meet business and technical requirements.
Hardware Installation – Install, configure and maintain physical servers, storage systems and associated hardware. Undertake racking, cabling and asset management activities in accordance with industry best practice and organisational processes.
Lifecycle Management – Assist in identifying hardware and software approaching end-of-life or obsolescence and contribute to lifecycle management activities to minimise operational risk.
System Documentation – Create and maintain technical documentation, including support procedures, build guides and contributions to High-Level and Low-Level Design documentation, ensuring information remains accurate and up to date.
Continuous Improvement – Contribute to the identification of service improvements and adoption of new technologies that enhance operational effectiveness and meet business requirements.
Client Image Build – Support the creation, deployment and testing of client device images using Windows Deployment Services or equivalent technologies.
Patching and Upgrades – Deploy, test and validate software updates, security patches and system upgrades using approved tooling and processes.
Configuration Management – Configure and maintain Group Policies and system settings to support the secure and effective operation of server and client environments.
DHCP and DNS Administration – Support the deployment, configuration and troubleshooting of DHCP and DNS services.
Certificate Management – Generate, install, renew and maintain digital certificates in line with organisational processes and security requirements.
Server Maintenance – Support the administration, monitoring, maintenance and upgrading of server infrastructure to ensure system stability and performance.
Supporting the Wider SOS Team – Work collaboratively with colleagues across the wider SOS function, sharing knowledge and providing support where required to ensure effective service delivery.
Project Support – Contribute to project activities through the implementation, testing and deployment of new technologies and services under the guidance of senior engineers and project leads.
Interception or Digital Forensics Principles – Develop and maintain an understanding of Targeted Interception and/or Digital Forensics principles and how supporting technologies are used within operational environments.
Networking – Apply a working knowledge of networking principles and protocols to support fault diagnosis and resolution of infrastructure and connectivity issues.
Storage Management and Configuration – Provision, configure and maintain storage solutions for use within IT systems and services.
Active Directory Administration – Support the administration, maintenance and improvement of Active Directory services in accordance with organisational standards and industry best practice.
Messaging Services – Support, maintain and troubleshoot Microsoft Exchange and related messaging technologies.
Firewall Technologies – Support the configuration, maintenance, patching and troubleshooting of firewall technologies including Fortinet, Cisco, Palo Alto and Dell solutions.
Virtualisation Technologies – Support and maintain virtualisation platforms including Hyper-V and VMware technologies (vSphere, vSAN and Horizon/Omnissa).
Targeted Interception Principles – Gain and maintain a working understanding of Targeted Interception (Lawful Intercept) capabilities and supporting technologies.
Cyber Security – Follow security policies and procedures, identify potential vulnerabilities and contribute to the remediation of cyber security issues to help maintain secure and accredited systems.
Person Specification
Infrastructure Technologies
Working knowledge of server, storage and infrastructure technologies, including the installation, configuration and maintenance of operating systems within physical and virtualised environments.
Problem Solving
Ability to analyse information, identify the root cause of technical issues and apply appropriate solutions to resolve incidents and minimise service disruption.
Communication
Ability to communicate technical and non-technical information clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing, tailoring messages appropriately to different audiences.
Team Working
Works collaboratively with colleagues, stakeholders and customers to achieve shared outcomes, supporting a positive and professional team environment.
Adaptability and Learning
Demonstrates a willingness to learn new technologies, tools and ways of working, adapting effectively to changing business and operational requirements.
Technical Support and Fault Finding
Experience of troubleshooting infrastructure and system issues, identifying resolutions and maintaining accurate records of incidents, fixes and lessons learned.
System Administration
Experience of supporting and maintaining enterprise infrastructure, including servers, operating systems, virtualisation platforms and associated technologies.
Security Awareness
Understanding of IT security principles and the importance of maintaining systems in accordance with organisational security policies, standards and accreditation requirements.
Documentation and Knowledge Management
Ability to create and maintain accurate technical documentation, support procedures and operational records to support ongoing service delivery.
Continuous Improvement
Identifies opportunities to improve services, processes and ways of working, contributing to the ongoing development and reliability of infrastructure services.
On-call working
The post holder may be required to participate in an on call 24/7 Rota. If you do perform on-call duties, you will be entitled to an On-Call allowance, for each session you are on-call, aligned to renumeration policy.
Essential Criteria
You must meet the essential criteria and evidence this within your application to be considered for the role.
Entry Requirements
Experience of installing, configuring and supporting server operating systems within physical and virtual environments.
Experience of maintaining infrastructure hardware and supporting associated upgrades and maintenance activities.
Experience of administering Active Directory, Group Policy and certificate services.
Experience of diagnosing and resolving infrastructure issues across server and virtualised environments.
Experience of supporting and administering enterprise storage solutions.
Qualifications, Membership and Licences
A full, clean, UK Driving License is required
Any applications from candidates not meeting this eligibility criteria will not progress.
Desirable Criteria
Desirable criteria are only used for assessment in the event of a tie break.
Knowledge of Microsoft Server and Linux operating systems.
Understanding of networking principles (e.g. TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, CCNA level).
Experience of virtualisation technologies such as Hyper-V or VMware.
Knowledge of containerisation technologies, including Docker and Kubernetes.
Understanding of SQL databases.
Awareness of Interception of Telecommunications and/or Digital Forensics principles.
Understanding of cyber security best practices.
Experience working within an ITIL-aligned environment.
Salary
Allowances are reviewed annually and may be increased, decreased or removed.
All salary offers will be made in line with Remuneration Policy.
Roles based in London will receive an additional London Weighting (Per Annum) of £4,379
This position attracts a Recruitment and Retention Allowance (RRA) of £3,000 (Per Annum) available as an addition to the advertised salary.
On Call Allowance (Per Annum) £aligned to renumeration policy.
On Call Allowance details
The post holder may by required to be part of an on-call rota.
This may be subject to change and the frequency will be directed by your line manager.
If you do perform on-call duties, where eligible, you will be entitled to an On-Call allowance for each session you are on call.
Working Hours Monday-Friday between 09.00 and 17.00.
On call : Monday - Friday after 17.00. Saturday, Sunday, and Bank Holidays all day
Benefits
All NCA employees are members of the UK Civil Service and eligible for the Civil Service pension scheme, alongside your salary the NCA contributes £13,630. Further information on the benefits of the scheme is available on the Civil Service Pension Website.
New entrants to the NCA receive 26 days annual leave, rising to 31 on completion of 5 years continuous service, plus 8 bank holidays.
If qualifying criteria is met new joiners from UK Police Forces or the UK Intelligence Community (UKIC) will have service with those employers taken into account for continuous service purposes for annual leave entitlement only, this will be up to a maximum of 31 days leave (including 1 privilege day).
Other benefits include:
Flexible working, including flexi-time, compressed hours and job sharing (in line with business requirements)
Family friendly policies, notably above the statutory minimum
Learning and Development opportunities
Interest free loans and advances, including season tickets, childcare and rental deposits
Housing schemes - Key Worker status
Discounts and Savings with a wide variety of services including Cycle to Work, Smart Tech schemes, dental insurance, gym discounts and savings on everyday spending, available through the Reward Gateway | Edenred and Blue Light Card schemes.
Staff support groups/networks
Sports and social activities, including membership to the Civil Service Sports Council (CSSC)
Further information is available on the NCA Website.
Selection Process Details
This vacancy is using the Success Profiles framework and will assess using the following criteria: Behaviours, Experience, Technical Skills
Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
How we will assess you
Your application will be assessed against the following:
Technical - this will be assessed by 250 word examples on:
Knowledge and experience of server installation, configuration and administration within physical and virtual environments.
Experience in supporting, maintaining and fault finding within infrastructure environments that include physical and virtual servers.
Experience - This will be assessed:
CV
Please include your full career history, training, qualifications, key responsibilities, and achievements. Explain any employment gaps in the last two years. Ensure all accreditation dates are accurate.
Details of what is expected within your CV are as follows: Your CV must clearly demonstrate evidence of the following essential requirements:
- Experience of installing, configuring and supporting server operating systems within physical and virtual environments.
- Experience of maintaining infrastructure hardware and supporting associated upgrades and maintenance activities.
- Experience of administering Active Directory, Group Policy and certificate services.
- Experience of diagnosing and resolving infrastructure issues across server and virtualised environments.
- Experience of supporting and administering enterprise storage solutions.
Please include details of your role, responsibilities, level of accountability, technologies used and key outcomes achieved. You should also provide details of any relevant qualifications, certifications and technical training that support your application.
Your CV must be no more than two pages in length and use a minimum font size of 11. Only the first two pages will be considered during assessment.
In the event of a high volume of applications, a longlisting exercise may be undertaken. Candidates must achieve the minimum pass mark at the CV assessment stage to progress to the full sift, where further experience and suitability for the role will be asse
A panel will assess how well your application demonstrates the requirements outlined above.
You will receive an acknowledgement once your application is submitted.
We aim to have sift completed and scores released within 10 working days of the closing date of the advert. For high volume campaigns this timeframe may be extended.
Scores will be provided but further feedback will not be available at this stage.
For guidance on the application process, visit:
NCA Applying and Onboarding
Assessment 1
The format of this assessment will be Interview which will be tested on the criteria listed in the Success Profiles at Assessment section.
Success Profiles at Assessment
Behaviours
Communicating and Influencing
Technical
Knowledge and experience of server installation, configuration and administration within physical and virtual environments.
Experience in supporting, maintaining and fault finding within infrastructure environments that include physical and virtual servers.
Experience in supporting, configuring and maintaining storage systems.
Basic understanding and experience in the configuration of Active Directory, Group Policies and Certificate Management
Assessment Outcome
Outcomes will be communicated via the NCA recruitment portal.
If successful but no role is immediately available, you may be placed on a reserve list for 12 months.
Reserve lists can be used to fill similar role types across the Agency where the assessment criteria is considered a match by the recruitment team and the business area.
In the event of a tie at the assessment stage, available roles will be offered in merit order using the following order:
Lead criteria (behaviours/technical/experience)
If still tied, desirable criteria will be assessed (if advertised)
If still tied, application sift scores will be used
Feedback is provided only to those who attend an assessment.
You will be subject to vetting and pre-employment checks before appointment.
Once the vacancy closes, the advert will no longer be accessible. Please save a copy for your records.
We encourage all candidates to visit the NCA Careers Page for more information.
Eligibility, Pre-Employment Check and Vetting
Please see the NCA T&Cs and Privacy Policy (pdf) for details on how your data is handled.
If you are an internal candidate who has passed interview but is undergoing an internal investigation or have a written warning in place preventing a post move you may not be able to be posted until this investigation is concluded or restriction lifted.
Nationality Requirements
This role is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals or dual nationals, where one component is British
- Nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- Nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- Nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- Nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre- settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- Individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements
You will be required to participate in digital right to work and address checks as part of the recruitment process.
Security and Vetting
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard checks.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is SC Enhanced. All security clearances will be managed by the NCA.
For more information on security vetting please visit: UK Security Vetting guidance for applicants and Demystifying Vetting and see our vetting charter at: The Vetting Charter.
Vetting requirements - SC Enhanced
Prior to commencing the role, you will need to successfully complete SC Enhanced clearance and then achieve DV Enhanced clearance within the first 12 months in post.
The requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years.
The requirement for DV Enhanced clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 7 of the last 10 years.
Failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected.
If the increased clearance cannot be obtained you will be moved to a role appropriate to your clearance level achieved on entry.
For further information on National Security Vetting checks please visit the following page Demystifying Vetting
Individuals will be required to undertake and pass a substance misuse test as part of pre-employment checks.
Occupational Health
Successful candidates will be expected to undertake an occupational health assessment. Depending on the role an in-person medical may be required in either London or Warrington. Unfortunately, travel costs will not be reimbursed.
Things you need to know
Multi Location
Where multiple locations are advertised, appointments will be made in merit order for each location.
Please indicate up to three location preferences clearly. Only your first three preferences will be considered. You may be allocated to any of the locations you select. If you decline an offer for a location you have selected as a preference, a further offer may not be made.
If you choose to reject an offer and no alternative preferred location can be offered, you will not be able to return to the process or be placed on a reserve list.
Only the advertised locations are available; any additional notes added to the application will not be taken into account.
Near Miss
If you meet the criteria for a lower grade, you may be offered that role if not appointable at the advertised grade.
Conversely, if found appointable at a higher grade but no posts are available, you may be offered a lower-grade role.
All offers are made based on merit.
Hybrid Working
The NCA supports hybrid working. The extent of remote working will depend on the role and can be discussed at the offer stage.
Reasonable Adjustments
We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Leader and an inclusive, equal opportunities employer.
We’re committed to creating a workplace where everyone can be their authentic self. If you’re neurodiverse, have a disability, or live with a long-term health condition, we encourage you to let us know about any reasonable adjustments you may need during the recruitment process.
If you experience accessibility issues with the advert or require reasonable adjustments, please contact our Recruitment Team at
[email protected] before the advert closing date.
Please ensure you complete the ‘Equal opportunities’ and 'Reasonable Adjustments' sections in the application form to inform us on what support you may need in the recruitment process.
For more on our Disability Confident commitment, visit Disability Confident Scheme | Civil Service Careers.
Visit NCA Benefits and Support for more details.
Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy
In order to monitor the effectiveness of the National Crime Agency's Diversity & Inclusion strategy, we require certain personal details about you on submission of your application for statistical and monitoring purposes only. Please note that this will be treated in confidence and will not impact your application.
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit on merit through fair and open competition, in line with the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
If you believe your application has not been treated fairly, email:
[email protected] (quoting the vacancy reference).
If unresolved, you may escalate your complaint to the Civil Service Commission.
Working for the NCA
The National Crime Agency is a 24/7 organisation, and working patterns must support business requirements. Some roles may require you to respond at short notice or outside of core hours.
If preferable, alternative contract types may be available. Please review the green bar of this advert to view all available contract types for this role. Where Loan or Secondment options are available, these would be for existing Civil Servants (Loan) and applicants from accredited Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs) or any other employer (Secondment). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.
If you have any specific queries about the role that are not covered by the advert, please contact:
Name : Central Recruitment Team
Email : [email protected]