Senior IT Engineer

My client is known for its market leading innovative digital aerial surveys which have been deployed in ten countries. We are expanding across all of our services, combining technical and scientific excellence, and its crucial to the company that we continue to lead in the innovation of new products, based upon credible science, and deliver all of our services in a consistent and efficient manner. We work on a range of projects from our digital aerial surveys, ornithological and marine mammal statistical analysis and research and development projects in fields such as machine learning and artificial intelligence.Our Vision: to provide trusted, high quality environmental data, analysis, and consultancy to support decision-making for the renewables industry and conservation.Our Mission: to be a leading marine environmental consultancy for the global offshore renewables industry.Our Values: our shared values – Innovative, Supportive, and Honest, sit at the heart of our company culture and impact everything we do.Quality lies at the heart of my clients services and following a growth of business the company is looking to recruit a Senior IT Engineer to join our busy IT team. This position within the company offers significant opportunities for the right person who will be enthusiastic, methodical, diligent, and an excellent team player with effective communication skills and a willingness to learn.Location: this role is based at Head Office in Lillyhall, Cumbria – or at any other location as deemed reasonably necessary. Occasional travel outside of the UK may also be required.The Role: * Designing, implementing, and maintaining IT infrastructure, including networks, servers, storage, and enterprise systems, ensuring high availability, performance, and security; * Managing virtualisation environments, particularly VMware vSphere Enterprise, optimising resource allocation and system efficiency; * Implementing and maintaining cybersecurity best practices, including firewalls, endpoint security, and encryption, while ensuring compliance with GDPR, ISO 27001, and internal security policies; * Monitoring and responding to security incidents, vulnerabilities, and threats, taking proactive measures to protect company assets; * Automating IT processes using tools like PowerShell, Ansible, or SCCM to improve efficiency and reduce manual workload; * Developing and maintaining disaster recovery plans and backup strategies, regularly testing recovery procedures to ensure business continuity; * Troubleshooting complex IT issues, including system failures, network outages, and performance bottlenecks, while serving as an escalation point for unresolved problems; * Overseeing configuration management, ensuring systems are consistently documented, monitored, and maintained for stability and security; * Managing software and hardware updates, including patches, firmware, and upgrades, to maintain an optimally performing IT environment; * Collaborating with business units and external vendors to procure, implement, and support IT solutions aligned with business needs; * Maintaining comprehensive IT documentation, including configurations, processes, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and system architectures; and * Contributing to IT strategy and roadmaps, identifying new technologies to improve efficiency, security, and system resilience while escalating critical issues to the Head of ICT when necessary.The successful candidate will need:Qualifications * Minimum HND in IT, Computer Science, or a related field; and * Industry-standard certifications are desirable (e.g., VMware VCP, Microsoft MCSA/MCSE, ITIL).Skills & Knowledge * Strong experience with virtualisation technologies, particularly VMware vSphere Enterprise; * Knowledge of automation tools (e.g., PowerShell, Ansible, SCCM) for IT process automation and configuration management; * Experience with configuration management solutions, ensuring system consistency and reliability; * Solid understanding of Microsoft technologies, including Windows Server, Active Directory, and Office 365; * Strong networking knowledge, including VLANs, QoS, routing, and firewall configurations; * Experience with enterprise backup solutions and disaster recovery best practices; * Knowledge of security principles and compliance standards; and * Ability to troubleshoot complex IT issues and provide clear technical resolutions.Experience * Proven experience in an IT infrastructure support role, ideally within a multi-site environment; * Experience with managing virtualisation platforms in an enterprise setting; * Demonstrated experience in automating IT processes using scripting or automation tools; * Hands-on experience with configuration management to maintain system stability; andExposure to enterprise IT projects, such as cloud migrations, infrastructure upgrades, or security improvements