Network Development Specialist (Software Design)

Job description

Locations: Birmingham or Ipswich Why this job matters Our internal Networks unit is responsible for designing, building and running the networks and technology platforms that BT, and our customers, rely on. Across our fibre, mobile, WiFi and core networks, BT is a connectivity powerhouse, leading the world in the adoption of converged, automated, programmable network technologies. Bringing together network strategy, transformation, and the modernisation of our mobile and fixed network assets - along with direct partnering with Enterprise, Global and Consumer on leading edge, converged services and experiences – our Networks division designs, builds and runs the technology platforms that BT, and our customers, rely upon every day. In Networks, we play our part, every day, to make this true. We are responsible for the heart of BT, making sure our networks stay reliable, resilient, secure, and ahead of changing demands. Our networks – both fixed and mobile – play an essential role in our 30 million customers’ lives, their businesses, and the economies of the 180 countries we operate in. We’ve built a team of the world’s best communications technology experts. Our engineers have achieved extraordinary things: constantly upgrading and reimagining the network to stay ahead of the game, innovating using the latest network cloud, AI, virtualisation and advanced optical tech to build and maintain our world class global infrastructure. Every year, we file more than 100 new inventions to keep BT, our customers and the UK at the cutting edge. Thanks to our investments, we were able to satisfy peak demand in our core network of 22.7 Tb/s in 2020, a 30% increase over the same period in 2019. In the past year, average download speeds on our broadband network increased by more than 15% despite this huge increase in demand for bandwidth. In the UK, 96 % of people can now receive superfast broadband at more than 30Mbps. On mobile we’ve seen a 36% increase in data usage over the last 12 months, with highest recorded peak on 18th March – a throughput peak of 802Gb/s for Europa League football. Every day, we work to give BT customers the fastest, best connected networks there are, supporting truly world class solutions and services. Put simply, we make the network... work This team is responsible for the technical design and validation of the UK's largest IP/MPLS core network, which carries 40% of UK broadband traffic, 70% of UK mobile traffic, and over 100,000 government and business services. As an infrastructure platform, we must consistently offer the best performance at a competitive cost. Given the industry's evolution, we need to stay at the forefront of new technologies and practices to maintain our competitive edge. This role will lead the development and deployment of detailed strategic network solutions to support the evolution and operation of BT's converged core network, using software engineering to deliver changes faster and more accurately. This ensures the network can support BT's capacity, product development, and customer experience requirements while delivering best-in-class cost efficiency. The platforms that manage and automate this network are increasingly software-defined. Our Element Management System runs on containerised microservices, our vendor is delivering programmable intent-based tooling, and our internal automation estate continues to grow. We need someone who can own the software engineering approach across these platforms - evaluating vendor products from an engineering perspective, setting standards for how the team builds and deploys code, and ensuring our tooling choices are sound, maintainable, and fit for purpose. What you’ll be doing Software Standards & Approach You will own the software engineering approach for the team. Covering our CI/CD approach, tooling choices, coding standards, and development practices. You will set direction for internally developed automation, tooling, and integration solutions. You will evaluate and recommend development frameworks and practices that improve team velocity and code quality. You will champion software engineering professionalism within the team, including code review culture, testing practices, and documentation standards. Vendor Software Evaluation & Challenge You will critically evaluate new software products from our vendor's EMS platform (e.g. Intent-Based Service Fulfilment). This means assessing implementation complexity, tooling requirements, developer experience, and operational supportability. You will hold our vendor to account on software quality. This includes API design, SDK usability, build/deploy tooling, documentation, and testability. You will advise on how vendor capabilities should be adopted, extended, or challenged based on sound engineering principles. You will own the technical conversation with Nokia on software and API matters. You will work closely with vendor technical contacts to ensure their products meet real-world engineering standards. Platform Architecture & Integration You will design solutions for how the EMS platform integrates with BT's wider IT systems and automation estate. You will collaborate with integration teams and system architects to ensure decisions are practical and well-understood. You will advise on containerisation, orchestration, and deployment architecture for platform components. You will identify and address technical debt across the software estate. Security & Compliance You will ensure security considerations are embedded in platform design, from OS hardening to application-level controls. You will ensure we and our vendors are following industry best practice for security including vulnerability management and secure configuration, working with our security experts and challenging implementations as appropriate. You will work with our security experts to ensure platform designs and software delivery meet BT's security standards and compliance requirements. Hands-on Engineering You will define & oversee (or build) proof-of-concept implementations to validate vendor claims and architectural decisions. You will develop test frameworks and evaluation tools for new platform capabilities. You will contribute production code where appropriate, particularly for automation and integration tooling. You will lead by example in applying the engineering standards you set for the team. Mentoring & Leadership You will mentor team members in software engineering practices, design thinking, and technical decision-making. You will support more junior development staff and experienced staff without a software background in developing their software skills. You will work closely with network designers and the wider automation community to identify opportunities for improvement through better tooling and practices. Essential Skills / Experience Software design & engineering leadership - You can design software solutions and make sound architectural decisions (assessing trade-offs, keeping things maintainable, and choosing the right tool for the job), and you set coding standards and development practices for a team, leading their adoption to an appropriate level. You can translate business requirements into sound technical designs. Modern delivery tooling & platforms - You have hands-on experience with CI/CD (continuous integration and deployment) pipelines, version control workflows (Git), and containerisation and orchestration (Kubernetes/Docker), and you have worked with complex, multi-component software platforms (element management systems, operations support systems, or similar). Vendor software evaluation & challenge - You can look at a vendor's software product and form a clear view on whether it's well-built, practical to use, and worth adopting. You have evaluated and integrated third-party software products (including using their APIs), and you are confident challenging vendor approaches with evidence-based technical arguments where quality falls short. Desirable Skills / Experience You understand system security principles and can ensure platform designs meet security standards. You can explain complex software topics clearly to both technical and business audiences. You have built proof-of-concept or prototype solutions to validate technical approaches, including using third party APIs and implementing your own. Experience with Python, Java and/or JavaScript. Experience with infrastructure-as-code or network automation tooling. Strategic thinking about technology adoption and how to grow engineering capability in a team. Knowledge of Network Element Management Platforms (particularly Nokia NSP) Our Package • 10% on target bonus • BT Pension scheme, minimum 5% Employee contribution, BT contribution 10% • From January 2025, equal family leave: receive 18 weeks at full pay, 8 weeks at half pay and 26 weeks at the statutory rate. It’s for all parents, no matter how your family is made up. • Enhanced women’s health support: including help with menopause symptoms, cancer screenings, period care and more. • 25 days annual leave (not including bank holidays), increasing with service • 24/7 private virtual GP appointments for UK colleagues • 2 weeks carer’s leave • World-class training and development opportunities • Option to join BT Shares Saving schemes About us BT Group was the world’s first telco and our heritage in the sector is unrivalled. As home to several of the UK’s most recognised and cherished brands – BT, EE, Openreach and Plusnet, we have always played a critical role in creating the future, and we have reached an inflection point in the transformation of our business. Over the next two years, we will complete the UK’s largest and most successful digital infrastructure project – connecting more than 25 million premises to full fibre broadband. Together with our heavy investment in 5G, we play a central role in revolutionising how people connect with each other. While we are through the most capital-intensive phase of our fibre investment, meaning we can reward our shareholders for their commitment and patience, we are absolutely focused on how we organise ourselves in the best way to serve our customers in the years to come. This includes radical simplification of systems, structures, and processes on a huge scale. Together with our application of AI and technology, we are on a path to creating the UK’s best telco, reimagining the customer experience and relationship with one of this country’s biggest infrastructure companies. Change on the scale we will all experience in the coming years is unprecedented. BT Group is committed to being the driving force behind improving connectivity for millions and there has never been a more exciting time to join a company and leadership team with the skills, experience, creativity, and passion to take this company into a new era. A FEW POINTS TO NOTE: Although these roles are listed as full-time, if you’re a job share partnership, work reduced hours, or any other way of working flexibly, please still get in touch. We will also offer reasonable adjustments for the selection process if required, so please do not hesitate to inform us. DON'T MEET EVERY SINGLE REQUIREMENT? Studies have shown that women and people who are disabled, LGBTQ+, neurodiverse or from ethnic minority backgrounds are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification and criteria. We're committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace where everyone can be their best, so if you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every requirement on the Job Description, please apply anyway - you may just be the right candidate for this or other roles in our wider team.