Junior Network and Automation Engineer
19 hours ago
Exeter
Venn Telecom UK is looking for a curious and motivated Junior Network and Automation Engineer to join our infrastructure team. This is an entry-level role suited to a recent university graduate, or someone with equivalent practical knowledge, who understands the principles of computer networking but has not yet had the opportunity to apply them in a large-scale production environment. We are looking for someone who wants to understand how things work, enjoys experimenting and solving problems, and is excited by the opportunity to learn from experienced engineers. You may already run a home lab, experiment with routers, switches, virtual machines or containers, or build small scripts and tools to solve problems. You will bring that curiosity into the role and develop it into practical engineering skills. Alongside traditional networking, you will learn to use AI-assisted development to create operational tools and automations. Over time, you will help build network dashboards and applications that improve how we operate, monitor and understand our infrastructure. What you will do Working closely with the Senior Infrastructure Engineer and the wider technical team, you will: Help operate, monitor and maintain Venn Telecom UK's network infrastructure. Assist with configuring and troubleshooting routers, switches, firewalls and network services. Develop practical experience with routing protocols, including BGP and OSPF. Support network changes, maintenance activities and infrastructure projects. Investigate network alerts, connectivity problems and performance issues. Learn how to diagnose faults methodically using monitoring data, logs and packet-level information. Create and maintain clear network diagrams, technical documentation and operating procedures. Build small scripts and automations that remove repetitive operational work. Use AI development tools to help research problems, write and review code, create tests and document solutions. Validate AI-generated work carefully, with appropriate attention to accuracy, security and reliability. Work with APIs and network automation technologies to collect information and safely manage infrastructure. Contribute to the development of internal network dashboards and operational applications. Build and test ideas in safe lab environments before they are considered for production use. Take part in technical reviews and learn from incidents, changes and real-world engineering challenges. Continue developing your knowledge through guided learning, independent experimentation and industry certifications. What we are looking for You should have: A good understanding of core networking principles, including IP addressing, subnetting, routing, switching, VLANs, DNS and DHCP. A theoretical understanding of routing protocols such as BGP and OSPF. An interest in internet infrastructure, telecommunications or service-provider networking. A practical, investigative mindset and a genuine desire to understand how systems work. Evidence of learning outside formal coursework, such as a home lab, personal technical projects, online labs or open-source contributions. Some exposure to Linux and command-line tools. An interest in scripting, software development or automation. An interest in using AI as an engineering tool and a willingness to learn how to use it responsibly. The ability to communicate clearly, ask questions and document what you learn. A careful approach to changes and an understanding that production infrastructure requires discipline and attention to detail. A willingness to learn from feedback and take increasing ownership as your skills develop. We do not expect you to have operated BGP, OSPF or enterprise network infrastructure in a commercial environment before joining us. Useful but not essential Any of the following would be helpful, but none is required: A degree or equivalent qualification in networking, computer science, cybersecurity, telecommunications or a related subject. Progress towards, or interest in, certifications such as the CCNA, JNCIA or equivalent. Experience with network simulation or lab tools such as GNS3, EVE-NG, Cisco Packet Tracer or container-based labs. Basic scripting experience using Python, PowerShell, Bash or JavaScript. Familiarity with Git or another version-control system. Experience working with REST APIs, JSON or YAML. Exposure to tools such as Ansible, Terraform or other automation platforms. Familiarity with monitoring and visualisation platforms such as Grafana or Prometheus. Experience running virtual machines, containers or services in a home lab. Personal projects involving dashboards, bots, monitoring tools or infrastructure automation. The kind of person who will thrive in this role You are likely to enjoy this role if you: Take things apart, physically or virtually, to understand how they work. Try ideas in a lab rather than being satisfied with only reading about them. Enjoy finding patterns in technical problems. Are comfortable saying 'I do not know yet' and then working methodically to find the answer. See repetitive tasks as opportunities for automation. Want to combine networking knowledge with software, data and AI. Care about doing things properly, safely and reliably. Share what you learn and help improve the team around you. What you will learn With support and mentoring from the Senior Infrastructure Engineer, you will have the opportunity to develop: Hands-on experience operating production network infrastructure. Practical knowledge of BGP, OSPF and resilient network design. Structured troubleshooting and incident-response skills. Network monitoring, observability and capacity-management techniques. Python, APIs and infrastructure automation. Safe and effective use of AI-assisted engineering tools. Application-development skills for internal operational tools. Experience designing network dashboards that turn operational data into useful insight. The judgement and operational discipline needed to take ownership of production systems. How the role will develop Initially, your focus will be on learning Venn's network, supporting routine operational work, improving documentation and building small, supervised automations. As your knowledge and confidence grow, you will take ownership of more complex troubleshooting and network changes. You will also help develop integrations, dashboards and internal applications that give the team better visibility and control of the network. The long-term aim is to help you become an engineer who can combine strong networking fundamentals with automation, software development and AI-assisted operations. Why join Venn Telecom UK This is an opportunity to begin your career in an environment where you can learn by working on real infrastructure while being supported by experienced engineers. You will be encouraged to experiment, ask questions and build things. You will gain experience across networking, automation, observability and application development, creating a broad foundation for a career in modern network engineering. The Venn UK office is in a modern workspace on Exeter Quay, with great access to transport links and the quay itself. It is a welcoming place to work and is dog-friendly for calm, quiet and friendly dogs. TPBN1_UKTJ