Senior Infrastructure Engineer

Infrastructure Engineers implement, manage and retire the infrastructure (including physical, virtual, networking and cloud infrastructure) that supports digital services.  The Senior Network Engineer (F5 Specialist) is a senior technical specialist within the Data Centre Network (DCN) team, Telecommunications and Network Engineering Branch. The role is responsible for the engineering, lifecycle management, optimisation and operational support of the Agency's enterprise F5 BIG-IP platforms and associated application delivery services. The position provides expert technical leadership across F5 Local Traffic Manager (LTM), DNS/GTM, Access Policy Manager (APM) and related application delivery technologies, ensuring the secure, resilient and highly available operation of critical Agency services. The successful candidate will lead complex troubleshooting, platform upgrades, infrastructure refresh activities, cyber security remediation, performance optimisation and change implementation activities while working closely with application, security, infrastructure and project teams. The role also contributes to strategic platform planning, architecture reviews, operational readiness activities and knowledge transfer to APS staff to ensure the ongoing supportability and sustainability of the Agency's application delivery environment. Key duties and responsibilities Lead the administration, engineering and operational support of enterprise F5 BIG-IP platforms, including LTM, DNS/GTM and APM services. Provide expert technical advice on application delivery, load balancing, traffic management, high availability and service resilience. Design, implement and maintain F5 configurations including virtual servers, pools, monitors, SSL/TLS profiles, traffic policies, iRules, certificates and security controls. Investigate and resolve complex platform, application and network performance issues using advanced diagnostic and troubleshooting techniques. Perform packet analysis, traffic flow validation, root cause investigation and system log analysis across multiple technology layers. Lead F5 software upgrades, firmware maintenance, vulnerability remediation and cyber security uplift activities. Support F5 hardware lifecycle management, including refresh planning, licensing, replacement activities, commissioning, validation and operational handover. Contribute to data centre network design, platform resilience, disaster recovery and business continuity initiatives. Support implementation activities during planned maintenance windows, including testing, rollback planning, validation and stakeholder communication. Collaborate with vendors, managed service providers and internal technical teams to deliver operational and project outcomes. Develop and maintain technical standards, documentation, operational procedures, support models and knowledge repositories. Mentor and transfer knowledge to APS staff through documentation, coaching, troubleshooting sessions and operational handovers. Technical Skills/Extended Advanced UNIX/Linux command-line skills including system diagnostics, network analysis, packet captures and log interpretation. Strong knowledge of TCP/IP networking, routing, switching, VLANs, firewall integration and network security principles. Experience supporting mission-critical platforms with high availability and operational support requirements. Strong understanding of vulnerability management, cyber security remediation and vendor-supported software lifecycle management. Experience with automation and scripting technologies such as Python, Terraform, Ansible or similar. Experience integrating F5 technologies with Cisco data centre network environments. Knowledge/Qualifications Essential Knowledge Expert knowledge of F5 BIG-IP technologies including Local Traffic Manager (LTM), DNS/GTM, Access Policy Manager (APM) and high availability architectures. Strong knowledge of application delivery, load balancing, SSL/TLS, authentication, traffic management and network security principles. Advanced knowledge of UNIX/Linux operating systems, command-line diagnostics, packet capture analysis and log investigation. Strong knowledge of TCP/IP networking, routing, switching, VLANs, firewalls, segmentation and data centre networking. Strong understanding of cyber security principles, vulnerability remediation, secure configuration and vendor-supported lifecycle management. Understanding of disaster recovery, business continuity, change management, testing and rollback methodologies for critical infrastructure platforms. Desirable Qualifications F5 Certified Technology Specialist (F5-CTS) or equivalent F5 certification. F5 Certified BIG-IP Administrator (F5-CA). F5 Certified Solution Expert (F5-CSE) or equivalent advanced certification. Cisco CCNP Enterprise, CCNP Data Centre or equivalent networking certification. Red Hat, Linux or UNIX administration certifications. Cyber security certifications such as Security+, CISSP, CISM or equivalent. Relevant tertiary qualifications in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering or a related discipline. Relevant certifications are desirable; however, equivalent demonstrated experience supporting enterprise-scale F5 environments within large government or complex enterprise organisations will be highly regarded. Criteria The buyer has specified that each candidate must provide a one page pitch to address all criteria specified. This is equal to 5000 characters. Essential criteria 1. Enterprise F5 Expertise - Demonstrated expert-level experience designing, implementing, administering and troubleshooting F5 BIG-IP application delivery platforms in a large government or complex enterprise environment. 2. Advanced Technical Troubleshooting - Demonstrated experience performing advanced diagnostics across F5, application and network layers, including packet captures, traffic flow analysis, SSL/TLS troubleshooting, log analysis and root cause investigation. 3. Platform Lifecycle Management - Demonstrated experience leading F5 platform upgrades, hardware refresh, vulnerability remediation, testing, validation, rollback planning and service transition activities. 4. Data Centre Network Engineering - Strong understanding of enterprise data centre networking, including routing, switching, load balancing, segmentation, firewall integration, resilience and secure network design principles. 5. UNIX/Linux Expertise - Demonstrated high-level UNIX/Linux administration and troubleshooting skills supporting enterprise network and application delivery environments. 6. Communication and Knowledge Transfer - Demonstrated ability to provide technical leadership, produce high-quality documentation, mentor APS staff, engage stakeholders and communicate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences. Desirable criteria 1. Automation and Infrastructure as Code - Experience developing or supporting automation solutions using Python, Terraform, Ansible or similar technologies to improve operational efficiency, configuration management, platform consistency and operational resilience. 2. Government and Large Enterprise Experience - Experience supporting mission-critical application delivery and network services within Australian Government, regulated industries or similarly large and complex enterprise environments, including stakeholder engagement, change governance, operational support and service continuity activities. 3. Advanced UNIX/Linux and Application Troubleshooting - Demonstrated experience using UNIX/Linux command-line tools, packet capture analysis, log investigation and traffic flow analysis to diagnose and resolve complex application delivery, network and security-related issues 4. Cisco Software-Defined Networking and Data Centre Technologies - Experience supporting Cisco data centre networking technologies, including Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI), software-defined networking (SDN), Nexus switching and integration with enterprise application delivery and load balancing platforms within large-scale data centre environments. Opportunity summary Sellers can submit Up to 2 candidates Number of sellers invited More than 10 Number of candidates submitted Fewer than 10 Send us feedback About Accessibility Privacy Terms of use Disclaimer and copyright An initiative of the Digital Transformation Agency The Australian Government acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and acknowledges their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to the people, the cultures and the Elders past and present. © Commonwealth of Australia