Senior DevOps Engineer

The Senior DevOps Engineer plays a crucial role in ensuring the stability, reliability, and efficiency of IT infrastructure, enabling seamless integration and continuous delivery of our software products.

You will be joining FCDO at a time of transformation with the opportunity to shape digital tools to support front line delivery. As we transition our internal systems, land new digital products and expand the scope of some of our existing digital platforms, we a building an expanded product function to design and integrate our products, spot efficiencies in existing processes and continuously improve our digital services to provide the best user experience.

You will be responsible for supporting the development and operation of software using tools, environments, and practices. This role involves underpinning good development processes, managing tools and testing environments, central code control, maintaining development standards, and writing software that automates systems. The Senior DevOps Engineer plays a crucial role in ensuring the stability, reliability, security and efficiency of IT infrastructure, enabling seamless integration and continuous delivery of our software products.

You will be able to shape and influence both digital services within Digital, Technology & Security Directorate (DTaS) and the wider FCDO as we develop our Government Digital and Data Community. You will be part of an integrated delivery environment and ingrained joint working with policy and operations.

Roles and Responsibilities

The successful candidate will be responsible for:

• Delivery and integration of software to form a complete DevOps toolchain, ensuring seamless integration and continuous delivery of software products.
• Defining, analysing, planning, forecasting, measuring, maintaining, and improving all aspects of the availability of services, including managing the capability, functionality, and sustainability of service components.
• Optimising development processes to enhance efficiency and effectiveness, ensuring adherence to modern development standards and best practices.
• Maintaining the security, confidentiality, and integrity of information systems through compliance with relevant legislation and regulations.
• Writing software that automates systems, reducing manual intervention and increasing the efficiency of development and operational processes.
• Working closely with development, operations, and other cross-functional teams to ensure alignment and effective communication throughout the software development lifecycle.
• Identifying, diagnosing, and resolving issues within the IT infrastructure, ensuring minimal disruption to services and continuous improvement of systems.
• Providing guidance and mentorship to junior DevOps engineers, fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement within the team.

There will be no initial line management responsibilities although this may be required in the future.

This role may require occasional travel to UK offices. This is estimated at one visit per month, dependent on business needs.

The FCDO also operates an agile workforce. To facilitate this, you may be required to undertake other duties from time to time as we may reasonably require.

Candidates who secure a role that is considered specialist/technical, may be required to affiliate to the relevant specialist network, if not already a member., You must be a British Citizen at the time of application and, if invited to interview, you will need to bring proof of identity (British Passport/Driving Licence etc.) with you., We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Development Process Optimisation (Working Level)
• Modern Development Standards (Practitioner Level)
• Programming and build (software engineering) (Practitioner Level)
• Service Support (Expert Level)
• Service Design (Practitioner Level), If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

• Hands-on experience building and managing cloud environments, particularly with platforms like Azure, utilising infrastructure as code (IaC).
• Experience in supporting, configuring, management and utilisation of cloud hosted services, for example: Purview, DataBricks, Insights, Analytics.
• Advanced knowledge of programming languages and experience in writing code and script, for example: Powershell, Cloudshell, Terraform, Bicep or YAML.
• Proficiency in managing Continuous Integration and Continuous Development (CI/CD) tools and processes, for example: GitHub or Azure DevOps, and associated automated build and deployment processes.
• Experience in developing and maintaining automation solutions for development, testing, and production environments.
• Experience in designing and maintaining system architecture, including documentation, risk analysis of security and auditing requirements
• Knowledge of maintaining the security, confidentiality, and integrity of information systems through compliance with relevant legislation and regulations., * Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service
• Changing and Improving
• Developing Self and Others, This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills., * Changing and Improving
• Developing Self and Others

Technical Skills:

• Programming and Build (software engineering)(Practioner level)
• Service Support (expert level)
• Service Design (Practitioner Level)

Pulled from the full job description

• Childcare
• Annual leave
• Company pension, £46,000 London based – The starting salary for this role at SEO is £46,000 (FTE) per annum. This is non-negotiable. A non-consolidated, non-pensionable Location Allowance of £5,000 (FTE) per annum will apply.

East Kilbride based – The starting salary for this role at SEO is £46,000 (FTE) per annum. This is non-negotiable.

Milton Keynes based – The starting salary for this role at SEO is £46,000 (FTE) per annum. This is non-negotiable. A non-consolidated, non-pensionable Location Allowance of £1,750 (FTE) per annum will apply.

A specialist allowance of up to £1,000 per annum (non-contractual, non-consolidated and non-pensionable) may be offered based on the candidate’s demonstrated skills, competence and experience at interview. This allowance will be subject to regular review and may be changed or removed with written notice. The maximum total remuneration for this role will not exceed £52,400 per annum. A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97% GBP, Alongside your salary of £46,000, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office contributes £13,326 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides .

• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
• 25 days Annual Leave per annum.
• 9 days Public and Privilege holidays per annum.
• Learning and Development tailored to your role.

See the attached candidate pack.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office pursues our national interests and projects the UK’s role in the world. We promote the interests of British citizens, safeguard the UK’s security, defend our values, reduce poverty and tackle global challenges with our international partners. We employ more than 17,000 staff in 179 countries and territories, across our diplomatic and development offices worldwide, which consists of 282 officially designated Posts. Our UK-based staff work in King Charles Street, London, Abercrombie House in East Kilbride and in Milton Keynes., Please note that the FCDO carries out name-blind (anonymised) recruitment to help build a more diverse and inclusive workforce. The personal information on your Application form and/or CV will be concealed during the sifting phase, and only the names of those who are being invited for Interviews will be made known to the Panel.

The FCDO has appointed the Government Recruitment Service to manage the process.

If you are successful at the application stage, you will be invited to attend a panel interview at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. This will be held remotely on Microsoft Teams and details will be given to candidates who are successful at the sift stage., Any move to FCDO from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk