Analyst, Critical National Infrastructure

National Energy System Operator Limited; Wokingham; Hybrid; GBP 57,000 - 66,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

26 days annual leave

Pension with 12% company match

NESO Savings Plan

Job summary

National Energy System Operator (NESO) is seeking a seasoned IT professional to join a multidisciplinary team delivering new systems into the control room. You will automate deployments, ensure non-production readiness and support transitions to production, while collaborating with internal teams and vendors in a secure, compliant environment.

Key experience includes Red Hat, Kubernetes, Jenkins CI/CD, Ansible and IaC, plus SAFe Agile practices. The role requires NSV clearance and UK residency.

Qualifications

• Experience deploying, automating and maintaining platforms built on Red Hat technologies and container orchestration systems.
• Strong knowledge of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), Kubernetes and Jenkins CI/CD pipeline management.
• Experience with deployment automation using Bash, Python, YAML and Ansible.

Responsibilities

• Own and coordinate resolution of technical issues affecting delivery of new systems.
• Plan and execute product implementations across environments, including production transition.

Skills

RHEL & Kubernetes

Jenkins CI/CD

Bash & Python

Ansible & YAML

SRE fundamentals

DevOps collaboration

ITSM experience

Security & compliance

SCADA systems

Docker

Education

Relevant degree or equivalent

ITIL v3 Foundation

SAFe Agile certification

Tools

Jira

Gitea

Nexus

Azure

Job description

About the Role

This role works as part of a multidisciplinary team to deliver new products, systems and processes into the control room, replacing legacy IT systems. The role contributes across design, development, testing and transition through all non-production environments, before supporting the controlled deployment of live operational systems within Critical National Infrastructure (CNI). This role can be based in Wokingham, with hybrid working options. We are open to full-time, part-time, and flexible working arrangements. This role is designated as requiring a National Security Vetting (NSV) clearance. You will usually need to have been a resident in the UK for the last five years to apply for the required level of clearance.

Key Accountabilities

• Own and coordinate the resolution of technical issues affecting the delivery of new systems.
• Plan and execute product implementations across all required environments, including transition into production.
• Support ongoing development and testing throughout the non-production environments.
• Maintain non-production systems and ensure they remain suitable for development, integration and testing activities.
• Prepare release and build packages for Service Operations to deploy into production.
• Work with internal teams and external vendors to improve service performance and value.
• Collaborate with other IT teams to identify and resolve product and service issues during the project phase and, where required, after handover to business-as-usual support.
• Ensure technical design, security, asset health, operational risk and service readiness are considered throughout delivery.
• Produce clear internal documentation to enable BAU teams to support new systems effectively.
• Applicants must have the right to work in the UK by the start of employment. Visa sponsorship may not be available for this role and will be considered in line with business requirements.

About You

Core Experience Experience deploying, automating and maintaining platforms and software built on Red Hat technologies and container orchestration systems. Strong working knowledge of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), Kubernetes and Jenkins CI/CD pipeline management. Strong deployment automation and scripting capability using Bash, Python, YAML and Ansible. Sound understanding of Site Reliability Engineering (SRE), including monitoring, alerting, observability, reliability and resilience engineering, and the automation of operational tasks. Proven troubleshooting skills across Red Hat, Kubernetes, CI/CD, networking and security layers, with experience operating in secure, compliance-driven environments. Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively across DevOps, Infrastructure, Security and Development teams. Knowledge of the business and its IT services, including how services are delivered through service management practices. Experience working within an IT service management (ITSM) framework. A strong track record of working with internal service providers to deliver effective business services. Experience engaging with third-party suppliers and vendors. Ability to manage competing priorities and organise workload effectively. Demonstrable problem-solving, application support and customer service skills. Broad technical experience across SCADA systems, databases, SQL, Linux operating systems, VMware, Kubernetes and APIs. Experience working in a SAFe Agile environment. Knowledge of DevOps tools including Jenkins, Gitea and Nexus, particularly in relation to CI/CD processes. Technical Skills Operating systems: Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Windows. Containers and orchestration: Kubernetes and Docker. CI/CD and deployment automation: Jenkins, pipeline management, Ansible, Git, Nexus, infrastructure automation and Infrastructure as Code (IaC). Scripting and configuration: Bash, Python and YAML. On-Prem plus Cloud platforms: Microsoft Azure. SRE and observability: Monitoring, alerting, incident response, reliability and resilience engineering, Prometheus, Grafana and Zabbix. Security and compliance: Security Check (SC) clearance and experience in secure, compliance-driven defence and enterprise environments. Agile delivery: Scrum, Kanban, Jira, sprint planning, stakeholder management and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• A degree in a relevant discipline or equivalent relevant professional experience.
• ITIL v3 Foundation certification.
• SAFe Agile certification.

What You’ll Get

A competitive salary of £56,500 - £66,000 dependent on experience and capability

• You will receive a bonus based on company performance
• 26 days annual leave as standard
• A competitive contributory pension scheme where we will double match your contribution to a maximum company contribution of 12%
• Annual Enrollment to NESO Savings Plan, when you save between £20- £500 a month from your take-home pay, we will pay a 50% matching contribution
• NESO's flexible benefits programme provides you with more flexibility around your health, lifestyle and protection benefits, here's just a few available:
  • Flexible Bank Holidays & Holiday Trading
  • Additional Birthday Day Off
  • Cycle to Work Scheme, Retail & Gym Discounts
  • Private Medical Insurance, Critical Illness Insurance & Personal Accident Insurance

About Us

At the National Energy System Operator (NESO), we play a vital role in tackling climate change and securing Great Britain's energy future. We already operate the world's fastest decarbonising electricity system and are working towards our ambition to run it carbon-free for a short period this year - provided the market supplies electricity exclusively from renewable sources. Alongside this, we provide expert advice to government on how to deliver a clean power system by 2030. In autumn 2024, the Electricity System Operator (ESO) transitioned to become NESO - an independent, expert public corporation with a whole-system view across electricity, gas, and hydrogen. NESO operates independently and transparently, always acting in the best interests of all energy users. Licensed and regulated by Ofgem, we make impartial decisions that balance sustainability, affordability and security. Our organisation is fully independent from government, the regulator and all commercial interests, with a clear focus on system-wide benefit, long term thing and public value. The time to deliver is now. Join the energy transformation and help shape the future. Your energy. Our future. Together

More Information

This role closes at 23:59, on the day before date shown above, however we encourage candidates to submit their application as early as possible and not wait until the published closing date as this can vary. Research shows that some people may hesitate to apply unless they meet every single requirement. At NESO, we believe potential comes in many forms and we're committed to a fair, inclusive recruitment. We are committed to building a workforce that represents the communities we serve, and a working environment in which each individual feels valued, respected, fairly treated, and able to reach their full potential. We celebrate the difference people can bring into our organisation, and welcome and encourage applicants with diverse experiences and backgrounds. At the National Energy System Operator (NESO), we play a vital role in tackling climate change and securing Great Britain's energy future. We already operate the world's fastest decarbonising electricity system and are working towards our ambition to run it carbon-free for a short period this year - provided the market supplies electricity exclusively from renewable sources. Alongside this, we provide expert advice to government on how to deliver a clean power system by 2030. In autumn 2024, the Electricity System Operator (ESO) transitioned to become NESO - an independent, expert public corporation with a whole-system view across electricity, gas, and hydrogen. NESO operates independently and transparently, always acting in the best interests of all energy users. Licensed and regulated by Ofgem, we make impartial decisions that balance sustainability, affordability and security. Our organisation fully independent from government, the regulator and all commercial interests, with a clear focus on system-wide benefit, long term thing and public value. The time to deliver is now. Join the energy transformation and help shape the future. Your energy. Our future. Together