Ansible SME Tech Lead

Vanloq - Workforce Solutions; Remote; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A major financial services company is seeking an Ansible SME / Technical Lead to provide hands-on expertise in automation initiatives. The role involves designing and optimising Ansible playbooks, leading technical strategies, and mentoring teams in a fully remote environment. Ideal candidates will have strong experience with Ansible and cloud automation. This is a 12-month contract with potential for extension, offering an impactful role in a regulated financial services landscape.

Benefits

Long-term contract with extension potential

Fully remote engagement

High-impact role in a regulated environment

Qualifications

• Strong experience with Ansible in enterprise environments.
• Proven AAP 2.6 setup experience.
• Good knowledge of cloud and application automation.

Responsibilities

• Design and optimise Ansible playbooks and roles.
• Provide guidance on automation strategy and practices.
• Mentor engineers on Ansible usage and DevOps principles.

Skills

Ansible expertise

YAML

Python

Shell scripting

Problem-solving

Education

Red Hat certifications (e.g., RHCE, Ansible Automation)

Tools

Ansible Automation Platform

Linux (RHEL, Ubuntu, CentOS)

Puppet

Job description

Job Title : Ansible SME / Technical Lead

Contract Type : 12-month initial contract (Inside IR35)

Location : Remote

Client : Leading Financial Services Organisation

Overview

We are supporting a major financial services client in the search for an Ansible SME / Technical Lead to provide hands‑on expertise and technical leadership across enterprise automation initiatives. This role is ideal for a senior Ansible specialist who enjoys working at both a strategic and delivery level, helping teams design, build, and optimise secure, scalable automation solutions in a regulated environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, maintain, and optimise Ansible playbooks, roles, and modules.
• Act as the Ansible subject‑matter expert, providing guidance on automation strategy, standards, and best practices.
• Lead and support the setup, configuration, and ongoing use of Ansible Automation Platform (AAP) 2.6 .
• Collaborate with engineering, operations, and application teams to automate infrastructure and application workflows.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex automation and platform‑related issues.
• Support integrations with CI / CD pipelines, monitoring platforms, and ITSM tools.
• Ensure automation workflows meet security, compliance, RBAC, and credential management requirements.
• Mentor and train engineers on Ansible usage, automation patterns, and DevOps practices.
• Evaluate new Ansible features, modules, and integrations to drive continuous improvement.
• Document automation solutions and contribute to shared knowledge bases and standards.

Required Skills & Experience

• Strong hands‑on experience with Ansible and Ansible Automation Platform in enterprise environments.
• Proven experience setting up and working with AAP 2.6 , including its core features and architecture.
• Proficiency in YAML , Python , and common scripting languages such as Shell, Perl, or Ruby .
• Solid understanding of infrastructure, cloud, and application automation.
• Experience implementing RBAC, security controls, and compliance within automation workflows.
• Good knowledge of DevOps principles , CI / CD pipelines , and integrations with monitoring tools.
• Experience with automation / orchestration tools such as Ansible and Puppet .
• Hands‑on experience managing Linux‑based systems (RHEL, Ubuntu, CentOS) across production, staging, and development environments.
• Strong problem‑solving, communication, and documentation skills.
• Red Hub certifications (e.g., RHCE, Ansible Automation) highly desirable.

Why Apply?

• Long‑term, 12-month initial contract with extension potential
• Fully remote engagement
• High‑impact role within a large, regulated financial services environment
• Opportunity to act as a technical leader and shape enterprise automation practices

If you are an experienced Ansible specialist looking for a senior, hands‑on contract role with real influence, we’d be keen to speak with you.