Application Operations Engineer

Pearson; Rotherham; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 39,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading education company located in Rotherham is seeking an Application Operations Engineer to support IT systems in both staging and production environments. The role offers flexible hybrid working options and requires strong SQL scripting, ITIL knowledge, and a good grasp of Microsoft Windows Server. Candidates will contribute to incident resolution, system improvements, and root cause analysis, with various training benefits and an annual target bonus.

Benefits

40+ hours of training annually

25-30 days leave

Private healthcare

Pension

Stock options

Wellbeing programs

Qualifications

• Experience in supporting, configuring, and maintaining systems in a production environment is essential.
• Background in application support, MS SQL Server, and working with on-premise applications is desirable.
• Support from technical consultants/DBAs will be available.

Responsibilities

• Ensure IT systems in staging and production are correctly deployed, configured, and supported.
• Monitor services, recommend improvements, and support incident resolution.
• Analyze problems, diagnose root causes, and contribute to RCA reports.
• Perform data queries and support systems on-premise and in the cloud.

Skills

SQL Scripting

ITIL Incident Management

Microsoft Windows Server

Firewall, Network, Load-Balancing

System Metrics Gathering

Deploying Microsoft .Net Applications

IT Security concepts

Process improvement

Networking protocols

Kanban

Atlassian tools

Microsoft PowerShell

Cloud Technologies

Working under pressure

Job description

Role: Application Operations Engineer (full or part time: at least 60% FTE)

Division: Assessment & Qualifications Delivery

Location: Rotherham, UK

Salary: £35-39k plus on target bonus of 8%

About Pearson

At Pearson, we ‘add life to a lifetime of learning’ to help everyone realize their potential. Founded in 1844, our 20,000+ employees create high-quality, digital-first, accessible, and sustainable resources for lifelong learning.

Diversity and Flexibility

We value an inclusive culture and promote flexible working practices, including hybrid models and occasional travel.

About UK Assessment & Qualifications

We deliver nearly 4 million exam results annually, managing processes from registration to certification, with ongoing digital transformation to migrate from on-premise to cloud-based services.

Job Responsibilities

• Ensure IT systems in staging and production are correctly deployed, configured, and supported.
• Monitor services, recommend improvements, and support incident resolution.
• Analyze problems, diagnose root causes, and contribute to RCA reports.
• Perform data queries and support a mix of bespoke and standard systems hosted on-premise and in the cloud.

Candidate Profile

Experience in supporting, configuring, and maintaining systems in a production environment is essential. A background in application support, MS SQL Server, and working with on-premise applications is desirable. Support from technical consultants/DBAs will be available.

Key Skills & Experience

• SQL Scripting
• ITIL Incident, Problem, Service Request, and Change Management
• Microsoft Windows Server (2008, 2012, 2016)
• Firewall, Network, Load-Balancing
• System Metrics Gathering
• Deploying and Configuring Microsoft .Net Applications
• IT Security and Cybersecurity concepts
• Process improvement and automation
• Networking protocols
• Kanban, ITIL, Service Management fundamentals
• Atlassian tools (Confluence, Jira)
• Microsoft PowerShell
• Cloud Technologies
• Working under pressure and shift work (including on-call duties)

Work Environment

Based at Rotherham office, with hybrid working (3 days in-office, occasional travel). Core hours are Monday to Friday, 10-4 GMT/BST, with flexible options and occasional meetings outside core hours.

Training and Benefits

40+ hours of training annually, including AWS certification. Benefits include 25-30 days leave, bonus, pension, private healthcare, stock options, family leave, wellbeing programs, cycle-to-work, and discounts.

Company Overview

Pearson is recognized as a top innovative education company, committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, with a strategic focus on digital transformation and long-term growth.