DevOps Engineer

SR2 REC LTD; Portsmouth; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A consulting firm is seeking a skilled DevOps Engineer with strong Kubernetes experience to join their team in Portsmouth. This role involves leading DevOps delivery across secure Defence platforms, building AWS infrastructure using Terraform, and driving CI/CD automation. Applicants must have active SC clearance and a background in leading agile teams. The contract is for 12 months, outside IR35, with a competitive daily rate of £500-£525.

Qualifications

• Strong Kubernetes experience is required.
• Experience building AWS infrastructure using Terraform.
• Proven experience leading in agile teams.
• Secure-by-design delivery aligned to MOD standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead DevOps delivery across containerised Defence platforms.
• Build and enhance AWS infrastructure using Terraform.
• Drive CI/CD automation via GitLab and GitOps workflows.
• Guide junior engineers on best practices.
• Engage confidently with stakeholders to shape technical decisions.

Skills

AWS engineering background

Terraform

Docker

Kubernetes

GitOps (ArgoCD)

CI/CD automation via GitLab

Advanced Linux scripting

Tools

Prometheus

Grafana

Splunk

Job description

Job Description

DevOps Engineer

Outside IR35 | 12 months | Active SC | £500-£525 p / d

SR2 is working with a long-standing delivery partner on the major public sector project, supporting modern DevOps enablement across platform and product teams.

We’re looking for a skilled DevOps Engineer with strong Kubernetes experience to join a specialist platform engineering function. This team acts as an enabler helping application teams adopt DevOps best practices via reusable tooling, scalable platforms, and robust CI / CD.

This is a 12-month contract, Outside IR35, and offers a chance to shape the DevOps culture of a critical Defence programme. Due to the quick turn around for this role, the client requires all applicants to currently have active SC clearance; unfortunately they cannot put you through this if you do not already have it.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead DevOps delivery across secure, containerised Defence platforms.
• Build and enhance AWS infrastructure using Terraform, with MODCloud exposure highly advantageous.
• Drive CI / CD automation via GitLab, GitOps workflows with ArgoCD, and Kubernetes-based architectures (EKS, EKS Anywhere, Rancher).
• Support HQ initiatives including prototypes, R&D, business automation, and technical strategy.
• Guide junior engineers and contribute to best practice, standards, and continuous improvement.
• Engage confidently with stakeholders to shape technical decisions aligned to wider business objectives.

Essential Skills / Experience

• Strong AWS engineering background with Terraform.
• Docker, Kubernetes, EKS, EKS Anywhere, Rancher.
• GitOps (ArgoCD) and CI / CD automation via GitLab.
• VMware, bare-metal deployments, and cross-domain solutions.
• Advanced Linux with strong scripting (Python or PowerShell).
• Secure‑by‑design delivery aligned to MOD standards (e.g., JSP453).
• Proven experience leading delivery within agile teams.

Desirable Skills

• Experience in MODCloud environments.
• Familiarity with observability tooling (Prometheus, Grafana, Splunk).
• Knowledge of containerised data services (Postgres, Redis, Kafka, Keycloak).
• Broader Infrastructure‑as‑Code and automation experience (Ansible, HashiCorp tools).

The Details

• Contract : 12 months
• IR35 : Outside IR35
• Rate : £500 - £525 p / d
• Location : Remote with occasional on‑site presence (fortnightly)
• Clearance : Active SC required