IT Specialist - Compute and Storage

Mott MacDonald; Newcastle upon Tyne; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private medical insurance

Pension scheme

Life assurance

Income protection

Annual bonus

Job summary

Mott MacDonald is seeking a Compute & Storage Specialist to drive our Microsoft Cloud-first strategy and ensure seamless integration with third-party cloud platforms across a dynamic organisation.

Reporting to the Compute & Storage Manager, you will guide standards, lead transformative projects, and champion operational excellence while collaborating with infrastructure, applications, security, and service delivery teams.

Qualifications

• Experience advising on compute and storage platforms.
• Experience with cloud cost management and optimization.

Responsibilities

• Develop and refine technical standards for compute and storage platforms, including Azure and Windows Server.
• Support project delivery, including cloud migrations, infrastructure upgrades, automation initiatives, and service enhancements.
• Provide operational 4th line support for both cloud and on-premise infrastructure.
• Act as a technical escalation point for incidents, problems, and changes.
• Support identity management and access control (Active Directory, Entra-ID, RBAC).
• Monitor, analyse, and optimise cost, performance and capacity of compute and storage services.
• Participate in strategic projects like cloud migrations and automation initiatives.
• Maintain technical documentation, including infrastructure diagrams, solution designs, procedures, and knowledge articles.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to align operational activities with business goals.
• Ensure compliance with security policies and audit requirements.
• Mentor and support operations teams.

Skills

Cloud strategy

Technical leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Problem solving

Automation initiatives

Cost optimization

Security

Tools

Azure

Windows Server

Active Directory

Entra-ID

RBAC

Kubernetes

ITIL

Job description

Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management, and development consultancy with over 20,000 employees across more than 50 countries and 140+ offices.

We work across incredible global industries, delivering exciting work that is defining our future and making an important societal impact in the communities we serve. Our people power our performance – we succeed when they do. With countless opportunities to collaborate, learn, and grow, the possibilities for excellence are as varied as every individual.

Whether you want to grow as a subject matter expert or broaden your experience with roles across our international community, you’re surrounded by global specialists who want to combine their expertise and champion you to be your best. As a proudly employee-owned business, we benefit our clients, our communities, and each other, investing in creating the right space for everyone to feel empowered, included, and valued. Whatever your ambition, Mott MacDonald is where people come to be brilliant.

Overview of the role

Are you ready to shape the future of our cloud and infrastructure services? Join us as a Compute & Storage Specialist and become a driving force behind our Microsoft Cloud-first strategy, while ensuring seamless integration with our third-party cloud platforms supporting a dynamic organisation.

Reporting to the Compute & Storage Manager, you’ll be a key member of the Compute and Storage Team, advising on standards, strategy, and delivering service improvements across our compute and storage platforms. You’ll tackle complex problems, lead transformative projects, and champion operational excellence in a dynamic, collaborative environment.

Success in this role requires deep collaboration across infrastructure, service delivery, applications, and security to champion service excellence and drive continuous improvement. You will work closely with cross-functional teams to align operational and project activities with strategic goals and ensure a seamless experience for our internal customers.

This role is a key contributor to our broader business objectives enhancing operational resilience, enabling digital transformation, and optimising service performance. You will be instrumental in shaping a high-performing, customer-focused IT function that supports innovation and growth across the organisation.

We are committed to building a culture of inclusion, wellbeing, and professional development. As a visible leader, you will foster an environment where people feel empowered, supported, and inspired to deliver their best.

Key responsibilities and duties include:

• Contribute to the development and refinement of technical standards and best practices for compute and storage platforms, including Azure and Windows Server
• Contribute to and support project delivery, including cloud migrations, infrastructure upgrades, automation initiatives, and service enhancements, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives and operational requirements
• Provide operational 4th line support for both cloud and on-premise infrastructure, ensuring environments are current, secure, and optimized
• Act as a technical escalation point for complex incidents, problems, and changes, driving resolution and continuous improvement
• Support identity management and access control (Active Directory, Entra-ID, RBAC), ensuring robust authentication and authorization across all platforms
• Monitor, analyze, and optimize cost, performance and capacity of compute and storage services, proactively identifying and addressing issues
• Participate in and contribute to strategic projects, such as cloud migrations, automation initiatives, and service enhancements
• Maintain and update technical documentation, including infrastructure diagrams, solution designs, procedures, and knowledge articles
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (infrastructure, applications, security, service delivery) to align operational activities with business goals
• Ensure compliance with security policies and audit requirements, supporting regular reviews and implementing necessary controls
• Mentor and support operations teams, sharing expertise and fostering a culture of learning and operational excellence

Key performance indicators:

• Stakeholder satisfaction with project outcomes
• Quality of root cause analysis and problem resolution
• Timely delivery of project milestones and technical change initiatives
• Quality and accuracy of technical documentation produced
• Infrastructure availability and mean time between failures
• Service continuity test success
• Proven experience providing advanced technical support and problem resolution for complex compute and storage environments, including Azure, AD, Entra and on-premises Windows Server
• Strong technical leadership with the ability to collaborate across teams, drive alignment, and support service excellence in distributed environments
• Strategic contributor with a track record of influencing operational planning, transformation initiatives, and continuous service improvement
• Skilled in stakeholder engagement and communication, able to advise, negotiate, and manage expectations across all levels of the organization
• Demonstrated capability in risk identification, escalation management, and effective decision-making under pressure
• Commitment to operational maturity and service evolution through data-driven insights, innovation, and process optimization
• Experience operating within complex, matrixed organisations and managing global teams
• Experience with Microsoft cloud cost optimisation
• Cloud performance engineering (capacity planning, performance tuning)
• Knowledge of containerisation platforms (e.g. Kubernetes)
• Familiarity with ITIL frameworks (V3/V4) and industry standards for service excellence

UK Immigration

Mott MacDonald Ltd. are not currently offering sponsorship to candidates under the Skilled Worker visa route in the UK. This decision is as a consequence of the changes made to the Skilled Worker route by the UK Government in April 2024. We continue to welcome applications from candidates who are eligible for alternative immigration routes in the UK, that do not require sponsorship as a Skilled Worker now or in future.

At Mott MacDonald, we believe it makes business sense for you and your manager to choose how you can work most effectively to meet your client, team, and personal commitments. We offer a hybrid working policy that embraces your well-being, flexibility, and trust.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion

We put equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they can contribute.

AI Usage

At Mott MacDonald, we see the value AI can bring, but we take a people-first approach to hiring. While AI tools can help candidates prepare and build confidence, every application and hiring decision is reviewed by our recruitment and hiring teams. We encourage the responsible use of AI while ensuring we get to know the real person behind the application.

Accessibility

We want you to feel supported and able to perform at your best throughout our recruitment process. If there is anything we can do to make applying or interviewing with us more accessible, please contact us at [e-mail] and we'll be happy to discuss how we can help.

We offer some fantastic benefits including:

Financial wellbeing

• We match employee pension contributions between 4.5% and 7%.
• Life assurance equal up to 4 x your basic salary, with an option to increase the level of cover to 6 x your salary.
• Our income protection scheme provides a financial benefit, as well as absence and return to work support due to long-term illness or injury.
• Flexible benefits, including increased life assurance cover, critical illness insurance, payroll saving and will writing.
• As an independently owned business we share the financial success of the business with all our colleagues in various ways including annual bonus schemes.

Employee Ownership

• Our employee ownership model means no external investors, just us, creating a culture of shared success.
• Our employees have a stake and a voice in our business, giving them a direct connection to our success through our personal and group performance bonuses.
• As your career grows, so does your stake, recognising your long-term impact and contribution.
• Your voice matters, with the opportunity to connect directly with senior leadership through formal channels to help shape our future.
• For our senior roles you will have a direct pathway towards ownership from day one.

Health and wellbeing

• Private medical insurance for all UK colleagues.
• Health cash plan to support you with every day health costs and treatments.
• Access to Peppy, providing free support from menopause experts for all UK colleagues.
• A variety of wellbeing support is available through our comprehensive wellbeing program, including access for you and your family.
• Ability to flex your salary to opt into a wide range of health benefits, many of which can be extended to your family too.

Lifestyle

• A minimum of 33-35 days holiday each year, inclusive of public holidays and dependent on level, with the ability to buy or sell leave through our flexible benefits programme.
• 10 days additional paid leave for Armed Forces Reservists and Cadet Force Adult Volunteers.
• Holiday entitlement increased to a minimum of 35 days after 5 years’ service.
• Variety of employee saving schemes and discounts from high-street retailers.

Enhanced family and carers leave

• Enhanced family leave policies, including 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave, and two weeks paid paternity/partner leave.
• Our shared parental leave matches maternity leave meaning we pay up to 24 weeks at full pay.
• Up to five additional days leave are provided for those with significant caring responsibilities, two of which are paid.
• We offer policies and dedicated support to help military families balance service life with career and wellbeing.

Learning and development

• Primary annual professional institution subscription.
• A broad range of opportunities to enhance both technical and soft skills through mentoring, formal training, and self-development options.

Networks, communities, and social outcomes

• Join a wide range of groups including our Advanced Employee Networks which support our LGBTQ+, gender, race and ethnicity, disability, and parents/carers communities.
• We are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and Gold Award holders in the MOD Employer Recognition Scheme, supported by our dedicated internal Armed Forces Network.