Lead Application Operations Engineer

Social Security Scotland; Glasgow; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Social Security Scotland is seeking a Lead Application Operations Engineer to oversee support for business-critical applications. This pivotal role will lead a team to ensure application availability and reliability while managing complex incidents and driving process improvements to enhance service delivery. The successful candidate will embody the ethos of inclusiveness and teamwork, contributing to a positive work culture.

Benefits

DDaT Pay Supplement of £5,000

Flexible working hours

Inclusive working environment

Qualifications

• Demonstrable experience leading teams in managing business-critical applications.
• Proven track record in complex incident investigations.
• Experience with methodologies like ITIL, Prince 2, or Agile.

Responsibilities

• Guide a team in providing second-line support for critical applications.
• Manage service components to meet business needs.
• Lead resolution of high impact, complex incidents.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Incident Management

Process Optimization

Job description

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Social Security Scotland provided pay range

This range is provided by Social Security Scotland. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

Our Applications & Platforms branch, part of the Chief Digital Office, is responsible for delivering, supporting, and managing our business applications and platforms.

As a Lead Application Operations Engineer, you will guide a team of engineers in providing second-line support for a diverse range of business-critical applications and platforms. You will collaborate with various stakeholders, both internal and external, to offer technical expertise and leadership in resolving complex, high-priority incidents. Additionally, you will ensure application availability and reliability by overseeing the team in monitoring, maintenance, and configuration duties. This is a key position within the Applications & Platforms branch, and you will play a pivotal role in enabling and supporting our expanding team and remit.

We are seeking candidates with hands-on technical expertise in application, platform, or infrastructure support roles, and a proven track record of leading and mentoring teams in delivering critical support services.

Social Security Scotland, an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government, is undertaking the largest and most complex IT and digital change programme since devolution. With a lifetime budget of over £300m, Social Security Scotland is delivering a social security system that will support the people of Scotland for decades to come.

We aim to develop within Social Security Scotland, a positive and inclusive culture, which supports our people to flourish, by embedding a working environment where we all treat each other with dignity and respect, and recognise each other’s contributions.

A lead application operations engineer defines the application strategy and the strategy for security administration.

At This Role Level, You Will

• Liaise with leads within IT operations on how applications are performing and changes that need to be put in place.
• Potentially manage and maintain certain aspects of an application (depending on the complexity and size of a project, and the likely impact it will have on the business).
  
  

Responsibilities

• Maintain configuration and accurate information, controlling IT assets in one or more significant areas.
• Manage service components to ensure they meet business needs and performance targets.
• Deal with high impact, complex incidents and change requests.
• Identify process optimisation opportunities with guidance, and contribute to the implementation of proposed solutions.
• Lead the investigation and resolution of complex incidents.
• Take accountability for issues that occur and be proactive in searching for potential problems.
• Achieve excellent user outcomes.
• Initiate and monitor actions to investigate patterns and trends to resolve problems.
• Effectively consult specialists where required.
• Determine the appropriate remedy and assist with its implementation.
• Determine preventative measures.
• Take inputs and establish coherent frameworks that work.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the life cycle or capability elements of ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library).
• Draft and maintain procedures and documentation.
• Set standards for the definition, security and integrity of objects, and ensure conformity to these standards.
• Understand the core technical concepts related to the role, and apply them with guidance.
• Identify process improvements and contribute to the definition of best practice.
• Champion user research to focus on all users.
• Offer recommendations on the best tools and methods to use.
  
  

Success Profiles

We use an assessment framework called ‘Success Profiles’ which lists the elements we test and provides detailed descriptions of each. Find out more about how we assess the Success Profile elements

Essential Experience

• Demonstrable experience leading teams in managing and supporting business-critical applications, with a proven track record of leading multi-disciplinary teams through complex incident investigations and resolution.
• Proven ability to drive continuous service improvement by challenging established practices with evidence-based strategies, including delivering large-scale projects in line with methodologies such as ITIL, Prince 2, or Agile.
  
  

Behaviours

• Leadership (Level 4)
• Communicating and influencing (Level 4)
  
  

You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours, here: Success Profiles - Civil Service Behaviours (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Technical/Professional Skills:

This role is aligned to Application Operations Engineer within the Digital, Data and Technology Profession.

These skills will be tested during the Technical Assessment if you are successful at sift stage. They will be not be assessed at application stage. Please review the following to understand the skill expectations Application operations engineer - Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework

How To Apply

Apply online, you must provide a CV and Supporting Statement (of no more than 750 words) which provides evidence of how you meet the experience and behaviours listed in the Success Profiles above.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the CV and Supporting Statement based on the first Experience criteria.

Candidates who pass the initial sift will have their applications fully assessed.

Candidates who are successful at sift stage will be invited to attend an Interview and Technical Assessment. The interview will further assess the Experience and Behaviours listed in the job advert and the Technical Assessment will evaluate the Technical Skills relevant to the role.

Candidates who pass the sift and are invited to the Interview and Technical Assessment stage will receive a Technical Assessment Candidate Pack, which will outline the skills to be assessed and the assessment methods to be used.

We aim to provide feedback on request. However, if we receive a large number of applications it may not be possible for us to provide specific feedback on your application. We will provide feedback on request to candidates who attend an interview/assessment.

Expected Timeline (subject to change)

Sift – 19th - 27th June 2025

Interviews – w/c 14th July 2025

Location – In Person in either Dundee or Glasgow

Reserve List

In the event that there are more successful candidates than posts available, a reserve list will be kept for up to 12 months.

About Us

Social Security Scotland is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government. Our benefits help people from all walks of life in Scotland. We offer rewarding careers and employ people across Scotland in a wide range of professions and roles. We are committed to recruiting a diverse workforce that is representative of the clients we serve. Find more about us here.

We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits. Find out more about what we offer.

As part of the UK Civil Service, we uphold the Civil Service Nationality Rules.

DDaT Pay Supplement

This post is part of the Scottish Government Digital, Data and Technology (DDAT) profession and as a member of the profession you will join the professional development system. This post currently attracts a £5,000 annual DDAT pay supplement, applicable after a 3 months competency qualifying period. The payment will be backdated to your start date in the role. Pay supplements are reviewed regularly and there is one currently underway. Changes will be communicated when the review is concluded.

Working pattern

Our standard hours are 35 hours per week and we offer a range of flexible working options, depending on the needs of the role. We embrace a hybrid working style where all colleagues will spend time in either our Glasgow or Dundee offices. There is an expectation of a minimum 2 days per week in your assigned location, which will be either Glasgow or Dundee.If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact us.

Equality Statement

Social Security Scotland are committed to equality and inclusion, and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation.

Social Security Scotland are a Disability Confident Employer. We will consider and implement any reasonable adjustments you may require throughout the recruitment process and during the course of your employment, should you be successful in securing a post. If you feel you may require assistance with any part of our recruitment process, please contact us at [e-mail].

Find out more about our commitment to diversity and how we offer and support recruitment adjustments for anyone who needs them.

Further Information

Find out more about our organisation, what we offer staff members and how to apply on our Careers Website.

Read our Candidate Guide for further information on our recruitment and application processes.

The successful candidate will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 3 years unless successful in gaining promotion to a higher Band or Grade.

Social Security Scotland’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the recruitment principles of the Civil Service Commissioner, which outline that selection for appointment be made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition - Recruitment - Civil Service Commission (independent.gov.uk)

If you feel at any time your application has not been treated in accordance with the values in the Civil Service Code and/or if you feel the recruitment has been conducted in such a way that conflicts with the Civil Service Commissioner’s Recruitment Principles, you can make a complaint, by contacting Social Security Scotland at [e-mail] in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commissioner.

If you experience any difficulties accessing our website or completing the online application form, please contact the Resourcing Team via [e-mail]

Apply before 18th June 2025 at 23:55

Contact Name- Resourcing Team

Contact email - [e-mail]

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Engineering and Information Technology

• Industries

  Government Administration

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