Lead DevOps Engineer

National Highways; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A transport solutions provider in the United Kingdom is seeking a Lead DevOps Engineer to enhance their Digital Services team. This hybrid role involves strategic direction on multiple projects, technical leadership, and collaboration across various technology stacks. Ideal candidates will have a degree in software engineering or related certifications, alongside expertise in CI/CD, DevOps practices, and proficient knowledge of programming languages like Python and TypeScript. The commitment to diversity and excellence is at the heart of this position.

Qualifications

• Proficient in CI/CD tooling and modern programming languages.
• Experienced in test-driven development and system architecture.
• Able to troubleshoot across a diverse tech stack.

Responsibilities

• Act as a technical product owner with medium to long-term strategies.
• Provide technical leadership and coaching.
• Review system designs to ensure quality and reduce risk.

Skills

DevOps practices

CI/CD tooling

Python

TypeScript

Troubleshooting across technology stacks

Education

Degree in software engineering, cyber security, or digital forensics

Industry certifications such as AWS, GIAC, or OSCP

Job description

Overview

About the role. As part of the development of our Digital Services function, we are recruiting to strengthen internal digital capability within the Digital Technical Competence team. These roles are central to building sustainable in-house expertise that supports the design, development and delivery of digital solutions across the transport network.

A key focus of this campaign is creating new opportunities. As a result, we are recruiting a Lead DevOps Engineer. This is a pivotal role in shaping and designing technological solutions that support one of the country's most complex and nationally important operational environments and help build our practice. You will lead on one complex or a small number of related projects and contribute towards the development of the strategic direction with software solutions. In addition to this you will provide technical leadership and strategic direction across multiple projects, managing the design, automation, and maintenance of digital services.

This is a hybrid role, requiring two days per week in the office, based at any National Highways office location.

Responsibilities

• Act as a technical product owner, developing medium to long term strategies for product lines, strategies and delivery at a medium level of complexity.
• Provide technical leadership and guidance through coaching and mentoring.
• Lead the sharing of knowledge and good practice again as part of continuous improvement and development of our internal capabilities.
• Integrate systems and solutions as required at medium levels of complexity to deliver solutions and projects.
• Design and architect solutions and systems to a medium level of risk, impact and complexity using DevOps processes and to suitable design standards to deliver continuous improvement to National Highways and speed delivery.
• Review system designs at a medium level of complexity and assure their suitability and quality to reduce risk to National Highways and speed delivery.

About you

• You bring academic and industry-recognised qualifications that demonstrate your expertise and credibility, including a degree in software engineering, cyber security, digital forensics (or a related field), and/or relevant industry certifications such as AWS, GIAC, or OSCP.
• You apply strong DevOps and engineering practices, working with CI/CD tooling, modern programming languages (e.g. Python, TypeScript), and identifying opportunities to improve processes and delivery.
• You are an expert at troubleshooting across diverse technology stacks, including compute, storage, networking, COTS, and open-source platforms.
• You plan and coordinate system and acceptance testing across functional and non-functional requirements, with experience in test-driven development.
• You lead system design and architecture at high levels of risk, impact, and complexity, selecting and applying appropriate design standards, methods, and tools effectively.

About us

Here at National Highways, we manage and improve England's motorways and major A roads, helping our customers have safer, smoother and more reliable journeys. Our priorities are safety, customers and delivery, and at the core of this, are our values of passion, integrity, safety, teamwork and ownership.

The Digital Services Directorate is helping to reshape the way National Highways operates by delivering digital, data, and technology services across all areas, from frontline to back office, in a modern and efficient manner. Our vision is to develop integrated information and technology that empowers our colleagues and provides real-time information to our customers, as well as integrating with intelligent vehicle and transport systems as they evolve, to enhance journey safety and reliability.

External candidates will be offered a starting salary at the lower end of the pay scale, while current employees will be appointed in accordance with our established pay policy.

We are committed to creating a diverse environment and welcome applicants from all backgrounds.