Lead DevOps Engineer (MI6 - Permanent)

British Intelligence Agencies; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Season ticket loan

Pension

On-site facilities

Learning opportunities

Job summary

MI6 is seeking an experienced Lead DevOps Engineer to lead an expanding DevOps capability, overseeing deployment, operation, and maintenance of software across platforms. You will provide technical leadership, champion automation, and drive AI-assisted engineering to improve speed and reliability.

You will guide engineers, promote best DevOps practices, and balance delivery with security, resilience, and service stability while embedding Site Reliability Engineering across teams.

Qualifications

• Requires a relevant degree or equivalent industry experience.
• Experience leading DevOps teams and delivering reliable deployments.
• Strong understanding of CI/CD, automation, and observability.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership across DevOps, deployment and service operations.
• Lead adoption of Kubernetes and containerised environments.
• Improve deployment speed, reliability and productivity with AI-assisted engineering.

Skills

DevOps leadership

CI/CD improvements

Automation

AI in engineering

SRE concepts

Team mentoring

Education

Relevant degree or equivalent experience

Tools

Kubernetes

Containers

CI/CD tooling

Job description

• We are looking for experienced professionals to collaborate on some of the biggest challenges facing the UK
• Operating at the heart of the mission, you’ll use your technical skills to protect the UK, disrupt the activities of hostile states, and exploit opportunities in the digital space
• Almost all of MI6’s operational work is underpinned by technology; from keeping our officers safe overseas, to the secure platforms that connect our global partnerships. The challenges we face are complex, varied, and vast
• You will share our vision and values, and will work on seemingly impossible puzzles, to make the country safer and more prosperous
• This is what we do, every day, at MI6
• As the Lead DevOps Engineer, you will join an expanding DevOps capability responsible for helping engineering teams deploy, operate and maintain software effectively across established platforms. You’ll be responsible for leading a team of engineers, provide technical leadership across this area and have a strong foothold in the automation and AI-assisted engineering space. You will be at the forefront of the journey to improve deployment speed, operational reliability and productivity
• You will provide technical leadership across DevOps, deployment, and service operations, driving improvements in how software is deployed, operated, and maintained on established platforms. You will lead the adoption and effective use of Kubernetes and containerised environments, while embedding Site Reliability Engineering principles across both services and teams
• Your focus will be on enhancing CI/CD pipelines, automation, and release processes, using AI safely to boost deployment efficiency and operational productivity. By identifying and reducing bottlenecks between software development and production, you will improve overall reliability, observability, and operational performance. Furthermore, you will guide fellow engineers and promote effective DevOps practices, ensuring a careful balance between delivery pace and the essential requirements of security, resilience, and service stability

• Flexible working – opportunities to work part-time, compressed hours or as a job share are available, dependent on the role and business needs
• Merit awards – we have a merit award system to recognise exceptional contributions by individuals or team
• Maternity and paternity leave – we offer maternity and paternity leave over and above the statutory entitlements
• Annual leave – our employees are entitled to 25 days annual leave, rising to 30 days after five years’ service. In addition to this, employees are entitled to public and privilege holidays. Part-time employees receive the same entitlement calculated on a pro-rata basis
• Childcare Vouchers – we offer two childcare voucher schemes which provide a simple and cost-effective way for employees to receive help towards the cost of childcare
• Clubs and societies – we offer a range of sports clubs, fitness classes, societies, and language training facilities
• Voluntary service leave – we offer special leave for our employees who wish to undertake voluntary work
• On-site facilities – there is a gym, restaurant, and coffee bar at some locations
• Season ticket loan – we recognise that travel expenses from your home to the office can be significant, so we offer an interest-free season ticket loan which can be used for travel, car park costs or the purchase of a bicycle
• Rented accommodation loan – moving house to take up an offer of employment can be expensive. We offer new joiners the opportunity to take out an interest-free loan of up to £2,500, via our benevolent fund, to assist with the financial burden of relocating into privately rented accommodation. You will be sent an application for the loan at the point of receiving a final offer of employment
• Pension – we understand the importance of saving for retirement and offer a desirable pension scheme, which gives you a guaranteed pension based on career average earnings
• Personal learning – all our staff can undertake professional development to improve their skills and performance in the workplace
• Eye Voucher Scheme – we offer eye care vouchers and a financial contribution towards prescription glasses
• Physiotherapy – we offer subsidised in-house physiotherapy

You’ll be self-motivated, with high standards and a commitment to delivering high-quality results. You'll have experience using AI within engineering processes, reviewing AI output, and guiding AI to produce software and deployments that meet corporate standards. You'll also be skilled at integrating AI capabilities into production systems, including familiarity with emerging standards such as the Model Context Protocol (MCP)You'll have a relevant degree or equivalent experience in industry, and a passion for writing code, improving processes, and communicating with technical and non-technical colleagues alike. You'll be constantly looking to improve yourself and learn new things, and you'll thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environmentFinally, you’ll have experience leading a team of engineers, including setting a clear direction and providing guidance to junior engineers