Lead DevOps Engineer Ref. 3869

MI5; Greater London; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

30 days after 5 years

Job summary

MI6 is seeking an experienced Lead DevOps Engineer to join the DevOps capability, leading a team to deploy, operate and maintain software across platforms. You will drive automation, CI/CD, and site reliability practices while adopting Kubernetes and containerised environments.

You will mentor engineers, advance AI-assisted engineering, and balance delivery speed with security and resilience. Based in London, this role requires DV clearance and a strong commitment to secure, reliable operations.

Qualifications

• Experience leading DevOps teams and setting platform direction.
• Strong understanding of Kubernetes, containers, and cloud deployments.
• Proven ability to design and optimize CI/CD pipelines with automation and observability.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership across DevOps, deployment, and service operations.
• Lead adoption of Kubernetes and containerised environments with SRE principles.
• Improve CI/CD, automation, and release processes leveraging AI safely.

Skills

DevOps leadership

Kubernetes

CI/CD automation

AI in engineering

Education

University degree or equivalent experience

Tools

Docker

GitOps

Job description

We support full time, part time, compressed, job share and other flexible working patterns. Due to the sensitive nature of our work, this role is fully office-based with no option for remote or home working.

You need to be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality. You should also only apply when you’re in the UK. If you are based overseas, you should wait until you visit the UK.

We're MI6, also known as the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS). Our mission is to protect the security and economic wellbeing of the UK from overseas threats such as regional instability, terrorism, and cyber attacks. Working across the globe and in close partnership with MI5 and GCHQ, we help the Government to counter these threats through the provision of secret intelligence. You’ll provide vital support to this work, within a supportive and encouraging environment that puts the emphasis on teamwork.

MI6 Tech

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.

The role

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.

About you

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 environment.

Finally, you’ll have experience leading a team of engineers, including setting a clear direction and providing guidance to junior engineers.

Training and development

You’ll be joining a community that invests in helping people to grow their skills. You’ll have access to a broad mix of learning opportunities, including in-house and online training, technical deep dives and development pathways shaped around your interests and the needs of the organisation. This includes support to strengthen your capability across modern AI techniques, Cloud technologies and wider analytical or engineering practices.

We’ll support you with the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework. You’ll also have opportunities to work with external professional bodies and training providers offering routes to specialist accreditation, advanced AI training and broader professional recognition. Whether you choose to deepen your expertise in a specific technical area or expand your capability across new domains, you’ll have the guidance and support you need to progress.

You’ll also benefit from mentoring, peer support and a collaborative community that shares knowledge openly. You’ll have opportunities to rotate across different teams, explore emerging technologies and contribute to shaping how MI6 evolves its AI and data science capability. As you develop, you’ll have the space to experiment, expand your expertise and play an active role in strengthening our AI practice across the organisation.

Rewards and benefits

The benefits include:

• 25 days annual leave, automatically rising to 30 days after 5 years' service
• an additional 10.5 days of public and privilege holidays
• opportunities to be recognised through our employee performance scheme
• interest-free season ticket loan (travel and parking)
• pension scheme with employer contributions of at least 28.97%
• cycle to work scheme
• a subsidised gym and an on-site restaurant/coffee shop
• paid parental and adoption leave

Equal opportunities

At MI6 diversity and inclusion are critical to our mission. To protect the UK, we need a truly diverse workforce that reflects the society we serve. This includes those with different backgrounds, ages, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, ways of thinking and those with disabilities or neurodivergence. We therefore welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including those from groups that are under-represented in our workforce such as women, those from an ethnic minority background, people with disabilities and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

We are committed to providing equitable opportunities throughout the recruitment process to support candidates with disabilities. As part of this, we aim to ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants, who best meet the essential minimum criteria for this position, will be offered an interview if it is practical for us to do so. (This is known as the ‘Offer of Interview’.)

To secure a first-stage telephone interview for this role, the minimum criteria (in order of application process) are:

• Reaching the minimum pass mark for the online Situational Judgement Test which assesses your ability to problem-solve.
• Demonstrating technical leadership skills, platform direction, providing coaching and guidance, and supporting teams of engineers to deliver complex solutions. To be assessed at application sift.
• Proficiency in DevOps and collaboration, using cloud platforms, containerisation/orchestration and CI/CD pipelines, and working effectively with cross functional teams to deliver platforms that are fit for purpose. To be assessed at application sift.

There is a wide range of extra support available throughout the recruitment process to enable you to do your best.

Your application may take around 6 to 9 months to process, including vetting, so we advise you to continue with any employment unless you receive a confirmed job offer.

This role requires the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV). Find out more about the vetting process.

Before you apply

Please note we have a strict drugs policy, so once you start your application, you can’t take any recreational drugs and you’ll need to declare any previous drug usage at the relevant stage.

The role is based in London so you’ll need to live within a commutable distance. Please consider any financial implications and practicalities before submitting an application, as we do not offer relocation costs.

We offer reasonable reimbursement of travel costs for candidates attending in person interviews or assessments during the recruitment and vetting process. Full details will be provided with your interview or assessment invitation.

Reimbursement is discretionary and will only be made in line with the Candidate Expenses Policy, as amended from time to time. Candidates must book their own travel, using the most economical option, and provide original hardcopy receipts for reimbursement.