Lead Infrastructure Engineer

Derbyshire County Council; East Midlands; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

27 days annual leave + 5 after 5 years

Flexi time

Local government pension scheme

Incremental pay increases

Cycle to work scheme

Professional development

Discounts at leisure centres

Job summary

Derbyshire County Council's Digital Services Team is seeking a Lead Infrastructure Engineer to guide a small cloud team and drive our Azure migration.

You will shape cloud strategy, ensure secure, resilient services, and work with stakeholders to modernise critical systems in a hybrid environment. This is a great chance to influence services for residents across Derbyshire.

Qualifications

• Experience leading cloud migration programmes and managing a small technical team.
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft 365 administration, Entra ID and security controls.
• Proven ability to translate business needs into secure, resilient cloud solutions.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the cloud team, setting roadmaps and standards.
• Manage Azure landing zones, servers, networks and migrations.
• Ensure services meet agreed standards, security and cost targets.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to meet business requirements.
• Drive proactive cloud services and forward planning.
• Support the New Ways of Working programme and modernisation.
• Provide technical leadership across cloud infrastructure.

Skills

Cloud leadership

Azure migration

Azure IaaS/PaaS

Microsoft 365 administration

Identity & Access Management

Security & governance

ITIL/Service management

Stakeholder engagement

Networking & security architecture

Tools

Azure Virtual Machines

Azure Networking

ExpressRoute/SD-WAN

Azure Monitor

Job description

Closing date: 11 October 2026

Exciting things are happening within the Digital Services Team at Derbyshire County Council and we’re looking for a Lead Infrastructure Engineer to manage a small cloud team and help deliver our cloud migration ambitions.

A major review of our organisation and strategies has been completed, and we have invested in new tools to support a comprehensive and innovative Digital Services transformation programme, to support the delivery of key services to the citizens and communities of Derbyshire.

This role will play a pivotal part in delivering the Council's digital transformation programme as a key member of the Digital Services Cloud team. The postholder will provide technical leadership across cloud services and infrastructure, driving the Council's migration from on-premises data centres to Microsoft Azure.

The successful candidate will lead a small team of technical professionals and be responsible for shaping and delivering the Council's cloud strategy, ensuring services are secure, resilient, cost-effective and fit for the future. Working closely with business and technical stakeholders, the role will support the Council's New Ways of Working programme and enable the modernisation of critical services.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced cloud professional who has played a significant role in a large-scale cloud migration programme, has strong leadership skills, and is passionate about delivering meaningful change within a complex organisation. We are looking for someone who brings technical expertise, enthusiasm, innovation and a commitment to making a real difference for the residents and communities we serve.

Key Responsibilities of this role are:

• MS Azure landing zones, servers, networks, external access and migrations.
• Microsoft Azure cloud compute and networking.
• On premise compute and virtual infrastructure.
• Ensure services are delivered to agreed standards and levels.
• Acting as a proactive team leader the Digital Services function, providing professional expertise and knowledge to provide pro-active and agile cloud services.
• Working closely with service stakeholders to identify and develop solutions to meet business requirements
• Championing new ways of working, innovation and flexibility and forward planning

What technical skills and experience can you demonstrate from the following?

• Microsoft 365 & Modern Workplace - Strong experience of Microsoft 365 administration, including Exchange Online, Teams, SharePoint Online, Intune, Copilot, security controls, licensing, governance and service delivery.
• Identity & Access Management (Entra ID) - Deep knowledge of Microsoft Entra ID, Conditional Access, Privileged Identity Management (PIM), MFA, identity governance, hybrid identity and Zero Trust security principles.
• Azure Infrastructure & Cloud Platform Services - Proven experience managing Azure IaaS and PaaS services, virtual machines, storage, monitoring, automation, backup, disaster recovery and cost optimisation.
• Network & Security Architecture - Expertise in Azure networking and enterprise connectivity, including virtual networks, firewalls, VPNs, ExpressRoute, SD-WAN, DNS, DHCP, ZTNA, network segmentation and cloud security controls.
• Cloud Migration & Transformation Delivery - Experience leading cloud migration programmes involving datacentre, server, application and file migrations, adopting cloud-native services and delivering measurable business benefits.

What leadership skills and experience can you demonstrate from the following?

• Technical Leadership & Service Management - Ability to lead and develop technical teams, manage suppliers and contracts, define roadmaps and standards, drive continuous improvement, and operate services in line with ITIL, cyber security and governance requirements.
• High level of communication and presentation skills both oral and written with the ability to advise on complex technical issues to non-technical audiences.
• First-line management or demonstrable readiness to lead a small technical team.
• Ability to organise delivery, clarify ownership and bring people together around a common plan.
• Experience contributing significantly to a cloud migration; prior leadership is desirable.
• Ability to learn quickly and develop both personal and team capability.

What we offer you:

• 27 days of annual leave plus another 5 once you reach 5 years of continuous service
• Flexi time, allowing up to an additional 2 days of leave per month
• Generous local government pension scheme
• Guaranteed incremental annual pay increases
• Cycle to work scheme
• A supportive working environment
• Commitment and investment in your continuing professional development.
• Discounts at selected county leisure centres

Our Digital Services Team is contractually based in Matlock, Derbyshire, but we work on a hybrid basis.

Derbyshire County Council is going through a period of positive development and transformation so it’s a great time to join and drive change.

Derbyshire County Council is an equal opportunities employer, and we welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, experiences, and abilities.

All candidates must be able to provide proof of right to work in the UK.

Provisional Interview Date: 19 October 2026