OpenShift Technical Lead

Xcede; Sheffield; Hybrid; GBP 111,000 - 166,000; Full time

Job summary

Xcede is seeking an experienced Senior Technical Lead for a large-scale OpenShift migration and platform modernisation programme in a UK enterprise environment. This hybrid Sheffield-based role focuses on delivering complex technical workstreams while guiding cross-functional teams.

You will own a technology domain, drive delivery, and navigate governance discussions with senior engineers and leadership, ensuring alignment with enterprise standards and strategic goals.

Qualifications

• Strong, hands-on VMware vSphere experience within enterprise environments.
• Strong, hands-on Red Hat OpenShift experience.
• Previous experience leading technology migrations or platform modernisation programmes.
• Experience working within large, complex enterprise environments.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to engage with senior engineers, architects and leadership.
• A track record of owning technical outcomes and driving delivery.
• Strong technical judgement and problem-solving skills.
• The ability to work independently and take ownership.

Responsibilities

• Taking ownership of a defined technology domain or migration workstream.
• Providing technical direction and making key technical decisions.
• Driving migration and platform modernisation activities through to delivery.
• Working closely with engineering, architecture, operations and programme teams.
• Identifying and removing technical blockers, risks and dependencies.
• Providing hands-on technical leadership where required.
• Representing your workstream in technical reviews, governance and leadership forums.
• Working with senior stakeholders and communicating technical challenges, progress and recommendations.
• Ensuring solutions align with enterprise standards, governance and strategic objectives.

Skills

VMware vSphere

OpenShift

Migration leadership

Enterprise environments

Stakeholder management

Delivery ownership

Technical judgment

Independent work

Job description

OpenShift Technical Lead

Location: Sheffield / Hybrid

Contract: 3–6 months initially

IR35: Inside IR35

We’re currently looking for an experienced Senior Technical Lead to join a large-scale enterprise migration and platform modernisation programme for a leading global financial services organisation.

This is a senior, hands-on role where you’ll take ownership of a key technology domain or migration workstream, providing technical direction while also driving delivery through to successful outcomes.

You’ll work across engineering, architecture, infrastructure and programme teams, helping to resolve complex technical challenges, manage dependencies and keep the migration programme moving.

As the Senior Technical Lead, you’ll be responsible for:

• Taking ownership of a defined technology domain or migration workstream.
• Providing technical direction and making key technical decisions.
• Driving migration and platform modernisation activities through to delivery.
• Working closely with engineering, architecture, operations and programme teams.
• Identifying and removing technical blockers, risks and dependencies.
• Providing hands-on technical leadership where required.
• Representing your workstream in technical reviews, governance and leadership forums.
• Working with senior stakeholders and communicating technical challenges, progress and recommendations.
• Ensuring solutions align with enterprise standards, governance and strategic objectives.

Key Requirements

We’re particularly interested in candidates with:

• Strong, hands-on VMware vSphere experience within enterprise environments.
• Strong, hands-on Red Hat OpenShift experience.
• Previous experience leading technology migrations or platform modernisation programmes.
• Experience working within large, complex enterprise environments.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to engage with senior engineers, architects and leadership.
• A track record of owning technical outcomes and driving delivery.
• Strong technical judgement and problem-solving skills.
• The ability to work independently and take ownership.

Desirable Experience

Any of the following would be beneficial:

• Kubernetes and cloud-native technologies.
• Platform engineering.
• Enterprise compute / x86 infrastructure.
• Networking and infrastructure architecture.
• Storage platforms and data services.
• Infrastructure architecture across compute, storage and networking.
• Large-scale migration or transformation programmes.
• Operational resilience.
• Financial services or other highly regulated environments.

The Ideal Candidate

You’re likely to come from a background such as Senior Technical Architect, Technical Lead, Principal Consultant or Engineering Lead.

You’ll be someone who can operate comfortably at both a strategic and technical level — able to engage with senior stakeholders while still getting into the detail when required.

Most importantly, this is a delivery-focused role. We’re looking for someone who takes ownership, can navigate ambiguity and complex stakeholder environments, and has a proven track record of getting large-scale technical workstreams delivered.

If you have strong VMware and OpenShift experience and have led enterprise migration or modernisation programmes, I’d be keen to hear from you.