Senior Cloud Technologist

Department of Defence; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A national security agency in Edinburgh is seeking a Senior Cloud Technologist to lead a team of IT professionals. You will manage cloud services and infrastructure, driving innovation and ensuring operational excellence. Ideal candidates will have strong expertise in technical computing and a passion for using automation tools. This role offers an opportunity to work independently and within a collaborative team, contributing to critical Defence science and technology initiatives.

Qualifications

• Strong track record of delivering successful IT solutions.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
• Passion for learning and staying current with emerging technologies.

Responsibilities

• Supervise and provide technical leadership to IT professionals.
• Lead day-to-day delivery of Cloud support services.
• Drive innovation within Cloud services.
• Manage and oversee infrastructure stack deployment.

Skills

Subject matter expertise in technical compute

Experience in complex ICT environments

Skill in automation tools and techniques

Strong communication skills

Organizational skills

Experience with service reporting systems

Scripting/programming skills

Understanding of DevOps lifecycle

Job description

As part of the Digital Research Infrastructure Cloud & Compute team, you will supervise and provide technical leadership to a team of (APS/Contractor) IT professionals. You will work collaboratively to provide secure server management, cloud services, virtualisation services, support, and related technology required to meet researcher needs. Reporting to the Discipline Lead Research Cloud & Compute, you will work under limited direction. You will be responsible for overseeing a team to deliver and grow a highly productive server and cloud capability. Your role will include maintaining technically complex and novel research systems administration, covering server management, VDI, cloud services, and Virtualisation across Defence S&T digital science platforms.

You will work closely with other team leads, particularly within Digital Research Infrastructure and Computational & Data Intensive Sciences directorates. By ensuring alignment in our planning and day-to-day services, you will guarantee that cloud and virtual offerings are fit for purpose, secure, and support DSTG’s strategic initiatives.

The responsibilities of the role include but are not limited to:

• Lead and drive innovation within Cloud services.
• Lead the day-to-day delivery of Cloud support services.
• Develop and foster a high performing team of science technology professionals.

Technical oversight of the Infrastructure Operations team, to execute the following:

• Infrastructure stack deployment and capacity management.
• Infrastructure stack administration and driving automation.
• Infrastructure stack monitoring and reporting.
• Infrastructure stack hardening and security.
• Support and administration of Infrastructure and automation/orchestration platform.
• Ensuring that team responds appropriately to troubleshoot issues and system outages, including repair and recovery from software and hardware failures.
• Establishing and maintaining stakeholder relationships with divisional staff.
• Mentor staff in the development of technical, project, and related organisational/support skills.

About our Team

The Digital Research Infrastructure (DRI) team, as part of the wider Scientific Computing (SC) branch, enables and accelerates Defence science and technology research while protecting assets in DSTG’s digital research environments. SC does this by provisioning and supporting scientific computing infrastructure that is well managed, sustainable and scalable. It continues to invest in innovative centralised digital research infrastructure and services, while divesting commodity distributed ICT infrastructure and services; and developing new Scientific Computing practices and technologies. The DRI directorate provides secure, effective and efficient digital research and eResearch infrastructure and related systems where a sovereign capability is required for Defence’s S&T capabilities.

Our Ideal Candidate

Will possess a strong track-record of delivering successful solutions and collaborating with stakeholders to understand their needs and requirements. They will have demonstrable experience in ensuring the reliability, availability, and performance of IT platforms enabling Research at Scale. They should be able to work independently as well as part of a team and have a passion for learning and staying current with emerging technologies and industry trends.

The Senior Cloud Technologist ideally will have:

• Demonstrated subject matter expertise in the management of technical compute, storage and network services.
• Experience working within complex ICT environments.
• Experience in in the delivery of operational activities using modern automation tools and techniques.
• A demonstrated ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing in a clear, concise and logical manner.
• A demonstrated ability to manage and organise workloads and priorities.
• Experience with service reporting systems to ensure compliance with agreed key performance indicators.
• Strong skills in at least one scripting/programming language.
• An understanding of the DevOps lifecycle and experience with tools spanning the service lifecycle from building through to monitoring and operating.
• The ability to develop and maintain professional working relationships within and external to DSTG.

Application Closing Date: Monday 6 October 2025

Salary match Number of applicants Skills match

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