Senior DevOps Engineer

Reed; Newport; Hybrid; GBP 67,000 - 81,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Defined Benefit Pension 28%

Pluralsight learning access

Microsoft ESI training suite

Hybrid working model

Career progression opportunities

25 days annual leave + 8 holidays + 1)

Job summary

Reed in Newport is seeking a Lead DevOps Engineer to drive platform engineering during a digital transformation. This hybrid role requires onsite presence every Wednesday and the last Tuesday monthly, with a lead engineering focus across the software delivery lifecycle.

You will mentor 3-4 DevOps engineers, shape technical strategy, and manage DevOps practices to improve speed, stability, and product quality. A strong background in CI/CD, IaC, Azure, and programming is essential.

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of DevOps principles and iterative development cultures.
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and tool design/administration (Azure DevOps preferred).
• Proficiency with infrastructure as code and cloud platforms (Azure preferred).
• Hands-on software delivery lifecycle expertise and architectural thinking.

Responsibilities

• Provide hands-on technical leadership, mentoring DevOps engineers.
• Lead knowledge sharing and best practices within the team.
• Act as technical product owner and develop strategies for product lines.
• Manage line duties for 3-4 DevOps engineers and lead project teams.
• Produce DevOps designs with clear justification of decisions.
• Ensure alignment of DevOps practices with department strategy.
• Mentor engineers and support professional development.
• Develop and manage technical DevOps practices across teams.

Skills

DevOps principles

CI/CD processes

Mentoring/Leadership

Communication

Team leadership

Problem solving

Agile / iterative development

Tools

Azure DevOps

Terraform/OpenTofu

Azure

Docker

AKS

Python

C# / .NET

Next.js / Node

Job description

Lead DevOps Engineer

• Annual Salary: up to £74,000 per annum depending on experience
• Location: Newport
• Job Type: Hybrid (onsite every Wednesday and the last Tuesday monthly)

A new exciting opportunity has become available to work for a growing business within the civil service as a Lead DevOps Engineer to join a leading Platform Engineering group during their digital transformation journey. This role is ideal for someone passionate about using their technical skills to enhance team effectiveness and expedite software delivery, ensuring both speed and stability.

Day-to-day of the role:

• Provide hands‑on technical leadership, guiding and mentoring DevOps engineers.
• Lead the sharing of knowledge and good practice within the team.
• Act as a technical product owner when applicable, developing strategies for product lines.
• Manage line duties for 3-4 DevOps engineers and lead project teams.
• Produce and assure DevOps technical designs, providing justifications for technical decisions.
• Provide deep DevOps expertise across the software delivery lifecycle.
• Play a key role in the DevOps Community of Practice, sharing expertise to enhance team capabilities.
• Analyse the impact of technical choices on business processes and ensure alignment with departmental strategies.
• Mentor DevOps Engineers, supporting their professional development and guiding critical decision‑making.
• Develop, implement, and manage technical DevOps practices, ensuring alignment across the department.

Required Skills & Qualifications:

• Strong understanding of DevOps principles with experience in a DevOps or iterative development culture.
• Proven experience with CI/CD processes and tools, including pipeline design and administration (Azure DevOps Pipelines preferred).
• Experience with Infrastructure as Code (OpenTofu or Terraform preferred).
• Experience deploying to and managing resources on cloud platforms (Microsoft Azure preferred).
• Proficiency in Python, .Net Core/C#, NextJs/Node frontend, and scripting in Python/Bash/PowerShell.
• Experience in containerisation technologies and platforms such as Docker and AKS.
• Excellent communication skills with experience in mentoring and knowledge sharing.

Benefits:

• Defined Benefit Pension scheme with a 28% employer contribution.
• Unlimited Pluralsight video learning access.
• Access to Microsoft's ESI training suite.
• Hybrid working model with flexible hours.
• Support for substantial career progression.
• 25 days annual leave, increasing annually to 30 days, plus 8 public holidays and 1 privilege day.