Senior DevOps Engineer

Certara; Sheffield; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading pharmaceutical services company is seeking a Senior DevOps Engineer to design and optimize CI/CD pipelines while managing cloud infrastructure on Microsoft Azure. The role involves providing technical leadership and mentoring junior engineers, ensuring best practices and compliance in automation processes. Ideal candidates have proven experience in DevOps, strong scripting skills, and excellence in communication and collaboration.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in designing and managing complex CI/CD pipelines.
• Extensive hands-on experience with cloud computing on Microsoft Azure.
• Strong scripting and automation skills.

Responsibilities

• Architect, implement, and maintain CI/CD pipelines.
• Lead cloud infrastructure management on Microsoft Azure.
• Develop and enforce best practices in infrastructure as code.

Skills

CI/CD pipeline design

Microsoft Azure

Scripting (Azure CLI, Bash, PowerShell, Python)

Containerisation (Docker)

Infrastructure as code (Terraform, Terragrunt, Packer)

Problem-solving

Version control (Git)

Leadership

Communication

Tools

Terraform

Kubernetes

Azure AI Services

Datadog

Grafana

ELK Stack

Job description

Overview

Certara is a growing company that provides a dynamic and exciting place to work. Our purpose is to assist in accelerating the development of meaningful medicines that make an impact on society and the people who need them most. Innovation and creativity are highly valued, and everyone is given the opportunity for training and continuous development. Our portfolio spans the discovery, preclinical, clinical, and post-marketing phases of drug development, working with 1,200 commercial companies, 250 academic institutions, and numerous regulatory agencies.

As a Senior DevOps Engineer at Certara, you will take a leadership role in designing, implementing, and optimizing our CI/CD pipelines, cloud infrastructure, and automation frameworks. You will be instrumental in driving best practices, improving system reliability, and ensuring security compliance. This role requires strategic thinking, hands-on execution, and the ability to mentor junior DevOps engineers while collaborating with cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Architect, implement, and maintain CI/CD pipelines to optimise software build, test, and deployment processes.
• Lead cloud infrastructure management and automation efforts on Microsoft Azure, ensuring scalability, security, and efficiency.
• Develop and enforce best practices in infrastructure as code using tools such as Terraform, Ansible, or CloudFormation.
• Design and implement monitoring, logging, and alerting solutions to proactively identify and resolve performance issues.
• Provide technical leadership in troubleshooting complex infrastructure and deployment issues.
• Collaborate closely with development teams to improve software delivery efficiency and reliability.
• Implement and uphold security best practices across all DevOps processes, ensuring compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements.
• Mentor and support junior DevOps engineers, fostering knowledge sharing and professional growth.
• Stay ahead of industry trends and emerging technologies, advocating for and implementing relevant advancements.

Qualifications

Essential

• Proven experience in designing and managing complex CI/CD pipelines.
• Extensive hands-on experience with cloud computing on Microsoft Azure.
• Strong scripting and automation skills in Azure CLI, Bash, PowerShell, or Python.
• Deep expertise in containerisation technologies (Docker) and orchestration tools (Kubernetes).
• Advanced knowledge of infrastructure as code tools such as Terraform with Terragrunt and Packer.
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to troubleshoot complex issues efficiently.
• Experience with version control systems such as Git and best practices in branching strategies.
• Strong leadership and mentorship skills, with experience guiding junior engineers.
• Excellent communication and collaboration abilities, working effectively across teams.

Desirable

• Strong understanding of DevOps security best practices, including IAM, compliance, and vulnerability management.
• Experience with Azure AI services, such as Azure Machine Learning or Azure AI Services (Cognitive), to enhance CI/CD automation, optimize DevOps processes, and accelerate developer code and feature delivery.
• Experience with Azure Data technologies, such as Azure Data Factory (ADF), to support data integration and pipeline automation.
• Experience with observability and monitoring tools such as Datadog, Grafana, or the ELK Stack.
• In-depth knowledge of networking, security protocols, and firewall configurations.
• Experience with database management and performance optimisation strategies.
• Familiarity with software development methodologies, including Agile and Waterfall.
• Experience in incident response and disaster recovery planning.

Certara bases all employment-related decision on merit, taking into consideration qualifications, skills, achievement, and performance. We treat all applicants and employees without regard to personal characteristics such as race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, nationality, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental condition, genetic information, military service, or other characteristic protected by law.