Senior Specialist Engineer – Automation Cloud Platforms

Job overview

We are seeking a skilled Senior Specialist Engineer to join our Identity Access Management Team. They will be the lead subject matter expert for Automation Cloud Platforms within a varied team of other Identity specialists. The role involves close collaboration with cross-functional teams across UKHSA as well as third-party vendors. Cloud platform automation troubleshooting skills are essential in relation to ensure an optimal user experience.

They will play a vital role in keeping public health data safe by ensuring secure access to sensitive systems. Their work will help guarantee that the right people have the right access at the right time, supporting both UKHSA and colleagues across the organisation.

They will work with on-prem and cloud-based infrastructure and develop an understanding of government security guidance to deliver secure infrastructure services.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Security Check (SC).

For meaningful National Security Vetting checks to be carried out individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 5 years as the role requires SC clearance. UK residency less than the outlined periods may not necessarily bar you from gaining national security vetting and applicants should contact the Resourcing Support contact in the advert for further advice.

Main duties of the job

They will be expected to share skills and knowledge in cloud platform automation across the team and provide the main point of troubleshooting for cloud automation matters.

Main duties also include:

• Architect and configuration of cloud platform automation identity services associated infrastructure and repositories including CI/CD pipelines and Infrastructure-ascode (IaC).
• Managing end-to-end delivery of cloud automation services, driving operational efficiency and ensuring that identity automation services are working, documented and reliable.
• Driving automation adoption and initiatives to reduce manual effort and improve system reliability across Identity services.
• Be responsible for ensuring appropriate system and service monitoring and auditing for service state and availability
• Ensuring provision of support and service to all customers during scheduled hours.
• Day-to-day identity operations, such as incident resolution and service requests.
• Contributing to the roadmap lifecycle for identity services, working with internal and external stakeholders to improve access management across multiple systems
• Maintaining expertise of technical developments in automation and Identity Management with a view to providing advice to the Senior Identity and Access Management Architect and Identity Team on suitable technical strategies for UKHSA.

The above is not an exhaustive list.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Senior Identity and Access Management Architect provides team oversight, while the Lead Specialist Engineer retains responsibility for the Automation Cloud Platform services.

Automation is the cornerstone of all work undertaken by the team, this role will focus heavily on developing, managing, and maintaining automated processes that underpin key technologies that are supported by the Identity & Access Management Team to include: Identity Lifecyle, AWS Identity Services, Windows PowerShell, Active Directory, Azure Active Directory\Entra ID, DNS, Group Policy, DHCP, Microsoft Certification Authority PKI, MSSQL, Microsoft Defender.

The above is only an outline of the tasks, responsibilities and outcomes required of the role. You will carry out any other duties as may reasonably be required by your line manager.

The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the organisation.

Essential Criteria

• Formal technical qualification or equivalent professional technical qualification e.g. BEng, BSc, MCP, MCSA\E
• Strong in the use of Github\Azure DevOps with associated pipelines and IaCs
• Substantive experience leading a technical specialism, supporting Identity Management Services
• Deep understanding of networking, security, and identity management in cloud and on-prem infrastructure
• Experience/knowledge of AWS and Azure Services (IaaS,PaaS,Serverless)
• Clear communicator with excellent writing, report writing and presentation skills; capable of constructing and delivering clear ideas and concepts concisely and accurately for diverse audiences
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and organisational skills, including the ability to assess complex information, anticipate and resolve issues, respond to unexpected demands, work independently, and manage competing priorities within tight and changing deadlines

Desirable Criteria

• Practical experience of Terraform to manage infrastructure and services
• Experience of containerisation and orchestration (e.g.,Docker, Kubernetes)
• Experience of cloud governance approaches and management (FinOps)
• A good understanding of the health and social care environment including the roles and responsibilities within it

Selection Process Details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles Success Profiles - GOV.UK and will assess Behaviours, Experience and Technical Skills.

Application & Sift

At sift stage you will be assessed against the 7 Essential Criteria in this job advert. You will be required to complete:

• An Application Form - Employer/Activity History section on the application
• A 1000 word Supporting Statement - do not exceed 1000 words as we will not consider any words over this amount

This should outline how you consider your skills, experience and knowledge provides evidence of your suitability for the role with reference to the 7 Essential Criteria in this job advert.

You will receive a joint score for your Application Form & Supporting Statement. The Application Form is the information you would put on your CV – please note you will not be able to upload or email us your CV. Please complete the Application Form in as much detail as possible.

Longlisting

In the event of numerous applications, we may longlist into 3 piles:

• Meets all Essential Criteria
• Meets some Essential Criteria
• Meets no Essential Criteria

Only 'Meets all Essential Criteria' will progress to Shortlisting.

Shortlisting

In the event of many applications, we may conduct an initial sift on the following Essential Criteria:

• Strong in the use of Github\Azure DevOps with associated pipelines and IaCs

Desirable criteria may be used if there is a large number of applications/successful candidates.

If successful at this stage, you will progress to interview. Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Interview

You will be invited to a single remote Teams interview.

Behaviours being tested at interview will be:

• Managing a Quality Service - Lead Behaviour
• Communication and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together

As part of the interview, you will be required to prepare and deliver a 10-minute presentation on: From Click-Ops to Code: Automating the Enterprise Cloud.

Your technical knowledge will also be assessed through a scenario-based interview question, providing an opportunity to demonstrate your expertise in cloud automation and related technologies.

Once this job has closed, the advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Eligibility Criteria

Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service as well as internal applicants.

Salary Information

Civil Service: Grade 7 Inner: £60,494 - £70,566 Outer: £58,340 - £68,574 National: £56,185 - £66,581 Per annum, pro-rata - salary is based on the office location

Please note that this role is currently being reviewed by the Pay Committee and may be subject to Market Pay Supplement (MPS) arrangements, pending the outcome of the approval process.

If you are successful at interview, and are moving from another government department, NHS, or Local Authority, the relevant starting salary principles for level transfers or promotions will apply. Otherwise, roles are offered at the pay scale minimum for the grade, but in exceptional circumstances there may be flexibility if you are able to demonstrate you are already in receipt of an existing, higher salary. Pay increases are through the relevant annual pay award for the role and terms.

Location

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at any one of our core HQs in Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, London Canary Wharf.

We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA's core HQs (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London).

Our core HQ offices are modern and newly refurbished with excellent city centre transport links and benefit from co-location with other government departments such as the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).

Security Clearance Level Requirement

Successful candidates must pass a basic disclosure and barring security check before they can be appointed.

For meaningful National Security Vetting checks to be carried out individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 5 years as the role requires SC clearance. UK residency less than the outlined periods may not necessarily bar you from gaining national security vetting and applicants should contact the Resourcing Support listed in this advert for further advice.