At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a dynamic team in DevOps, SRE, and engineering disciplines to enhance platform performance.
- Company: Join a forward-thinking company in Manchester focused on innovation and growth.
- Benefits: Enjoy 25 days holiday, hybrid work, and perks like life insurance and team socials.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on technology and culture while driving strategic initiatives.
- Qualifications: Proven leadership in SaaS environments with expertise in Microsoft Azure and cloud technologies.
- Other info: Apply by 7th July 2025 to be part of an evolving team.
The predicted salary is between 72000 - 84000 Β£ per year.
Location: Manchester | Full-time | Hybrid | Β£100,000
Our client is seeking a seasoned and visionary Head of DevOps to play a pivotal role within their engineering leadership team. This individual will be responsible for leading and developing a cross-functional group of specialists spanning DevOps, SRE, DBA, Platform and Network Engineering disciplines. The ideal candidate will be a strategic leader with a track record of building high-performing teams, executing complex technical projects, and aligning infrastructure capabilities with broader business growth objectives. Deep expertise in Microsoft Azure and cloud-native architectures is essential, along with a passion for fostering a culture of ownership, innovation, and continuous improvement. This role is ideal for someone who leads through influence, empowers teams, and is driven to make a meaningful impact on both technology and organizational culture.
Key Responsibilities
- Operational Excellence
- Oversee the reliability, performance, and availability of the client's CCaaS platform through advanced monitoring, alerting, and incident response mechanisms.
- Ensure security, compliance, and infrastructure governance by enforcing best practices in configuration management and risk mitigation across cloud-hosted environments.
- Maintain and enhance FinOps practices to optimise Azure spend without compromising performance or scalability.
- Platform Strategy
- Develop and implement a platform engineering strategy that aligns with the clientβs product roadmap and long-term growth plans.
- Advocate for the adoption of cloud-native technologies, automation, and infrastructure-as-code to enable scalability, resilience, and operational efficiency.
- Define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) that reflect platform health, team productivity, and delivery success.
- Team Leadership
- Lead and mentor a multidisciplinary engineering team, creating a high-performance environment rooted in accountability, continuous learning, and team empowerment.
- Set clear expectations, manage performance, and support professional growth through coaching and regular reviews.
- Foster strong collaboration between platform and product engineering teams.
- Project Delivery
- Drive the successful execution of major platform initiatives such as CI/CD enhancements, infrastructure modernisation, and observability improvements.
- Manage team capacity and prioritisation, balancing immediate delivery needs with long-term strategic planning.
- Contribute to commercial activities by providing work estimates and cost forecasts for sales-related technical initiatives.
- Security & Compliance
- Integrate security best practices across all phases of the software development lifecycle, with an emphasis on secure-by-design and zero-trust principles.
- Work closely with compliance teams to uphold standards such as ISO 9001, ISO 27001, and GDPR.
- Ensure all infrastructure and platform processes support audit, regulatory, and data protection requirements.
- Communication & Stakeholder Management
- Serve as a strategic advisor to internal stakeholders by translating technical challenges and opportunities into business-aligned insights.
- Clearly communicate the platform vision, updates, and risks to both technical and non-technical audiences.
- Maintain productive relationships with cloud providers, tooling vendors, and other external partners.
Experience Required
- Demonstrated success in leading high-performing Platform Engineering, DevOps, or SRE teams within a SaaS environment.
- Extensive experience with Microsoft Azure services such as Azure Functions, AKS, Cosmos DB, Azure DevOps, and Terraform, as well as open-source technologies like PostgreSQL.
- Strong leadership and line management capabilities with proven experience in mentoring and performance development.
- Proven ability to design and manage secure, scalable, and cost-effective cloud platforms.
- Hands-on expertise in CI/CD pipeline development, infrastructure automation, and system observability.
- Strong knowledge of SRE principles and operational excellence methodologies.
- Experience embedding security and compliance into the SDLC (e.g., DevSecOps, Zero Trust frameworks).
- Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills with a business-aligned approach to technical leadership.
Benefits
- 25 days holiday (plus bank holidays), increasing up to 30 days with tenure
- Cycle to work scheme
- Birthday day off
- Pension plan
- Quarterly team socials and mixed team events
- Salary sacrifice matched to pension (NI contribution)
- Employee perks program
- Employee referral bonus
- Life insurance (4x salary, post-probation)
- An evolving range of benefits as the company grows
How to Apply?
Deadline date for submissions: Tuesday 7th of July 2025. Please submit your resume and a reference detailing your experience and qualifications for the Head of DevOps position to; Ben Trapnell β Recruitment Consultant, SR2 Socially Responsible Recruitment Benjamin @ sr2rec.co.uk 07378547786
Contact Detail:
Confidential - UK Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice π€«
We think this is how you could land Head of DevOps
β¨Tip Number 1
Network with professionals in the DevOps field, especially those who have experience with Microsoft Azure. Attend local meetups or online webinars to connect with potential colleagues and learn about industry trends.
β¨Tip Number 2
Showcase your leadership skills by sharing examples of how you've built high-performing teams in previous roles. Be prepared to discuss specific strategies you used to empower your team and drive successful project outcomes.
β¨Tip Number 3
Familiarise yourself with the latest cloud-native technologies and automation tools. Being able to speak knowledgeably about these topics during interviews will demonstrate your commitment to innovation and operational efficiency.
β¨Tip Number 4
Prepare to discuss how you would integrate security best practices into the software development lifecycle. Highlight any relevant experience you have with DevSecOps or zero-trust frameworks to show your understanding of compliance and risk management.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of DevOps
Some tips for your application π«‘
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights your experience in leading DevOps teams and your expertise with Microsoft Azure. Use specific examples that demonstrate your ability to manage complex projects and drive operational excellence.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: In your cover letter, express your passion for fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement. Mention how your leadership style aligns with the company's values and how you can contribute to their growth objectives.
Highlight Relevant Achievements: When detailing your experience, focus on achievements that showcase your ability to build high-performing teams and implement successful platform strategies. Use metrics where possible to quantify your impact.
Prepare for Technical Questions: Be ready to discuss your hands-on experience with CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure automation, and security best practices. Prepare examples that illustrate your problem-solving skills and technical knowledge relevant to the role.
How to prepare for a job interview at Confidential - UK
β¨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a Head of DevOps, you'll need to demonstrate your ability to lead and mentor teams. Prepare examples of how you've successfully built high-performing teams and fostered a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
β¨Highlight Your Technical Expertise
Make sure to discuss your deep knowledge of Microsoft Azure and cloud-native architectures. Be ready to explain how you've implemented CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure automation, and security best practices in previous roles.
β¨Align with Business Objectives
Understand the company's broader business goals and be prepared to discuss how your technical strategies can support these objectives. This shows that you can think beyond just the technical aspects and understand the bigger picture.
β¨Prepare for Stakeholder Communication
Since you'll be serving as a strategic advisor, practice explaining complex technical concepts in simple terms. Be ready to share how you've effectively communicated with both technical and non-technical stakeholders in the past.