At a Glance
- Tasks: Help build and run platforms for £85bn education funding, ensuring reliability and security.
- Company: Department for Education, a key player in government funding operations.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, career development, and the chance to make a real impact.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with opportunities for growth and innovation.
- Why this job: Join a dynamic team transforming education funding services with cutting-edge technology.
- Qualifications: Experience in DevOps or cloud engineering and strong problem-solving skills.
Location: Coventry, West Midlands (England), CV1 2WT; Darlington, North East England, DL1 5QE; Manchester, North West England, M1 2WD; Sheffield, Yorkshire and the Humber, S1 2FJ; City of Westminster, London (region), SW1P 3BT.
Help build and run the platforms behind over £85bn of education funding. The Department for Education (DfE) is recruiting DevOps Engineers (SEO) to support the design, build, and operation of the platforms that underpin one of the largest funding operations in government. Our Funding Services support the allocation and payment of funding to education providers across England, making this a critical national service where reliability, accuracy, and security are essential.
This role sits within the DevOps profession in the Digital & Infrastructure Group and supports a significant transformation of how these services are engineered and operated. We are simplifying a complex estate, moving towards a single Azure tenancy, and adopting containerised platforms (AKS) and modern CI/CD practices to improve consistency, resilience, and delivery across a broad portfolio of internal and public-facing services.
As a DevOps Engineer, you will contribute to the delivery of DevOps and DevSecOps practices through automation, platform capabilities, and engineering standards. You will help implement reusable patterns, support infrastructure and policy as code, and improve the reliability, security, and cost-effectiveness of our live services. This work supports not just the digital platforms themselves, but the wider operational processes and data flows that ensure funding is delivered accurately and on time.
You will work across multiple teams and services, collaborating with Technical Architecture, Cyber Security, and delivery teams to deliver solutions that are operable and supportable. While remaining hands-on with complex systems, you will contribute to improving how funding services are engineered and operated across the Department, supporting both external users and the internal teams who rely on these systems every day.
Responsibilities:
- Supporting the design, build, operation, and continuous improvement of developer platforms and shared DevOps capabilities, including CI/CD pipelines and supporting cloud infrastructure.
- Implementing and following established technical approaches to ensure platforms are secure, resilient, scalable, and cost-effective.
- Working with Technical Architecture and Cyber Security colleagues to implement designs into operable, supportable engineering solutions.
- Supporting the embedding of DevSecOps practices, ensuring security controls are integrated into delivery pipelines and infrastructure in a proportionate, risk-based manner.
- Contributing to the adoption of standardised platform patterns and supporting the migration of services from legacy hosting models to modern, containerised platforms.
- Identifying opportunities to improve ways of working, automation, and platform capabilities, and contributing to their delivery.
- Supporting incident and problem management activities, contributing to root cause analysis and preventative improvement work.
- Working with suppliers and internal stakeholders to support cost-effective and reliable service delivery.
- Following and contributing to engineering standards, policies, and technical guidance across teams and services.
Essential Criteria:
- Proven experience delivering DevOps or cloud engineering capabilities, supporting the design, operation, and continuous improvement of platforms, CI/CD pipelines, and cloud infrastructure.
- Experience contributing to technical decisions for systems, considering reliability, security, delivery pace, cost, and risk.
- Experience working with standardised engineering approaches or platform patterns, supporting consistency and reducing operational complexity.
- Experience embedding DevSecOps principles, including secure configuration, access control, vulnerability management, and integrating security controls into delivery pipelines and infrastructure.
- Experience supporting incident management and service improvement activities, identifying issues and contributing to preventative solutions.
- Experience supporting service transformation or migration initiatives (e.g. legacy to cloud, or to containerised platforms).
- Ability to communicate technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders, supporting effective decision-making.
Desirable Criteria:
- Experience working in government, public sector, or other highly regulated environments.
- Experience working with cloud platforms (particularly Microsoft Azure), including exposure to containerised platforms (e.g. Kubernetes / AKS).
- Experience contributing to internal developer platforms, reusable engineering patterns, or standardised delivery approaches.
- Experience supporting service transformation or migration from legacy hosting models to modern cloud-native architectures.
- Experience working with suppliers and delivery teams to support service delivery and operational outcomes.
- Experience mentoring or supporting other engineers to develop their technical capability.
Desirable criteria will only be assessed at interview, in the event of a tie break situation, to make an informed decision.
DevOps Engineer - Department for Education - SEO employer: Government Digital & Data
The Department for Education is an exceptional employer, offering DevOps Engineers the opportunity to work on critical national services that support the allocation of over £85bn in education funding. With a strong focus on collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement, employees benefit from a supportive work culture that encourages professional growth and development, while also enjoying the unique advantage of contributing to meaningful projects that impact education across England. Located in vibrant cities such as Coventry, Manchester, and London, the DfE provides a dynamic environment where technology meets public service.
Contact Details:
Government Digital & Data Recruitment Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land DevOps Engineer - Department for Education - SEO
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We think you need these skills to ace DevOps Engineer - Department for Education - SEO
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills:In IT consulting, it's all about problem-solving, so make sure your CV highlights your analytical skills and any relevant projects you've tackled. Mention specific technologies or methodologies you've used to resolve issues or improve processes; this shows you can think critically and deliver results, which is vital for us at Government Digital & Data.
Highlight Relevant Certifications:Certifications like ITIL, PMP, or even specific tech stack qualifications can really make you stand out. Make sure to include these in your CV, as they not only demonstrate your expertise but also your commitment to staying current in the field. We love seeing candidates who are proactive about their professional development!
Tailor Your Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to connect personally with us at Government Digital & Data. Share stories about your experiences in IT consulting, and how they shaped your desire to join our team. Mention why you’re excited about this particular role, and how you see yourself contributing to our projects.
Keep It Clear and Concise:We're all busy, so make sure your application is easy to read. Use bullet points for key achievements, and don’t overload us with jargon. A clean, professional layout goes a long way. Remember, the clearer your application, the more likely we are to invite you in for an interview!
How to prepare for a job interview at Government Digital & Data
✨Brush Up on Your Technical Skills
For an IT consulting role, be ready to demonstrate your technical prowess. You might face questions on systems integration, cloud technologies, or even troubleshooting specific software. If you have experience with tools like AWS, Azure, or even specific programming languages, make sure you can talk about them fluently.
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Approach
IT consulting is all about solving problems for clients. Think about how you can illustrate your approach to a past challenge using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). It's a great way to show how you tackle complex issues and come up with effective solutions.
✨Know the Business Impact of IT Solutions
When discussing your experiences, focus not just on the tech solutions you implemented, but also on their business impact. Employers want to see that you can connect IT with organisational goals. Prep examples that highlight how your tech contributions improved efficiency or reduced costs for past clients or projects.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
Since IT consulting often involves teamwork and client interactions, expect behavioural questions that assess your interpersonal skills. Be prepared with examples that demonstrate your adaptability, communication skills, and how you handle client feedback. Before the interview, think of situations where you worked closely with clients to create effective IT strategies or changes.
