Mid Infrastructure Engineer (Azure & Hybrid) in Southampton

About JS Group

JS Group’s roots trace back to the University of Glasgow in the 1750s. Originally an on-campus retailer, since 2002 we have focused on one purpose: transforming the delivery and impact of financial support to students and other beneficiaries. Today, through our award-winning Aspire platform, JS Group partners with over 45 UK universities, charities, local authorities and philanthropic funders to deliver bursaries, scholarships, hardship funds and other one-to-many financial support to around 160,000 beneficiaries every year. Aspire is the established market leader in UK Higher Education and we are rapidly growing in other markets such as charities and local authorities.

Higher Education remains at the heart of our business, and we have ambitious plans to accelerate our growth in the sector while taking the proven benefits of Aspire into new markets. Charities and local authorities are a particular focus as we build new partnerships and invest in the people and capabilities needed to support our growth through to 2030.

Our long-standing relationship with NatWest Group is an important part of that journey. Having worked together since 2021 to develop Aspire Cash, powered by NatWest Payit™, our partnership has continued to grow, culminating in strategic investment from NatWest Group in 2025. Together, we are creating new opportunities to extend the reach of Aspire, helping more organisations deliver financial support quickly, efficiently and securely.

About the role

Aspire HE Technologies Ltd (the technology division of JS Group) is at the forefront of digital transformation within the Higher Education sector. We deliver secure, scalable, and innovative technology solutions that support our clients’ evolving needs.

We are looking for a proactive and motivated Infrastructure Engineer to join our growing Platform & Infrastructure team. This role is ideal for someone with solid foundational experience who is looking to further develop their expertise across hybrid cloud environments.

As an Infrastructure Engineer, you will support and enhance both on-premises and cloud-based infrastructure, ensuring high availability, performance, and security across a hybrid environment. You will work across Microsoft on-premises infrastructure technologies, virtualisation platforms, and Azure services, contributing to both operational support and continuous improvement initiatives.

You will also have the opportunity to take ownership of key systems and contribute to the evolution of our hybrid infrastructure, including supporting modern application hosting platforms and CI/CD-driven deployments in Azure

What success looks like

• Reliable and secure infrastructure: You help maintain stable, secure and high-performing infrastructure across our on-premises and Azure environments, identifying potential issues early and minimising disruption to our services.
• Ownership and accountability: You develop a strong understanding of the systems you support, taking responsibility for their day-to-day operation, maintenance and continuous improvement.
• Effective problem-solving: You investigate and resolve technical issues efficiently, identifying root causes where possible and helping prevent recurring incidents. You communicate clearly and keep relevant stakeholders informed.
• Continuous improvement: You proactively identify opportunities to improve infrastructure performance, security and efficiency, contributing to automation and the adoption of modern technologies and practices.
• Resilience and security: You support effective patching, maintenance, backup and disaster recovery processes, helping ensure our infrastructure remains secure, recoverable and aligned with organisational security standards.
• Collaboration and knowledge sharing: You work effectively with colleagues across IT and Development, maintain clear and accurate technical documentation, and share your knowledge to strengthen the wider team’s capabilities.

Key responsibilities

• Administer and support core infrastructure services across on-premises and Azure environments
• Manage and maintain Active Directory and Entra ID (formerly Azure AD), including identity synchronisation and access management
• Support and optimise Hyper-V virtualisation environments, including failover clustering, performance tuning, and capacity planning
• Contribute to the design, implementation, and maintenance of secure, resilient infrastructure solutions
• Monitor system performance and availability, proactively identifying and resolving issues
• Respond to and resolve internal and customer-facing incidents across server, network, and end-user devices
• Perform routine maintenance, patching, and system upgrades
• Contribute to disaster recovery planning and testing
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date technical documentation
• Collaborate with wider IT and Development teams to support ongoing projects and improvements
• Provide technical guidance and support to colleagues and end users where required

About you

You’re a proactive and motivated Infrastructure Engineer who enjoys solving technical challenges, taking ownership and finding ways to improve systems and processes.

You have a practical, methodical approach to problem-solving and are confident working independently while knowing when to collaborate and seek support. You communicate clearly, share knowledge and enjoy being part of a supportive team.

You’re naturally curious, keen to develop your technical skills and enthusiastic about working with Azure, hybrid infrastructure and automation as our platform continues to evolve.

Skills & experience

• 3–5 years’ experience in an infrastructure or systems administration role
• Hands-on experience with:
• Microsoft Windows Server environments
• Active Directory and Entra ID
• Microsoft Azure administration (including VMs, networking, storage, and identity services)
• Hyper-V virtualisation, including Windows Failover Clustering
• Good understanding of networking fundamentals:
• TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, VPNs, firewalls
• Experience working with firewall technologies (Fortinet experience beneficial)
• Basic scripting/automation skills (PowerShell preferred)
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving abilities
• Good communication skills with the ability to explain technical concepts to non-technical users
• A full, valid UK driving licence is required, with the ability to travel to other sites when needed.

Desirable Skills

• Experience with Infrastructure as Code (e.g. Terraform, Bicep, ARM templates)
• Exposure to CI/CD pipelines (e.g. GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps)
• Familiarity with security best practices and frameworks (e.g. ISO 27001 & Cyber Essentials Plus)
• Experience working in hybrid or multi-cloud environments
• Knowledge of backup and disaster recovery solutions
• Awareness of DevOps principles and practices

Exposure to supporting application deployments or working alongside development teams

What’s on offer:

25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays to rest and recharge.

An extra day off for your birthday to celebrate your day.

3 additional days of discretionary leave for the Christmas closure.

Holiday purchase scheme allowing you to buy up to five additional days’ annual leave each year.

Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) offering support with personal and work-related challenges.

Death in Service benefit providing financial support for your beneficiaries.

Company sick pay supporting you when you are unable to work due to illness.

Support for training and professional development to help you build your skills, grow in your role and develop your career.

Company Pension scheme – 5% employer contribution if you contribute 3%