Apprentice Infrastructure Engineer - Companies House - AO in Manchester

Location: Cardiff, Wales, CF14 3UZ

About The Job: Launch your future in cloud engineering with an apprenticeship that gives you real experience, expert support, and a welcoming learning environment. Working alongside our skilled Infrastructure Engineering team, you’ll help design, deliver and maintain our cloud platforms, troubleshoot issues, and contribute to automation that improves how we work. With a clear learning pathway and dedicated mentorship, you’ll build confidence and capability in a fast‑moving digital profession.

You’ll Gain Real Experience Across Several Specialist Areas:

• Database Operations – understanding performance, backups, replication, and maintenance.
• DevOps / DevSecOps – automation, secure pipelines, continuous delivery and operational excellence.
• FinOps – cost optimisation, cloud spend awareness and responsible resource usage.
• Linux & Storage – system administration, storage management and troubleshooting.
• Network Operations – cloud networking, connectivity, monitoring and resilience.
• Platforms – supporting and enhancing internal cloud platforms, tools and shared services.

You’ll be part of a supportive team working in a flexible hybrid way, splitting your time between home and our Cardiff office. You’ll also spend one day each week with our apprenticeship provider, ALS Training, in central Cardiff giving you dedicated time to learn, grow and develop the skills you need to thrive.

Please Note: Companies House cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign. Security Clearance is an essential requirement for this campaign. You'll need to have been in the UK for at least 3 out of the last 5 years to be eligible to apply for SC.

As an Apprentice Infrastructure Engineer, you’ll join a group of new apprentices working towards a Level 4 Digital Infrastructure Engineer qualification. Over 24 months, you’ll be supported every step of the way helping you achieve your apprenticeship while building highly sought‑after technical skills. Alongside your formal learning, you’ll gain hands‑on experience with our talented Infrastructure teams and a range of specialist technical teams who deliver cloud‑based solutions across Companies House and support the last remaining on‑premise infrastructure.

During your apprenticeship, you’ll grow your capabilities across key areas such as:

• Information security – understanding security principles and the controls used to protect systems and services.
• IT infrastructure – supporting a wide range of technologies including compute, storage, networking, physical and cloud infrastructure (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS), COTS, and opensource solutions.
• Developing modern industry standards – learning why up‑to‑date development and technical standards matter and how to apply them.
• Ownership and initiative – learning how to investigate issues, document your findings and work with your team to resolve them.
• Problem management – exploring how to identify and assess problems across systems, processes and services at strategic, tactical or operational levels.
• Systems design – contributing to the design of components within larger digital systems.
• Systems integration – understanding how systems connect, the challenges involved, and how to build and test effective interfaces.
• Troubleshooting – developing your diagnostic skills and learning how to apply basic troubleshooting techniques across a range of technologies.

Core Cloud & Automation Skills:

• Terraform – building, managing, and automating infrastructure as code.
• AWS Cloud Infrastructure – deploying, securing, scaling, and operating cloud platforms.
• Docker – containerising applications and managing lightweight, portable environments.
• CI/CD Pipelines – understanding automated build, test and deployment workflows using tools commonly used in Companies House.
• Version Control (Git) – managing source code, collaborating through branches and pull requests.

Additional Technical Skills:

• Programming Languages – exposure to languages used at Companies House, such as Java, Node.js and Python, plus scripting basics.
• SQL & MongoDB – querying, modelling, and working with relational and non‑relational databases.
• Unix/Linux – essential command line usage, system administration and troubleshooting.
• Networking Fundamentals – understanding VPCs, subnets, routing, firewalls and connectivity in cloud environments.
• Storage Technologies – object storage (e.g., S3), block storage, file systems, encryption and backup concepts.
• Monitoring & Observability – logging, metrics, alerting, dashboards and incident response principles.
• Security Foundations (DevSecOps) – identity & access management, secrets handling, vulnerability awareness and secure‑by‑design thinking.

You’ll benefit from additional core skills development, a supportive apprentice community, onsite parking, an onsite gym, and a variety of active social groups across Companies House. You’re joining us at a time of exciting transformation, and you’ll play a real part in shaping how our systems evolve for the future.

We Are Looking For Someone Who Has:

• The willingness to learn and adapt to new technologies.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Good organisational skills, able to manage tasks and time effectively.
• A genuine interest in technology and digital services.
• The ability to work collaboratively and support colleagues.
• Strong problem‑solving abilities and creativity in finding solutions.

Eligibility Criteria:

• There are no age restrictions for this apprenticeship – we welcome all applications.
• If you are shortlisted for interview, we will ask you to confirm your name and qualifications with us, so that we can share them with our apprenticeship provider – this is simply so that they can check your eligibility for apprenticeship funding.
• You’ll be required to attend our Cardiff office for a minimum of 3 days per week during the training period and then a minimum 2 days a week once training has been completed.
• You must not already have a qualification at Level 4 or higher in the same or a similar subject to this apprenticeship.
• To be eligible for this apprenticeship, you need to have achieved a GCSE grade C (or equivalent) in Maths and English Language (or equivalent qualifications).
• Live in Wales for at least three days a week at the start of the apprenticeship and throughout its duration.
• Not be in full‑time education when you start the role.
• Hold a British Passport or indefinite leave to remain status in the UK.