DevOps Engineer

The DevOps Engineer is responsible for ownership of Puma’s in‑house applications and CRM estate from a development perspective. This is a hands‑on role with full accountability for the development lifecycle, delivery quality, and technical standards. Excellent communication skills are essential, alongside the ability to build strong relationships with key stakeholders, delivery teams, and 3rd parties. The successful candidate will lead by example, remaining technically hands‑on while coordinating development activity with the existing Puma Data team, Marketing department and any external developers. The role requires considered decision‑making, ownership mentality, and the flexibility to adapt as priorities evolve. The role is offered on a hybrid basis and can be based at any of Puma’s offices located in London, Manchester and Edinburgh, with monthly travel to the London Head Office, if not already London based.

Key Responsibilities

• Ownership & Accountability
  • Own and be accountable for all in‑house development, including architecture, code quality, security, reliability, and delivery outcomes.
  • Act as the technical authority for Puma application development, ensuring consistency and best practice across the estate.
  • Take full responsibility for development standards, tooling, environments, and deployment processes.
  • Oversee our 3rd parties’ SaaS providers development pipelines and advise on behalf of Puma.
• Technical Leadership
  • Fully hands‑on with development, reviews, troubleshooting, and solution design.
  • Ensure all code and solutions meet current coding, architecture, and security standards.
  • Maintain high code hygiene through code reviews, automated testing, documentation, and best practice enforcement.
  • Identify root causes of technical issues and drive continuous improvement.
• Delivery & DevOps
  • Manage and maintain Azure DevOps environments, including pipelines, repositories, and access controls.
  • Own and oversee CI/CD pipelines, ensuring efficient, secure, and reliable software delivery.
  • Oversee deployment and operation of Puma's bespoke applications.
  • Support planning and execution of releases, upgrades, and maintenance activity.
  • Develop new and maintain existing API and ODI feeds to enhance system connectivity.
  • Work alongside the Puma in‑house Data team on business‑wide development initiatives, assuring adherence to coding and security standards.
  • Collaborate with the Puma in‑house Marketing team to develop, support, and implement code fixes for our corporate websites.
  • Work closely with the Puma Property Finance team to support the ongoing development and enhancement of their internal loan tracking system, Nautilus.
• Supplier Relationship Management
  • Identify external development partners and provide clear technical direction to the external developers, as appointed by Puma.
  • Ensure any external development work conducted by Puma’s appointed suppliers meets Puma’s standards for quality, security, and documentation.
  • Review output, manage dependencies, and ensure accountability for deliverables.
  • Use external resources effectively while retaining Puma ownership and technical control.
• Security & Compliance
  • Implement and maintain secure coding practices across all solutions.
  • Own vulnerability management across codebases and application stacks.
  • Use and manage vulnerability scanning tools (e.g. Aikido, Microsoft Defender for Cloud / DevOps).
  • Ensure coding secrets and credentials are securely managed (e.g. Azure Key Vault) and properly lifecycle managed.
• Process, Documentation & Support
  • Create and maintain clear technical and process documentation.
  • Improve and streamline existing development and operational processes.
  • Support IT health checks such as certificate expiry and backups.
  • Provide user support and training where required.
  • Work within ITIL aligned practices (Incident, Problem, Change).

Experience and Skills required

• Demonstrable experience in a Developer Lead, DevOps Lead, or senior hands‑on development role in a cloud only environment, within the financial services sector.
• Proven experience with Azure‑based development, including Azure Function Apps.
• Hands-on experience designing, building, and maintaining CI/CD pipelines with Azure DevOps.
• Demonstrable knowledge of secure coding standards and vulnerability management.
• Working understanding of Dynamics 365 (both Sales and Marketing modules), including integrations and custom development.
• Experience developing and integrating third‑party services and APIs securely.
• Understanding of Umbraco or other content management systems.
• Proficiency in JavaScript, React, and modern development frameworks.
• Strong understanding of OWASP Top 10 and practical application of security controls.
• Ability to clearly document.

Personal Attributes

• Kind.
• Values‑driven.
• Excellent communicator.
• Adaptable and willing to get stuck into whatever needs doing.
• Depth of character and gravitas but operating with humility.
• The drive and attitude to excel in a high performing environment whilst maintaining high levels of integrity.
• Energy, dynamism, and passion for complex business challenges.
• Organised, rigorous and disciplined.
• Pragmatic and practical.