Senior AWS DevOps Engineer - (Initial 6 month contract)

Sword is a leading provider of business technology solutions within the Energy, Public and Finance Sectors, driving real transformation change within our clients. We use proven technology, specialist teams and domain expertise to build solid technical foundations across platforms, data and business applications. We have a passion for using technology to solve business problems, working in partnership with our clients to help in achieving their goals.

About the role: We’re evolving. The goal is to move beyond basic “lift-and-shift” cloud migrations and instead design and deliver AWS-native, end-to-end automation for the provisioning, monitoring, and optimisation of cloud workloads — while gradually reducing and simplifying what remains on-premise. This is a highly collaborative, build-it-with-us kind of role. We’re looking for someone who brings practical expertise in automating cloud environments, understands the AWS ecosystem, and can help guide the team as we navigate group IT mandates, operational constraints, and our business unit’s appetite for risk.

Please note: This is an initial 6 months contract, with potential to extend.

As the Senior AWS DevOps Engineer, you will:

• Automate and orchestrate the provisioning and support of AWS services and solutions.
• Use configuration management tools like Ansible, Puppet, Chef, or Chocolatey to automate application provisioning.
• Implement and fine-tune monitoring using tools such as Splunk, Wiz, Cloudability, AWS Systems Manager, and CloudFormation to ensure visibility, control costs, and maintain a strong security posture.
• Write and maintain scripts in Python, PowerShell, Go, Java, or .Net to streamline operations.
• Collaborate with IT/OT teams and contribute to our strategy to extend cloud automation principles to select on-premise environments — where it makes sense.
• Guide the ongoing development of our internal cloud capability while balancing operational realities with future-focused thinking.

What you’ll bring:

• Hands-on experience with AWS automation and workload orchestration.
• Use of configuration management tools to deploy and manage applications at scale.
• Experience with monitoring and observability platforms that help optimise resources and secure infrastructure.
• Comfortable scripting in at least one of the following: Python, Go, Java, PowerShell, or .Net.
• An understanding of cloud operating models and the ability to work within group-level IT mandates while navigating constraints.
• An interest (or experience) in Operational Technology (OT) and Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) environments, particularly relating to the NIS directive, is welcomed — but not essential.
• Familiarity with GitHub, Snyk, Azure DevOps (ADO).
• Experience with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools like Terraform or ARM templates.
• A background in Cloud and DevOps Engineering.

At Sword, our core values and culture are based on caring about our people, investing in training and career development and building inclusive teams where we are all encouraged to contribute to achieve success. We offer comprehensive benefits designed to support your professional development and enhance your overall quality of life. In addition to a Competitive Salary, here’s what you can expect as part of our benefits package:

• Personalised Career Development: We create a development plan customised to your goals and aspirations, with a range of learning and development opportunities within a culture that encourages growth.
• Flexible working: Flexible work arrangements to support your work-life balance.
• A Fantastic Benefits Package: This includes generous annual leave allowance, enhanced family friendly benefits, pension scheme, access to private health, well-being, and insurance schemes, an employee assistance programme, discounted cash plan and more.

At Sword we are dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace and are proud to be an equal opportunities employer, ensuring that all applicants receive fair and equal consideration for employment, regardless of whether they meet every requirement. If you don’t tick all the boxes but feel you have some of the relevant skills and experience we’re looking for, please do consider applying and highlight your transferable skills and experience. We embrace diversity in all its forms, valuing individuals regardless of age, disability, gender identity or reassignment, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity status, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. Your perspective and potential are important to us. If we can do anything to help make the hiring process more accessible, please let our talent acquisition team know when you apply so we can support any adjustments.