The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) prevents, prepares for and responds to infectious diseases, and environmental hazards, to keep all our communities safe, save lives and protect livelihoods.
We provide scientific and operational leadership, working with local, national and international partners to protect the public’s health and build the nation’s health security capability.
UKHSA is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care.
Job overview
The role reports to the Head of HPC and provides strategic leadership for UKHSA's platform engineering services and DevOps capabilities, ensuring they enable the organisation's wider digital, data and technology objectives. Responsible for the strategic direction, governance and continual evolution of enterprise cloud platforms, automation, CI/CD pipelines and software delivery capabilities, the postholder will lead the development of resilient, secure and scalable technology services that underpin critical organisational outcomes. Working across organisational boundaries, you will shape long-term technology strategy, influence investment decisions, and manage significant technical risks associated with cloud platforms, automation and software delivery. You will provide authoritative technical leadership to senior executives, programme leaders and the wider engineering community, ensuring security, resilience, service continuity and value for money are embedded in technology decisions and delivery.
You will lead the Cloud Platform Engineering function, establishing engineering standards, professional practices and technical roadmaps that are adopted across UKHSA. You will be responsible for developing organisational capability through leadership of multidisciplinary teams and managers, fostering a high-performing engineering culture, and building the skills required to meet future organisational needs through workforce planning, mentoring, coaching and talent development.
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- Lead the strategic direction and evolution of UKHSA’s cloud platform engineering and DevOps capabilities, defining engineering standards, roadmaps, reference architectures and reusable patterns that enable secure, resilient and cost-effective digital services.
- Provide technical governance across cloud architecture, Infrastructure as Code, CI/CD, automation, observability, container platforms and resilience, ensuring alignment with UKHSA policies, cyber security and Government Digital and Data standards.
- Work with architects, cyber security, commercial and procurement teams, providing advice on cloud strategy, engineering risk, technology investment and major programmes.
- Lead the Cloud Platform Engineering team, including workforce planning, recruitment, performance and capability development.
- Act as UKHSA Professional Lead for DevOps Engineering, developing standards and capability pathways, and coaching senior engineers.
- Lead evaluation and adoption of emerging technologies and platform tooling, balancing security, resilience, value for money and sustainability.
- Provide expert leadership in resolving complex platform and service issues, driving root cause analysis and operational improvements.
- Represent UKHSA in cross-government engineering communities and strategic supplier engagements, sharing best practice and influencing engineering.
- Undertake corporate responsibilities, including compliance with UKHSA policies and governance.
Continues below.
Working for our organisation
We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce. UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all. Please visit our careers site for more information https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Core Responsibilities
Technical Leadership and Strategy
- Provide technical leadership for UKHSA's cloud platforms, CI/CD pipelines, automation capabilities and engineering standards, acting as the principal DevOps subject matter expert across Digital Development and Operations.
- Define and promote engineering patterns, standards and best practices for Infrastructure as Code, container platforms, automation and cloud services. Evaluate emerging technologies and drive their adoption where they deliver measurable business or operational benefit.
- Work with senior stakeholders, architects and delivery teams to ensure security, resilience, scalability and operational excellence are embedded throughout the service lifecycle.
Security and Assurance
- Lead the adoption of secure engineering practices across the DevOps community, ensuring platforms and services are designed, built and operated to mitigate security risks.
- Provide expert advice and assurance on security, compliance and risk management, establishing standards and ensuring adherence across teams.
Engineering Standards and Governance
- Champion modern engineering practices, ensuring alignment with Government Digital Service standards, accessibility requirements and wider engineering communities of practice.
- Establish and maintain engineering policies, standards and governance that support consistent, high-quality service delivery across UKHSA.
Platform Reliability, Capacity and Continuous Improvement
- Lead the design, development and evolution of platform services, ensuring they remain secure, reliable, performant and cost effective.
- Drive continuous improvement of engineering processes, identifying opportunities to increase automation, reduce operational overhead and improve delivery effectiveness.
- Oversee availability and capacity management, ensuring services can meet current and future business demand.
- Design systems characterised by medium levels of risk, impact and complexity, selecting appropriate standards and methods and reviewing the designs of others.
Capability Building and Community Leadership
- Develop capability across the DevOps profession through coaching, mentoring and technical leadership. Support talent development, recruitment and succession planning to build a sustainable engineering workforce.
- Foster collaboration across technology, data, security and architecture teams, promoting knowledge sharing and a strong engineering culture.
- Identify opportunities to improve technology services and business outcomes, helping shape the future direction of cloud and platform engineering within UKHSA.
Working Relationships
- The Principal DevOps Engineer is a senior technical leader within Digital Development and Operations, reporting to the Head of HPC. The role provides technical authority across platform engineering and works closely with senior leaders, architects and engineering teams to ensure secure, reliable and high-quality technology services are delivered across UKHSA.
Internal:
- Engineering and Operations teams, Senior Leadership Team, Architecture, Security, Data and Business stakeholders.
External:
- Cloud providers, technology partners, NHS organisations, Department of Health bodies, Government Digital Service and cross-government engineering communities.
This list is not exhaustive
Essential Criteria
- Expert knowledge of cloud platform engineering, DevOps and modern software delivery practices, with extensive practical experience of enterprise cloud platforms (AWS and Azure), container platforms (Kubernetes), Infrastructure as Code, CI/CD and automation. Ability to provide technical leadership across complex cloud-hosted services.
- Expert understanding of cloud architecture, information security, systems integration, observability and engineering governance, including Secure by Design principles. Experience designing, assuring and governing secure, resilient and scalable cloud platforms, establishing enterprise engineering standards and reusable architecture patterns across multiple programmes.
- Strong systems design and software engineering expertise, with experience reviewing and assuring complex technical designs, optimising engineering processes and guiding multidisciplinary teams in the delivery of secure, scalable and maintainable solutions.
- Proven experience of leading organisational technology strategy and engineering capability, including developing engineering roadmaps, influencing technology investment decisions, providing technical assurance for supplier solutions, and balancing security, resilience, delivery and value for money when making strategic technical decisions.
- Extensive experience of leading and developing technical capability, including line management, coaching and mentoring senior engineers, establishing professional standards, shaping career pathways, recruiting technical talent and fostering a culture of continuous improvement, innovation and engineering excellence. Experience of owning or leading a professional capability or engineering discipline across an organisation is highly desirable.
- Excellent communication, influencing and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to provide authoritative technical advice to senior leaders, architects, commercial and procurement colleagues, programme teams and external partners.
- Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience, with evidence of continuous professional development in cloud engineering, DevOps, platform engineering or related disciplines.
Desirable Criteria
- Experience delivering enterprise-scale cloud transformation, platform modernisation or migration programmes, particularly across hybrid or multi-cloud environments.
- Experience implementing enterprise observability, platform engineering and Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) capabilities, including centralised logging, distributed tracing, reliability engineering, platform telemetry and operational resilience.
- Experience working in a government, public health or regulated technical environment, with familiarity with the GDS Service Standard and Technology Code of Practice.
- Demonstrable contribution to the wider engineering profession through speaking, mentoring, publishing, standards development or participation in cross-government technical communities.
- Active engagement with the wider DevOps or government digital engineering community through speaking, mentoring or contributing to communities of practice.
Selection Process
This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours Experience & Technical skills.
Stage 1: Application & Sift
You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the listed 8essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:
- Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
- 1000 word supporting statement.
This should outline how you consider your skills, experience and knowledge provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.
You will receive a joint score for your application form and statement. (The application form is the kind of information you would put into your C.V –please be advised you will not be able to upload your CV. Please complete the application form in as much detail as possible). Please do not email us your CV.
Healthjobs UK has a word limit of 1500, but your supporting statement must be no more than 1000 words. We will not consider any words over 1000words.
Longlisting:
In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist into 3 piles of:
- Meets all essential criteria
- Meets some essential criteria
- Meets no essential criteria
If used, the pile(s) that meets ALL essential criteria’ will proceed to shortlisting.
Shortlisting:
In the event of a large number of applications we may conduct an initial sift, on the lead criteria of:
- Expert knowledge of cloud platform engineering, DevOps and modern software delivery practices, with extensive practical experience of enterprise cloud platforms (AWS and Azure), container platforms (Kubernetes), Infrastructure as Code, CI/CD and automation. Ability to provide technical leadership across complex cloud-hosted services.
Desirable criteria may be used in the event of a large number of applications/large amount of successful candidates.
If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview & assessment.
Feedback will not be provided at this stage.
Stage 2: Interview
Success profilesSuccess Profiles - GOV.UK
You will be invited to a single face to face interview at our core HQ in Canary Wharf, London
When face to face interviews are planned, in exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer a remote interview.
Behaviours & technical skills will be tested at interview in the form of questions.
There will be a presentation, which should last no more than 8 minutes long and will be based on:
- Providing technical assurance for a critical public health service across multiple cloud platforms
More information will be provided to candidates invited to interview.
The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:
- Lead behaviour - Making effective decisions
- Seeing the big picture
- Communication and Influencing
- Leadership
Interview dates are yet to be confirmed.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Eligibility Criteria
External - This vacancy is open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service as well as internal applicants.
Location
This role is being offered as hybrid working based at any of our Core HQs or at one of our Scientific Campuses.
We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA's core HQs (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool and London) or at one of our Scientific Campuses (Porton, Colindale or Chilton).
Security Clearance Level Requirement
Successful candidates must pass a basic disclosure and barring security check before they can be appointed.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Security Check.
For meaningful National Security Vetting checks to be carried out individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 5 years as the role requires Security Check (SC) UK residency less than the outlined periods may not necessarily bar you from gaining national security vetting and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder/Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.
Salary Information
If you are successful at interview, and are moving from another government department, NHS, or Local Authority, the relevant starting salary principles for level transfers or promotions will apply. Otherwise, roles are offered at the pay scale minimum for the grade, but in exceptional circumstances there may be flexibility if you are able to demonstrate you are already in receipt of an existing, higher salary. Pay increases are through the relevant annual pay award for the role and terms. Please be aware that the salary is based on the office location.
Grade 6
£70,797-£81,450 (National)
£72,950- £83,443 (Outer London)
£75,104- £85,436 (Inner London)
This role attracts a Market Pay Supplement (MPS) of up to £10,000 per annum, pro rata, to be reviewed 31/3/27.
Please note: The Digital and Data Directorate, where this role sits, is reviewing its Target Operating Model. While the process is still in the planning stage, some roles may be affected by future changes. We are committed to keeping candidates informed and will share updates as they become available.
IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ
If you experience technical difficulties when using Trac, please contact Support via https://apps.trac.jobs/support and provide screenshots/details of the issue encountered. If Trac cannot resolve your issue, you should notify the UKHSA Recruitment Team at [email protected] as soon as possible.
Please note that where no technical issue has been recorded by Trac, and no supporting evidence has been provided before the closing deadline, we will be unable to accept late applications. We therefore recommend submitting applications well in advance of the closing date and taking screenshots of any issues encountered.
Qualifications and Registrations
For roles where specific qualifications or registrations are required, successful applicants will be asked to provide appropriate evidence. Employment cannot commence until satisfactory documentation has been received and verified.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Link below:
Artificial intelligence and recruitment | Civil Service Careers
This is a Non-Reserved post under the Civil Service Nationality Rules. To be eligible for employment in the UK Civil Service applicants must meet the Civil Service Nationality Rules (CSNRs) which operate independently of and additionally to the Immigration Rules. Applicants must also meet necessary security and vetting requirements, along with any other relevant pre-employment checks.
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
For more information on job nationality requirements and the right to work in the UK, see the Civil Service Nationality rules (opens in a new window) and the UK Visas and Immigration rules (opens in a new window)
For posts on UKHSA Civil Service terms and conditions, new entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. For existing Civil Servants and roles advertised across government, the rules of transfer apply, i.e., level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive a 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.
The Civil Service pay structure and progression is different from NHS Agenda for Change (AfC), most local authority pay grades and other systems that have annual pay increments. For further details, please refer to the Information Sheet- Starting Salaries & Benefits attachment.
For AfC or Medical/Dental posts, you must have the correct professional registration to be appointed. The pay will follow the AfC or Medical & Dental terms & conditions. You may be asked to provide evidence of previous service whilst we are conducting pre-employment checks to determine your starting salary.
If this role is fixed term and you are not currently a civil servant, you will take up the post on a Fixed Term appointment; you may be able to take this role up as a Secondment. If you are an existing Civil Servant, based outside of UKHSA, you will take up the post as a loan which you will need your department to agree. Loans are normally agreed for a period of two years. However, this may be extended where required, subject to agreement between UKHSA and your home department. You cannot take the post up as a fixed term. If you are an existing UKHSA member of staff, you will take up the post as either a level transfer or a temporary promotion as per the UKHSA’s Pay policy. If this role is permanent, it may also be available as a loan (for existing civil servants only) or secondment arrangement, subject to business need and agreement from the hiring manager and, where applicable, the employee's home organisation.
From time to time, the role holder may be required to support UKHSA’s incident response activity by contributing their appropriate expertise within an Incident Cell; during such periods, supported by the line manager, this work will take priority over normal day‑to‑day responsibilities, commensurate with their grade, skills and experience.
Late Applications will unfortunately not be considered.
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles.
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact UKHSA Public Accountability Unit via email: [email protected] If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website here.
Reserve List - If more than the required number of suitable candidates pass the interview criteria, you may be kept on a reserve list for 12 months subject to your agreement. You may be contacted, in merit-order, if similar roles with closely matching essential criteria become available and the department choose to appoint from a reserve list.
The panel will assess if candidates meet the requirement of the role first, using a specific benchmark system. If you are interviewed for the post and do not meet the required threshold for the specified grade, your application may be assessed against a similar, lower grade role and you may be offered the post should one be available.
Interview expenses will not be reimbursed.
UKHSA is required to check employment and/or education history covering three consecutive years. Please ensure you give details of at least two different referees, even if you were employed in one company for three years or more.
If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system. Please note, all communication regarding your application will be made via email, please ensure you check your junk/spam folders as emails are sometimes filtered there.
Any move to UKHSA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
Benefits of working at UKHSA include:
- Generous annual leave:
-26 days for the first 5 years of continuous service
-28 days after 5 years of continuous service
-32 days after 10 years of continuous service
-Plus public holidays and one privilege day for the King’s birthday - Access to a generous Defined Benefit pension scheme with employer contributions.
- Access to a cycle-to-work salary sacrifice scheme, season ticket advances and payroll giving.
- Access to a retail discounts and cashback site.
- We also promote flexible working patterns (part-time, job-share, condensed hours). UKHSA views flexible working as essential in enabling us to recruit and retain talented people, ensuring that they are able to enjoy a long-lasting career with us. All employees have the right to apply for flexible working and there are a range of options available including working from home, compressed hours and job sharing.
- We also offer a generous maternity/ paternity and adoption leave package.
Hybrid Working
UKHSA operates a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce.
As a hybrid worker, you will usually spend a minimum of 60% of your contracted hours (averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA's locations (approximately 3 days a week pro rata) and the rest of your time working from home.
Disability Confident Scheme
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria at sift to ensure these candidates are invited to interview. If you wish to be included in this scheme please tick the box on your application form.
Reasonable Adjustments
The Civil Service is committed to making sure that our selection methods are fair to everyone.
To help you during the recruitment process, we will take into account any reasonable adjustments that could help you.
An adjustment is a change to the recruitment process or an adjustment at work.
This is separate to the Disability Confident Scheme.
If you need an adjustment to be made at any point during the recruitment process you should:
Contact the recruitment team in confidence as soon as possible to discuss your needs.
You can find out more information about reasonable adjustments across the Civil Service here: https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/reasonable-adjustments/
International Police Check
If you have spent more than 6 months abroad over the last 3 years you may need an International Police Check. This would not necessarily have to be in a single block, and could be time accrued over that period.
Internal Fraud check
If successful for this role as one aspect of pre-employment screening, applicant’s personal details – name, national insurance number and date of birth - will be checked against the Cabinet Office Internal Fraud Hub and anyone included on the database will be refused employment unless they can show exceptional circumstances. Currently this is only for External candidates to the Civil Service.
Security Vetting
Please check the Security Clearance needed for the role and follow the link for more information:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels/national-security-vetting-clearance-levels
Future location
UKHSA is investing in a new state-of-the-art National Biosecurity Centre in Harlow, Essex, which will eventually bring together teams currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale and Porton Down. For more details, please see: Huge biosecurity centre investment to boost pandemic protection - GOV.UK.
The new facilities will start becoming operational in the mid-2030s, with full completion by 2038. Staff will move in phases as facilities become available. If you're appointed to a role currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale or Porton Down, please note that we'll continue investing in these sites for the next decade. As we get closer to the transition, we'll provide full information about relocation support available to staff.
Agenda for Change roles -NHS Pension
For roles offered under Agenda for Change (AFC) Terms and Conditions (and if you are eligible)
• If you are already on AFC T&Cs or accept the role on a fixed-term contract, you will be enrolled in the NHS Pension Scheme or keep your current AFC Pension.
• If you take the role on a loan or temporary promotion, you will retain your existing, substantive T&Cs.
• If the role is available under either AFC or Civil Service T&Cs depending on your registration, your pension scheme will align accordingly.
Principal DevOps Engineer in London employer: UK Health Security Agency
At UKHSA, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a collaborative and inclusive work culture that values innovation and professional growth. As a Lead Cyber Security Architect, you will have the opportunity to make a significant impact on public health security while enjoying competitive salaries, including a market pay supplement, and the flexibility of remote work. Our commitment to employee development ensures that you will continuously enhance your skills in a supportive environment dedicated to safeguarding national services.
