About the job

Job summary

Job title – Azure Cloud Engineer

Profession- Cloud Computing

Directorate – Technology

Full Time equivalent - 37.5 hours

No of Roles – 1

Contract Type – Permanent

Location – Hybrid  

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 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 locations (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London).  Specialist or regional roles will be based at the appropriate UKHSA site. For certain roles, some additional flexibility may be possible, which will be agreed upon with the hiring manager based on individual requirements and business needs.

Working Pattern – Full Time / Part Time / Job Share / Flexible Working / Hybrid Working

Grade & Salary – Grade 7. National banding -£51,824- £61,414 per annum. Outer London -£53,812- £63,252 per annum. Inner London - £55,799- £65,089 per annum.

This role comes with a Market Pay Supplement of up to £10,000

New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band.

The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.

This role is to be appointed under Civil Service Terms & Conditions. Full details on the T&C’s are found https://www.ukhsa.reed.com/.

Closing Date – 28/04/2024. 23:55pm. Unfortunately, late applications will not be considered

Interview Date – 13/05/2024  Please note, these dates are subject to change.

Job description

You will be responsible for the deployment, configuration and administration of UKHSA Azure Public-Private Hybrid Cloud Computing infrastructure (IaaS and PaaS).

The post holder will work closely with the Cloud Architects and other HPC and Hosting team members to provide a holistic approach in implementing a full end-to-end infrastructure as a code capability to manage large, hybrid and geographically distributed systems.

You will have a solid understanding of DevOps and related principles, and demonstrable experience with complex CI/CD implementations along with hands-on experience with a range of Azure services in production environments - primarily the compute, networking, storage, database, security, IAM and management tools service groups.

 

The post holder will report into the “Technology - Team Manager: Hosting Infrastructure ".

Job Overview

To be responsible for the deployment, configuration and administration of UKHSA Azure Public-Private Hybrid Cloud Computing infrastructure (IaaS and PaaS).

Provide technical leadership for implementing UKHSA’s scalable infrastructure solutions ensuring high-availability of the systems and ensuring security policies are adhered to at every layer.

Work closely with the Cloud Architects and other HPC and Hosting team members to provide a holistic approach in implementing a full end-to-end infrastructure as a code capability to manage large, hybrid and geographically distributed systems. Solid understanding of DevOps and related principles, and demonstrable experience with complex CI/CD

Main Duties of the Job

• Be responsible for the deployment, configuration and administration of Azure Cloud Computing infrastructures, based on the IaaS and PaaS technologies.
• Contribute to the planning, design, implementation, post implementation tasks and support for the organisation's cloud computing technologies.
• Expand and improve the current infrastructure code base using modern infra-as-code patterns and automate any maintenance routines to support day to day activities.
• Ability to develop code to manage infrastructure resources as code, using technologies such as Terraform, Ansible/Puppet, Python, Powershell and GitLab/GitHub.
• Plan, implement and manage infrastructure monitoring systems to support business continuity, performance and capacity planning.
• Lead the drive towards automation, reducing the management overhead and developing a more self-sufficient infrastructure (ie: high-availability and load balancing capabilities).
• Identify opportunities for technology improvements, provide supporting evidence, providing expert advice and actively supporting knowledge-sharing initiatives in areas of responsibility.
• Contribute to standards, policies, guidelines and procedures defining the usage of cloud resources and services.
• Help to develop policies and procedures for cloud infrastructure security. Provide technical leadership for cloud infrastructure security initiatives, working closely with security colleagues and ensuring that security remains a primary objective for UKHSA Technology.
• Monitoring of cloud platforms from a performance (autoscaling), reliability and security perspective

Person specification

Essential: 

 

• Educated to degree level in relevant subject or equivalent level of experience of working at a similar level in specialist area
• Appropriate Azure certifications
• Must have previous experience of managing systems for a large user base
• High level of organisational, time management and prioritisation skills to manage own workload and conflicting demands technical documentation authoring skills
• Extensive knowledge of public cloud and on-prem administration. The ability to work across a range of technologies to form an understanding of an entire technology stack for applications and to carry out tasks including but not limited to:
• Understanding network topologies and network requirements.
• Understanding the importance of solid security principles
• Performing systems health monitoring and configuration, server scans, diagnostic tasks, event log correlation, performance monitoring and remediation.
• Ongoing performance analysis and reporting.
• Networking and firewall knowledge

 

• Strong technical background in Linux and Microsoft technologies
• Experience with deploying services in Azure and/or AWS using templates and automation tools. • Knowledge of IaC, using technologies such as Terraform, Ansible/Puppet, Python, Powershell and GitLab/GitHub.
• Understanding of inclusion and diversity
• Ability to work effectively with colleagues at all levels or hierarchy
• Conflict resolution skills and collaborative working

 

 

Desirable:  

 

• Experience of business procurement processes and rules
• Experience with cloud-based service platforms. i.e. Demonstrate knowledge of cloud PaaS SQL, DBaaS Services
• Database clustering: HA, and distributed active/active system

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £51,824, UK Health Security Agency contributes £10,455 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

Selection Process

 

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Strengths

Stage 1: Application & Sift
As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide a Statement of Suitability in no more than 750 words providing examples of how you meet the essential criteria. It should also detail what you and your experience can bring to the role.

This part of the selection process should outline how you consider your skills, experience and achievements, and provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the essential criteria outlined.

You will also be asked to provide information within the ‘Employer/ Activity history’ section of the application form. This is equivalent to the information you would provide on a CV, setting out your career history. This will be used in sifting process and will be scored

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview

 

Stage 2: Panel Interview

All applicants that progress to interview will be assessed on behaviours / experience / technical / ability through Success Profiles.

When assessing strengths, we want to find out whether you and the job role are a good fit. We will look at what you enjoy doing and what you do well and often. By ensuring that the role is the right fit for you, you are more likely to enjoy it and perform well.

The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:

• Leadership
• Managing a Quality Service
• Developing Self and Others
• Changing and Improving

 

You will be required to prepare a presentation for the interview

Benefits

 

• Alongside your salary of £51,824, UK Health Security Agency contributes £13,992 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• Range of health and wellbeing support

 

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.

 

Reserve List:

Candidates who pass the interview criteria but are not offered a post will be kept on a reserve list for 12 months and may be contacted if similar roles become available.

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.

 

DBS - People working with government systems must complete Basic Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks which includes a disclosure and barring security check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed for this role is BPSS however there may be a requirement for this role to be SC cleared and you should familiarise yourself with the criteria of security clearance.

 

This role is Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants. Appointments to roles within UKHSA will be made in accordance with the Civil Service nationality rules. These can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• Nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• Nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• Nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• Relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
• Relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
• Certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Government baseline personnel security standard

It’s important to note that there are currently exceptions to applications being considered if your conviction relates to any of the following:

• life sentences
• arson
• sexual offences
• hate and terror offences

Some departments will also consider the specific offence against the nature of the business, i.e., a conviction for fraud may rule you out for a finance role

 

Contact Details – Sophie.Rigney@reed.com

 

 

Complaint process:

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: Complaints1@ukhsa.gov.uk. 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.

 

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

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

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

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 equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.