About the job

Job summary

We're looking for talented individuals to join our engineering team! Your influence will not go unnoticed and will help to shape our organisation's future! 

Are you an experienced Cloud Engineer looking for an inspiring new challenge in Scotland? We have an exciting opportunity at the Scottish Government where your extensive knowledge and expertise of AWS or Azure will allow you to contribute to the success of the Cloud Platform Service and its customers. 

At the Scottish Government, we strive to be a world-leader in the use of technology. The cloud platform service is a core to the wider Digital Strategy of the Scottish Government helping valuable public services to be delivered securely, efficiently in an accessible way to millions of people across Scotland.  

Our enthusiastic team is at the forefront of innovation, and you will be part of this journey. We also offer unbeatable career progression opportunities, strong training and development plans, and a supportive culture. 

If you're looking for an employer who values its people, with an impactful role where you can make a real difference - then look no further!  

Our Approach 

Our success is based on trusting and empowering our teams - encouraging flexibility and freedom that you may find surprising in a public sector setting.  

For example, teams are encouraged to assess and select the best tools for their work. Working with a modern, industry standard tech stack on both AWS and Azure this provides access to Kubernetes, Terraform, Bicep, Ansible, Tech Stacks, Docker Runtime and more. 

We adopt an Agile, User First approach continually improving through iteration. We are innovative - committing to changes in established practice which can improve outcomes. And we’re highly collaborative - working in multi-disciplinary teams, learning from, and supporting each other; debating constructively and committing to solutions. Your perspective and work will be valued; you’ll be supported and support others learning from the diverse range of perspectives we bring to our work and colleagues who we work with. 

Hear from colleagues discussing Digital Careers at Scottish Government. 

Job description

HOW WILL I SPEND MY TIME?

This key role will support the Scottish Government’s goal to deliver innovative technology capabilities and as such would suit a motivated and conscientious individual with good problem-solving skills. You will enjoy working in a supportive team atmosphere, be a self-motivated learner, and be committed to maintaining high standards.

Specialising in Amazon Web Services (AWS) and/or Microsoft Azure resources and solutions, Cloud Engineers are part of a multi-disciplined and dynamic team responsible for the delivery, maintenance, and ongoing improvement of the Scottish Government Cloud Platform services, provisioned using Infrastructure as Code solutions.

 Cloud Engineers:

• Are integral members of a team of cloud engineering specialists who ensure AWS and/or Azure services are integrated, delivered, and operated to a high standard.
• Work with technical professionals to translate architectural designs into robust and secure technical solutions.
• Act as mentors to Associate Cloud Engineers as required.
• Are involved with the on-going build and maintenance of the Scottish Government Cloud Platform services and solutions.
• Assist in the maintenance and improvement of the Scottish Government Cloud Platform services, utilising appropriate tools and technologies to identify, troubleshoot, and remedy technical issues where necessary.
• Work with wider Scottish Government digital/technical professionals to ensure the cloud platform is secure and protected from vulnerabilities.
• Plan, schedule, test, and deploy code releases whilst maintaining the integrity of the production environment, in accordance with release and change management procedures.
• Assist with the maintenance and development of GitHub based DevOps pipelines and associated tooling required to support the Scottish Government’s Cloud Platform’s Infrastructure as Code practices.
• Maintain a good working knowledge of the cloud platform and associated services, enabling them to suggest appropriate performance enhancements, modernisation, and efficiencies.
• Will be expected to keep their skills current, and to demonstrate an innovative approach to the development of other areas of technology which have a bearing on the provision of services for the Scottish Government Cloud Platform.
• Have awareness of Landing Zone concepts in either AWS or Azure and in supporting associated services.
• Demonstrate excellent communication and collaboration skills in liaising with vendors, customers, and partners to identify solutions to technical issues where appropriate.

WHAT IMPACT WILL I HAVE? 

Over a successful year you will take pride in the continuing success of the Cloud Platform Service and play a key role in the wider adoption of cloud services within the public sector. You will help to investigate and provision leading edge technologies to facilitate the transformation of digital public services for the benefit of the people of Scotland. Alongside other Cloud Engineers you will contribute to best practices in the engineering discipline.

GROWTH & OPPORTUNITIES 

As the team are on the forefront of enabling digital change there is opportunity to develop existing skills and knowledge, as well as gain new ones, and as such we provide the opportunity to build skills and knowledge through direct experience with real world deployments. You will also be supported through training and mentoring.

 COMPETENCIES

• Communications and Engagement
• Improving Performance
• Analysis and Use of Evidence
• Self-Awareness

If invited to any interview or assessment the panel will be looking for evidence of how you meet the above competencies. More details on these are available in the Person_Specification_Band_B_Updated_9.9.22_PDF

Person specification

QUALIFICATIONS 

No formal qualifications are required for this role. We would love you to apply if you meet the following essential criteria. If you would like to chat first, please get in touch  

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA 

1. Your experience with GitHub, Infrastructure as Code, and automation solutions such as Terraform, Bicep, Ansible, and Cloud Formation enables you to independently design, code, test, deploy and document AWS or Azure cloud service deployments.  
2. Your experience with AWS or Azure deployments enables you to collaborate with other technical professionals to assess and deploy technical fixes and improvements to the platform in line with agreed processes and governance.  
3. Your experience working in a team provisioning and configuring AWS or Azure resources and workloads enables you to demonstrate working knowledge of cloud native network, compute, and storage services.  
4. Your knowledge of security standards, threat models and security controls enable you to collaborate with Cyber Security experts to assess security risks and deploy effectively secured services under the guidance of Senior Cloud Engineers.  
5. Your experience working in a customer focussed role enables you to communicate effectively, collaborate, and assist customers to realise technical improvements to their workloads. 

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £45,449, Scottish Government contributes £12,271 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

Sift and Interview dates TBC

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.