Associate DevOps Engineer

The Associate DevOps is responsible for supporting our platforms. Your role is to resolve tickets relating to the maintenance of the platforms, often needing to make updates to resolve the issues reported.

You will work under the guidance of your technical peers, developing your understanding of our platforms, pipelines and automation approaches.

Key technologies

AWS, Kubernetes, PODs and Scripting

We are looking for a talented DevOps to support our existing AWS infrastruce and code on AWS platform. ACP is also used in DSAB. DSAB (Digital Services At The Border) is responsible for the technical services that protect our borders. You will work with others in this user-centered and agile team to ensure that this platform is fully supported.

Who you are

You will have had some exposure to DevOps and scripting and be able to apply modern approaches to supporting our infrastructure. You may have a background as a DevOps engineer already or be graduating from a relevant degree or other qualification such as an apprenticeship. 

We are looking for someone who can demonstrate an aptitude for problem solving and logical thinking, so relevant technical knowledge and/or experience is a must.  We would also expect you to show how you can integrate into our Engineering community, to collectively improving our approaches and understanding. 

Person specification

What you’ll do

The Home Office is a diverse and mutually supportive environment – you will be joining a small team.  We will also encourage you to use the time which is available to progress and undertake learning and development, your profession will support you in this.   

Your key day to day responsibilities will be   

• Providing helpdesk support to resolve platform operational issues and support system and service uptime
• Writing simple automation components (scripts/playbooks) for our platforms
• Helping execute test and deployment activities with teams
• Signposting users to appropriate people and technical resources
• Learning more advanced automation and cloud skills to advance as an engineer

Other day to day activities 

All our engineers will be expected to embody an open and positive approach, supporting the Home Office in:  

• Progressing the DDaT profession, understanding all roles and helping to build our community 
• Working and assessing to appropriate standards: for instance, accessibility, the GDS service standard and our own community practices 
• Improving our skills and approaches as well as keeping up to speed with the technology landscape

Essential Skills 

You’ll have a demonstrable passion for supporting development and production systems, with the following skills or proven experience in: 

• Use and knowledge of Linux and Windows plus basic scripting using Python, Bash and PowerShell
• Operations using virtual machines, infrastructure as code and associated patterns 
• The configuration and use of cloud services to achieve high availability, fault tolerance, scalability & elasticity 
• Defining and implementing VPCs, cloud networks, security & access groups, Security keys & key management systems and automated deployment (as well as CI/CD pipelines using Jenkins or Drone) 
• Using Docker and Kubernetes commands

Desirable Skills 

Ideally you will also have the following skills or some experience in: 

• Supporting the use of JIRA & Confluence suite of products required to operate in an Agile environment 
• Basic knowledge of SQL and NoSQL query languages, e.g. Postgresql and MongoDB 
• Improving knowledge and use of Terraform including modules and secret management 

The skills listed above are reflective of the Home Office DDaT Profession Skills and Competency Model (based on the industry standard SFIA framework). Please see below for the relevant Technical skills for your role:  

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Changing and Improving
• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Data Management (DATM) - Level 4
• Software Design (SWDN) - Level 3
• Programming/Software Development (PROG) - Level 3
• Programming/Software Development (PROG) - Level 3
• Systems Integration and Build (SINT) - Level 3
• Application Support (ASUP) - Level 4

Benefits

• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A CivilServicepension with an average employer contribution of 27%
• 25 days annual leave on appointment, plus 8 days public holidays and 1 day for the King’s Birthday, rising further with service.
• Flexible working options to enable you to achieve the work life balance that right for you including part-time, flexi time and job sharing.
• Training and development opportunities tailored to your role.