DevOps Engineer

Job summary

The DevOps Engineer role is part of the Technical Live Services team within Cabinet Office Digital. Help shape the future of UK Government Digital Services as a DevOps Engineer, pushing the boundaries of technology to make a tangible difference to the lives of millions. The Cabinet Office sits at the heart of the UK Government, driving a ground-breaking digital transformation to set a new global benchmark for public services. Over the next three years, our mission is to deliver world-class digital offerings, making public services digital by default, simpler, clearer, and faster to use.

As a DevOps Engineer in CO Digital, you will be responsible for designing, developing, and implementing high-quality, customised digital solutions that support critical business functions and deliver on key project objectives. You will work closely with multidisciplinary teams, technical architects, and diverse stakeholders to gather requirements, integrate complex systems, and ensure the resilience, security, and scalability of our infrastructure.

In this role, you will help the government manage and reduce its reliance on legacy technology while establishing robust continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) pipelines. You will champion modern agile methods, advocate for best practices in software development, and foster an open, collaborative environment.

We value both breadth and depth of technical capability. Above all, you will be motivated by truly important work that puts users first, possessing a proactive approach to problem-solving and a passion for building robust, user-centric public services.

Our business support hours are 8 am to 6 pm, and we ask that you are flexible with your shifts to cover these hours.

Curious about Government Digital and Data? Dive into the Candidate Pack to learn more.

Job description

This vacancy is open for 2 Senior Executive Officer grade DevOps Engineers.

As a DevOps Engineer, your core responsibilities will include:

• Supporting, operating, and maintaining software in live production environments, utilising modern tools to identify, troubleshoot, and resolve faults
• Designing, implementing, and maintaining development and deployment pipelines (CI/CD) for new, existing, and previously unsupported services
• Writing clean, secure, and well-tested code—including comprehensive commentary and supporting documentation
• Adhering to and promoting internal software development standards, processes, and procedures across multidisciplinary teams
• Providing integrated, user-focused solutions that align strategically across multiple platforms and meet business needs
• Packaging and deploying software updates with precision, adhering to change management procedures (occasional deployment activities may fall outside core office hours)
• Travelling between sites for meetings, events, and collaborative working sessions as required

Curious about Government Digital and Data? Dive into the Candidate Pack to learn more.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

To be successful in this role, you must be able to demonstrate:

• Proven working experience of cloud platforms (specifically AWS) and cloud service integration.
• Experience developing related technical stories using modern tools, techniques, and practices such as TDD, CI/CD, and DevOps.
• A holistic understanding of whole-system architecture and experience operating, maintaining, and enhancing the production services you build.
• Proficiency in main programming languages, such as Python and JavaScript, alongside web frameworks (e.g., Django, Node/Next.js).
• Knowledge of at least one relational database management system (RDBMS), such as PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, or Oracle.
• Ability to quickly research, evaluate, and adopt new programming tools, frameworks, and techniques.
• Good communication skills with a proven ability to bridge understanding between technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Good understanding of common security vulnerabilities, threat mitigation, and application/server hardening best practices.
• Experience working within enterprise IT environments and following change management processes.
• Experience with Terraform, CloudFormation, and process automation tools.

Desirable Criteria

It is desirable that you also have:

• Experience with mainstream content management systems (such as Wagtail or WordPress) and custom content workflow integrations.
• Familiarity implementing monitoring, logging, alerting, and production support services.
• Understanding and experienced with incident management techniques, root cause analysis, and response processes.
• Experience working within high-security environments using tools and frameworks that support secure coding practices.

Technical Skills

Candidates will be evaluated against the following technical domains aligned with the Government Digital and Data Capability Framework:

• CI/CD & Source Control: Skilled in GitHub Actions, CodeDeploy, CodePipeline, CodeBuild, branch management policies, and release workflows.
• Cloud Architecture & AWS Ecosystem: Expertise in core AWS services, including VPC, IAM, Security Groups, NACLs, Load Balancing, Autoscaling, Lambda (Serverless), OpenSearch, and Lightsail.
• Databases & Runtimes: Knowledge of PostgreSQL, Aurora, MySQL, and runtimes including Python (Django) and JavaScript (NodeJS).
• Monitoring, Logging & Observability: Experience with CloudWatch or similar, Splunk, availability tooling, and health check configurations.
• Security, Caching & Content Delivery: Knowledge of WAF, AWS Shield, CloudFront CDN, GuardDuty, Memcached, and vulnerability remediation strategies.
• Technical Authoring & Practices: Knowledge of creating runbooks, technical manuals, threat models, and working within Agile/Kanban delivery frameworks.

Additional information:

Cabinet Office policy is that a minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. For some roles, due to their nature and the business need, this may be up to 100%. Requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.

Behaviours

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

• Delivering at Pace
• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing

Technical skills

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

• Programming and Build
• System Integration
• Service Support
• Information Security
• Systems Design

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role.
• An environment with flexible working options.
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
• A Civil Service Pension which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and employer contributions of 28.97%.
• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by one day per year up to a maximum of 30.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

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 (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.

Application process

As part of your application, you will undertake the following online test:

SEO level Civil Service Numerical Test

After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Numerical Test. If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application.

Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the tests is 23:55 on 13/09/2026. If you fail to complete the online test before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.

You will be directed to the Talogy - True Talent – Scheduled Maintenance Window Webpage for online tests during an outage.

Our online test supplier will be performing scheduled maintenance between midday to 1pm Sunday 13/09/2026, ET (US Eastern) 7 a.m. - 8 a.m 13/09/2026.

You will be unable to access tests during this period.

If you are in the middle of a test when the maintenance begins, your progress will be paused. You will be able to resume your test from where you left off via your application centre once the downtime has ended. Please note that you will not be able to launch any new tests while the system is offline.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, personal statement and Behavioural statements.

• A CV: Job History and Qualification details
• A statement of suitability of no more than 1000 words
• Behaviour examples covering the following areas;
  Delivering at Pace
  Changing and Improving
  Communicating and influencing

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be undertaken using the lead behaviour Delivering at Pace and your experience. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Please use your statement of suitability (in no more than 1000 words) to explain how you consider your experience; professional skills and qualities provide evidence of your suitability for the role with reference to the essential experience criteria in the person specification section of the job advert. Please include how long you have been using these skills and experience

Interview

You will be assessed on the following technical skills during the interview:

Programming and Build
System Integration
Service Support
Information Security
Systems Design

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date – week commencing 14th September

Expected interview date/s – To be confirmed, but expected to be week commencing 5th October.

Your interview will either be conducted face to face or by video. You will be notified of the location if you are selected for interview.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via CabinetOfficeRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Further Information

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to Cabinet Office 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; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service/Disclosure Scotland on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

Please note that this role requires SC clearance, which would normally need 5 years UK residency in the past 7 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

Feedback

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).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.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Robinson Jose
• Email : codigitalrecruitment@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and wish to make a complaint, then in the first instance you should contact Government Recruitment Service by email at : cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission at info@csc.gov.uk. For further information on the Recruitment Principles and bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission, please visit their website at: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/.

Attachments

Cabinet Office Terms and Conditions - External 2025-02-20 Opens in new window (docx, 83kB)Cabinet Office Employee Offer Opens in new window (pdf, 302kB)