Lead Cloud Engineer (£57,515 - £82,430)

Job summary

Do you have a passion for technology?

Do you want to lead a team of engineers that help build, scale and operate a platform to support a product that you (and everyone you know) will use?

We’re looking for a passionate Lead Cloud Engineer to join our Agile Cloud team at DVLA, Swansea and wouldlove to hear from you!

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays a privilege day for the King’s birthday
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Read more in the Benefits section below!

Find out more about what it's like working at DVLA roles: Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency - Department for Transport Careers

Job description

What You’ll Be Doing

• Technically leading one or more of our Agile delivery squads, following a DevOps model owning the full lifecycle of your product—from design to deployment and beyond.
• As an engineer in one of the Cloud teams, you’ll get to work across a wide range of systems and environments.
• Be part of a team responsible for designing, building, and operating cloud infrastructure on AWS and/or Azure. Supporting our application teams by investing in a robust, scalable, and secure Cloud Platforms.
• Helping to build and support our services using a modern cloud-first approach, with millions of transactions flowing through the systems you help create.
• Mentoring and developing our Cloud Engineering capability.

Why You’ll Love Working With Us

• Impactful work: Your contributions will shape products and services used by millions! Such as, building the cloud platform that runs services like our Driver and Vehicles Account.
• Supportive multi-disciplinary teams: We’re inclusive, collaborative, curious, and always up for sharing knowledge.
• Growth opportunities: If you’re passionate about Cloud Engineering and looking for a new opportunity, we’ll support your continuous development. You will have access to learning materials online, in-person workshops, certifications and qualifications.
• Flexible working: This is not a remote position. However, we understand that life happens—so we offer options to help you balance work and home, following the hybrid model, for you to enjoy the Welsh coast and countryside.

We love exploring new tools and choosing the best fit for the job. Here are just a few of the technologies you’ll be working with:

• EKS & AWS Lambda (Node.js) – powering our services
• OrgFormation – managing our AWS landing zone
• Instana – monitoring everything that matters
• ArgoCD – deploying our applications with ease
• Azure EntraID – managing identities securely
• Elastic – shipping and analysing logs
• CloudFormation & Terraform – infrastructure as code
• PagerDuty – keeping us alert and responsive

Your responsibilities will include, but aren’t limited to:

• Promote knowledge sharing and adoption of good practice.

• Work with technical architects to translate the architectural designs into operations and support technical architects in operationalising the designs.

• Technically lead and direct specialist teams in building, managing, supporting, and maintaining solutions according to departmental policy (if taking a managerial path).

• Contribute to the Cloud Engineering community.
• Act as a technical product owner, developing medium to long term strategies for product lines.

• Provide technical leadership and guidance through coaching and mentoring.
• Lead the sharing of knowledge and good practice

For further information on the role, please read the attached role profile.

Please note that the role profile is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process. This job advert will detail exactly what will be assessed during the recruitment process.

Great line management is important to us as an organisation, and we will equip and support line managers to develop the skills set out in the Civil Service Line Management Standards. We aim to empower line managers to create teams where people can flourish and deliver excellent outcomes for the public.

Would you like to find out more about the role, the digital team and what it’s like to work at DVLA? If so, we are organising a familiarisation session where you can virtually 'meet the team' on Friday 23rd October at 12pm.

Please click here to book on.

Person specification

• To be successful in this role you will need experience of technically leading and developing a team and knowledge of working as a Lead Cloud Engineer across multiple teams and projects.
• You will need to have delivered Cloud based services using modern technologies and tools.
• Have experience working within an Agile Delivery Team to ensure that delivery meets business requirements and is sufficiently tested.
• As the successful candidate you will need to be comfortable working across multiple teams that deals with ambiguity, and to be interested in distributing systems and writing resilient code.

Additional Information

The role is part of the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework and utilises an enhanced Capability–Based Pay Framework which provides access to a Digital and Data allowance.

The base pay is £57,515. In addition to this the role includes a Digital and Data allowance of up to £24,915

The value of allowance awarded will be based on an assessment of your skills and experience as demonstrated through the selection process. Here are more details on the pay framework.

There is also an opportunity to be part of an on-call rota to work outside of normal working hours to support critical services. On call hours apply between the hours of 17:00 and 07:00 Monday to Friday and over a 24 hour period on Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays.

An on call allowance of up to £4,500 will be applied as a non-consolidated, non-pensionable annual payment, paid in monthly instalments through salary and subject to Tax and NI deductions.

Working for the DVLA Digital Team

At DVLA, licensing is just the start. Every project you implement, touch and deliver has a ripple effect that’ll wash across the nation. Here the work you’re doing has the capacity to change the way 53 million people interact with our services. As we aim to keep our roads some of the safest in the world, our innovative, transformative digital-led services help optimise a nation of individuals and business every single day.

To see how our people are transforming our digital services, head over to our DVLA Digital Services Blog and, to understand more about the great opportunities and benefits of working at DVLA read our Inside DVLA blog.

Working hours, office attendance and travel requirements

Full time roles at DVLA consist of 37 hours per week. Whilst we welcome applications from those looking to work with us on a part time basis, there is a business requirement for the successful candidate to be able to work at least 35 hours per week.

Applications will be accepted from full time/part time/job sharers. Part time and/or flexible working may also be available subject to the needs of the business. If you have a flexible or part time working requirement, you should contact the vacancy holder in advance of making an application to avoid possible disappointment later in the process should your desired working arrangements not be compatible with the requirements of the role. To contact the vacancy holder, please use the job contact details listed under ‘Contact point for applicants’.

This role is suitable for hybrid working, which is a non-contractual arrangement where a combination of workplace and home-based working can be accommodated subject to business requirements.

The expectation at present is a minimum of 60% of your working time a month will be spent at either your designated workplace (the location cited in the advert) or, when required for business reasons, in another office/work location. There may be occasions where you are required to attend above the minimum expectation.

If you have a question about hybrid working, flexible working, travelling for work, or require a reasonable adjustment, please contact the Vacancy Holder during the recruitment process to avoid possible disappointment later in the process should your working arrangements not be compatible with the requirements of the role. To contact the vacancy holder, please use the job contact details listed under ‘Contact point for applicants’.

Security Check

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check. To allow for meaningful checks to be carried out, candidates will be required to have at least 5 years continuous residency in the UK. All applicants for this role must ensure that they meet this minimum residency requirement - if you do not, your application will be withdrawn.

Visa Sponsorship

Please note that we do not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker Licence sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship. Candidates must ensure they have the appropriate rights to work in the UK before application.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership

Technical skills

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

• Modern Development Standards (Expert)
• Systems Design (Practitioner)
• Programming & Build (software Engineering) ( Practitioner)
• Service Support (Expert)

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £57,515, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency contributes £16,662 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

Passionate, reliable and always willing to push yourself and those around you, you’ll continue to seek improvement in your own role and challenge us too. Because we pride ourselves on how we approach your development. From training courses to specialist skills workshops and opportunities to grow your expertise, we thrive when you thrive. You can find out more about all of the above here alongside a full list of our benefits:

• Best in class learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity with a range of staff communities to support all our colleagues
• Generous employer contribution of 28.9%, depending on chosen pension scheme
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.
• Digital communities with clear career frameworks
• On-site gym plus personal training available (membership applies)
• On-site nursery, restaurants and coffee bar
• 25 days holiday (plus bank holidays), increasing by 1 each year (up to 30) & 8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the King’s birthday.
• 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme providing free confidential help and advice for staff.
• Free parking

Find out more about the benefits of working at DfT and its agencies (opens in a new window).

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, Experience and Technical skills.

How to apply:

Our selection process ensures a comprehensive assessment of each applicant's skills, and potential fit within our organisation.

The selection process for this role will be:

Stage 1: Sift of CV

Stage 2: Pre-recorded video Interview

Stage 3: Panel interview and technical assessment

You must be successful at each stage to progress to the next stage.

Stage 1: Sift

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide a CV to Inspire People (our Recruitment Partners) which outlines your experience and suitability for the role (based on the experience points outlined in the essential criteria on this advert).

On receipt of your CV, DVLA Hiring Managers will complete a sift. Please note; the sift will be completed on a rolling basis whilst the campaign is still live and so there is potential for feedback to be shared with you (on your application) before the advert closes.

You must be successful at each stage to progress to the next stage.

To apply please click 'Apply at advertiser's site' at the bottom of the page.

For this role you will need to submit a CV.

Within your CV, please provide detailed evidence of your experience of the following essential criteria:

• Technically leading a team of engineers to deliver platform services.
• Hands on experience of AWS.
• Proven experience with Infrastructure-as-Code and automating infrastructure provisioning, with a solid understanding of CI/CD pipelines, containerisation, and modern DevOps tooling and best practices.

The sift will take place 5/11/26

Stage 2: Pre-recorded interview

If at sift your application is successful, you will be invited to the first stage of the interview process (hosted by Inspire People), where you will be asked to complete a pre-recorded video interview (this again will be based on the experience points outlined in the essential criteria on this advert).

If you are successful at this stage, you will be invited to a final stage interview (which will include an assessment) and be conducted by DVLA Hiring Managers.

Stage 3: Interview & assessment

At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

Behaviours – Leadership

Technical –

• Modern Development Standards (Expert)
• Service Support (Expert)
• Systems Design (Practitioner)
• Programming & Build (software Engineering) ( Practitioner)

The interviews will take place from 19/11/26

Please note that we will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change.

This interview will be conducted in person at our Swansea office and will include a technical assessment. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.

You can find out more about our hiring process, how to apply, and application and interview guidance on our careers site (opens in a new window).

Please note that we will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change.

Reasonable Adjustments

As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

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

If you need a reasonable adjustment so that you can complete your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service via dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Document Accessibility

This job advert contains links to the DfT Careers website. Our website provides useful guidance and information that can support you during the application process. If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert or the information on our website, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Further Information

For more information about how we hire, and for useful tips on submitting your application for this role, visit theHow We Hire page of our DfT Careers website. You can find detailed information about the recruitment process and what to expect when applying for a role.

Pre-employment Checking

If your application is successful but you have been dismissed from the Civil Service, your application could be removed at the pre-employment checking stage depending on the nature of the dismissal.

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.

All external applicants and current employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) will be required to undergo a Social Media Check. A Social Media Check is a review of your publicly available online activity, typically across platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and others. The purpose is to identify any public posts or content that could raise concerns for employers, such as:

• Hate speech or discriminatory behaviour
• Threats or acts of violence
• Illegal activity or substance misuse
• Sexually explicit material
• Extremist views or affiliations

Importantly, this check does not involve hacking into your accounts or accessing private messages. It only considers content you have chosen to make public. Employers use this kind of screening to help ensure their workplace remains safe, inclusive, and aligned with company values. It’s not about judging your personality or lifestyle - it’s about checking for potential red flags that might affect the role or company culture. If you have questions or concerns about the social media check, we would be happy to explain in more detail what’s being looked at and how your data is handled securely and fairly.

Vetting

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

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.

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 : Alex Zalewski
• Email : alex@inspirepeople.net

Recruitment team

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

Attachments

ITS-GDD-SD-DOE-LDOE-LCE-G7-Lead Cloud Engineer - V1.0 Opens in new window (pdf, 162kB)DVLA Digital Job Brochure - V1 2025 Opens in new window (pdf, 2074kB)