Lead Infrastructure Engineer (Linux and DevOps)

Job summary

Help shape the Future of UK Government Digital Services as a Lead Infrastructure Engineer (Linux and DevOps) and push the boundaries of technology and make a tangible difference to the lives of millions. The Cabinet Office is at the heart of the UK Government, driving a ground-breaking Digital Transformation. We're striving to set a new global benchmark for digital services. Over the next three years, we're on a mission to make our digital offerings the best in the world and we need skilled individuals like you to help us get there.

Job description

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll be doing:

You'll be instrumental in shaping the infrastructure, network and cloud capabilities that support vital services for the Cabinet Office and its executive agencies, including Government Commercial Authority (GCA) and the Government Property Agency (GPA), impacting civil servants and ministerial bodies across the nation.

As a Lead Infrastructure Engineer (Linux and DevOps), you won't just be maintaining systems, you'll be a key architect of our future infrastructure landscape. Working alongside Technical Architects and Principal Engineers, you'll design, maintain and upgrade our infrastructure, tackling challenges head on and ensuring seamless service delivery.

* Designing and implementing new services to meet the evolving needs of the Cabinet Office.

* Be a crucial point of escalation for our Live Service, diving deep into root cause analysis and finding effective solutions.

* Guiding and mentoring junior engineers, creating a collaborative and growth-oriented team environment.

* Managing and supporting our AWS cloud environment, including deploying new services via code.

* Maintaining and enhancing our infrastructure servers (Linux and Windows), with primary focus on the Linux servers.

* Line management and leadership of Senior Infrastructure Engineers.

* Working with cutting edge cloud technologies, contributing to the migration of existing systems and the implementation of innovative new solutions.

* Integrating and improving our existing processing systems to enhance performance.

* Maintaining the integrity, availability, performance and capacity of our infrastructure.

* Carrying out change control activities with precision and documenting our infrastructure.

Person specification

Requirements for the role:

• In depth understanding and experience of Linux, including configuration using infrastructure as code.
• Proven experience in AWS and infrastructure as code.
• Experience of change management processes.
• Experience working in an enterprise IT environment.
• Exceptional customer relationship and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build trust at all levels.
• Technical expertise in supporting and administering servers and IT infrastructure.
• Experience with monitoring and trend analysis tools.
• Comprehensive knowledge of server and application hardening and security best practices.
• Understanding of Windows AD and related services such as DHCP, DNS, PKI, LDAP and Group Policy.
• Experience working with AWS Multi Account, EC2, VPCs and Route53.

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:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace
• Changing and Improving
• Managing a Quality Service

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace
• Managing a Quality Service

Technical skills

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

• In depth understanding of Linux
• Proven experience in AWS and infrastructure as code
• Comprehensive knowledge of server and application hardening and security best practices.
• Experience with monitoring and trend analysis tools
• Infrastructure as code and Scripting

We only ask for evidence of these technical skills on your application form:

• In depth understanding of Linux
• Proven experience in AWS and infrastructure as code
• Comprehensive knowledge of server and application hardening and security best practices.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £57,204, Cabinet Office contributes £16,571 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).

• 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, Experience and Technical skills.

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

Application process

For your application, you will be required to provide the following:

• A CV
• Examples of Behaviours
• Examples of Technical skills

The CV will not be assessed and will be for reference only.

Sift

At sift you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

- Behaviours:

• Making Effective Decisions (lead behaviour)
• Delivering at Pace
• Managing a Quality Service

- Technical Skills:

• In depth understanding of Linux
• Proven experience in AWS and infrastructure as code
• Comprehensive knowledge of server and application hardening and security best practices.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be undertaken using the Lead Behaviour, 'Making Effective Decisions'.

If you are successful at sift, you will be invited to an initial interview held remotely by video.

Selection process

Interview

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

- Behaviours:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Changing and Improving

- Technical Skills:

• In depth understanding of Linux
• Proven experience in AWS and infrastructure as code
• Comprehensive knowledge of server and application hardening and security best practices
• Experience with monitoring and trend analysis tools
• Infrastructure as code and Scripting

If you are successful after the initial remote interview, you will be invited to a face-to-face second interview where you will also be required to complete a technical exercise based on scripting and infrastructure as code.

Curious about Government Digital and Data? Dive into the Candidate Pack to learn more https://dsit.pagetiger.com/bzwfhzv/1

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift dates – w/c 20/07/2026
Expected interview dates – 01/09/2026
Interview location - video and face-to-face. The first interview will be by video, and you will be notified of the location if you are selected for a second 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 an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Further Information

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

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

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

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 5 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.

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

Feedback

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a 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 : CO Digital Recruitment Team
• 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-Employee-Offer Opens in new window (docx, 762kB)Cabinet Office Terms and Conditions - External 2025-02-20 Opens in new window (docx, 83kB)