Lead Specialist Engineer AWS Workspace

Job summary

We’re recruiting for a Lead Specialist Engineer here at UKHSA, to be part of our warm and collaborative Communication and End User Services (CEUS) team.

Lead Specialist Engineers are responsible for supporting the delivery of technical excellence in their field of specialism and assisting the Senior Specialist Engineer in ensuring that all systems are optimally configured to provide a high-quality service to UKHSA users.

They may be required to supervise the activity of junior staff, but will mainly be responsible for undertaking the configuration, management and maintenance of all hardware and software components of UKHSA’s network and infrastructure.

The Lead Specialist Engineer will work within the Modern Device team as part of the wider Specialist Communications and End User Services team.

Job description

The technologies supported by the end user devices area, and listed in order of importance for this role are:

• AWS Workspace management and support
• AWS Virtual desktop infrastructure
• Intune management and support
• Configuration and compliance policy management
• End User Device Hardware and Core Software deployment
• Operating System Deployment and lifecycle management
• End User Operating System support for Windows 11

This role is being recruited with the primary responsibility of management and support of AWS Workspaces and related virtual desktop infrastructure.

The Lead Specialist Engineer may also take responsibility for a subset of these technologies in conjunction with the other Lead and Senior Specialist Engineers. It is not expected that one individual will lead or specialise in all areas, rather that the team as a whole will cover these areas between them.

Further duties include:

• Provide engineering and technical support for AWS Workspaces with UKHSA environments.
• Develop & maintain an understanding of AWS cloud platform.
• Develop & maintain the UKHSA standard Windows11 build, including customisations and updates as necessary to align with the UKHSA strategy and approved operating systems design.
• Work in a collaborative manner with other ICT colleagues to deliver tasks successfully.
• Plan/configure/manage/maintain all hardware and/or software components of specialist area to deliver optimum system availability to users, ensuring all supplier provided patches and upgrades to the operating system, database, tools and utilities are applied in a timely manner.
• Maintain the security and integrity of all systems related to specialist area including managing all user access rights and implementation of any necessary backup regimes and other disaster recovery procedures.
• Provide technical and administrative support for specialist systems, including the production of system specification documentation and the production of relevant procedures and protocols.
• Monitor and manage system performance, capacity and growth, providing advice on necessary upgrades and replacement of hardware and software so as to maintain the reliability of the systems. Implement hardware changes and upgrades and database upgrades and migrations to maintain system performance and growth capacity.
• Ensure compliance with UKHSA Technology and other relevant policies.
• Maintain awareness of technical developments and research new technologies with a view to providing advice to the Senior Specialist Engineer on suitable deployment strategies for UKHSA.
• Conduct such work as directed by the Senior Engineer or Team Manager consistently with departmental standards and to agreed timescales.
• Maintain own specialist skills with appropriate professional training.
• Provide the Senior Specialist Engineer or Team Manager with estimates of effort and timescales for tasks as required.
• Carry out support and service to all customers during the agreed working hours, including any out of hours working.
• Comply with departmental and UKHSA requirements for the reporting of all absences.
• Provide a level of work that adheres to the high standards and best practices in line with the SLAs as agreed with UKHSA Users.
• Train and Develop: provide training to the team members to enable provision of quality support with various technologies used by UKHSA - training would be dependent on the individual’s skills levels within the team.
• Assist the line manager in carrying out 1-2-1’s during the year and PDR’s at the start of year, mid-year and end of year.

This is not an exhaustive list, and the above is only an outline of the responsibilities, tasks and outcomes required of the role. You will carry out any other duties as may reasonably be required by your line manager.

The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the division and the UKHSA.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Detailed knowledge and considerable experience of specialist technologies. Must be able to demonstrate qualification and expertise in one or more of UKHSA’s integral technologies, such as: End User Device Hardware and Core Software; Operating System Deployment (currently AWS Workspaces and Intune) and lifecycle management; End User Operating System (currently Windows 11); Mobile Device Management (Intune); AWS Workspaces and Azure Windows Virtual Desktop, W365.
• Substantial experience and knowledge of Microsoft Windows 11 and PC hardware devices in a managed enterprise-scale environment
• Recent experience of creating and updating operating system deployments in a large enterprise using Amazon Workspaces, Intune and Autopilot.
• Recent experience of managing device security configurations and policies using Intune.
• Ability to speak credibly and authoritatively to technical and non-technical audiences and assimilate technical language quickly and effectively.
• Clear communicator with excellent writing, report writing and presentation skills; capable of constructing and delivering clear ideas and concepts concisely and accurately for diverse audiences.
• Evidence of excellent customer service skills and a commitment to improving services and performance for end users.
• Skills for communication on complex matters and difficult situations, requiring persuasion and influence.
• Skills for nurturing key relationships and maintaining personal networks.
• Ability to analyse and interpret information, pre-empt and evaluate issues, and recommend and appropriate course of action to address the issues.
• Good planning and risk management skills, with the ability to pre-empt potential issues and mitigate effectively to stop system disruptions occurring.
• Ability to engender trust and confidence and demonstrate integrity in the provision of advice and support
• Formal technical qualification, e.g. AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner MD102 or equivalent.

Desirable Criteria

• Ability to work on own initiative and organise own workload without supervision working to tight and often changing timescales.
• Problem solving skills and ability to respond to sudden unexpected demands.

Behaviours

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

• Delivering at Pace
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Changing and Improving
• Managing a Quality Service

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £41,983, UK Health Security Agency contributes £12,162 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.

UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.

Please visit our careers site for more informationhttps://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers

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.

Application & Sift

At sift stage you will be assessed against the 13 Essential Criteria listed in this job advert.

You will be required to complete an:

• Application form - ‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application
• Up to 1000 word Supporting Statement

This should outline how your previous skills and experience, technical skills and ability, and knowledge provide evidence of your suitability for the role.

The Application form and Supporting Statement will be marked together.

The Application form is the kind of information you would put into your CV - please be advised you will not be able to upload or email your CV. Please complete the application form in as much detail as possible.

Healthjobs UK has a word limit of 1500, but your Statement of Suitability must be no more than 1000. We will not consider any words over 1000.

Longlisting

If a large number of applications are received, we will longlist into 3 piles of:

• Meets all essential criteria
• Meets some essential criteria
• Meets no essential criteria

Only those that 'Meets all essential criteria' will progress to shortlisting.

Shortlisting

In the event of a large number of applications, we will shortlist against the following lead criteria:

• Detailed knowledge and considerable experience of specialist technologies. Must be able to demonstrate qualification and expertise in one or more of UKHSA’s integral technologies, such as: End User Device Hardware and Core Software; Operating System Deployment (currently AWS Workspaces and Intune) and lifecycle management; End User Operating System (currently Windows 11); Mobile Device Management (Intune); AWS Workspaces and Azure Windows Virtual Desktop, W365.

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview.

Please note feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Interview - Success Profiles

You will be invited to a remote interview.

Interview dates to be confirmed.

Behaviours and Experience being assessed at interview will be as follows:

• Delivering at Pace - Lead Behaviour
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Changing and Improving
• Managing a Quality Service

Technical Skills and Ability will be assessed in the form of technical questions during the interview.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Eligibility Criteria

Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).

Salary Information

Grade: Senior Executive Officer (SEO)

SEO Inner: £46,310 - £52,113
SEO Outer: £44,148 - £50,121
SEO National: £41,983 - £48,128

Per annum, pro rata.

This role attracts a Market Pay Supplement (MPS) of up to £5,000 which will be awarded based on capability assessment.

If you are successful at interview, and are moving from another government department, NHS, or Local Authority, the relevant starting salary principles for level transfers or promotions will apply. Otherwise, roles are offered at the pay scale minimum for the grade, but in exceptional circumstances there may be flexibility if you are able to demonstrate you are already in receipt of an existing, higher salary. Pay increases are through the relevant annual pay award for the role and terms.

Location

This role is being offered as hybrid working, based at any of our Core HQ’s - Birmingham (B2 4BH), Liverpool (L3 1DS), Leeds (LS2 7UE) and London/Canary Wharf (E14 4PU).

We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA's core HQ’s (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London/Canary Wharf).

Our core HQ offices are modern and newly refurbished with excellent city centre transport link and benefit from benefit from co-location with other government departments such as the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).

Security Clearance Level Requirement

Successful candidates must pass a basic disclosure and barring security check before they can be appointed.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Security Clearance.

For meaningful National Security Vetting checks to be carried out individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 5 years as the role requires Security Check (SC). UK residency less than the outlined periods may not necessarily bar you from gaining national security vetting and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder/Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

Future location

UKHSA is investing in a new state-of-the-art National Biosecurity Centre in Harlow, Essex, which will eventually bring together teams currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale and Porton Down. For more details, please see: Huge biosecurity centre investment to boost pandemic protection - GOV.UK.The new facilities will start becoming operational in the mid-2030s, with full completion by 2038. Staff will move in phases as facilities become available. If you're appointed to a role currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale or Porton Down, please note that we'll continue investing in these sites for the next decade. As we get closer to the transition, we'll provide full information about relocation support available to staff.

Reasonable Adjustments

The Civil Service is committed to making sure that our selection methods are fair to everyone. To help you during the recruitment process, we will consider any reasonable adjustments that could help you. An adjustment is a change to the recruitment process or an adjustment at work. This is separate to the Disability Confident Scheme. If you need an adjustment to be made at any point during the recruitment process you should contact the recruitment team in confidence as soon as possible to discuss your needs.

You can find out more information about reasonable adjustments across the Civil Service here: Reasonable Adjustments , Civil Service Careers

International Police check

If you have spent more than 6 months abroad over the last 3 years you may need an International Police Check. This would not necessarily have to be in a single block, and it could be time accrued over that period.

Internal Fraud Check

If successful for this role as one aspect of pre-employment screening, applicant’s personal details – name, national insurance number and date of birth - will be checked against the Cabinet Office Internal Fraud Hub and anyone included on the database will be refused employment unless they can show exceptional circumstances. Currently this is only for External candidates to the Civil Service.

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.

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

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 : Sarah Handy
• Email : sarah.handy@ukhsa.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@ukhsa.gov.uk

Further information

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact UKHSA Public Accountability Unit via email: Complaints@ukhsa.gov.uk If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website here: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk

https://www.healthjobsuk.com/job/v7780519