DevOps Engineer & Java Developer (SC Cleared) - Permanent - Reading/Leeds, UK
Role Overview:
The DevOps Engineer will be responsible for contributing to version-controlled configuration assets within an established DevOps environment. The role involves diagnosing and troubleshooting infrastructure and deployment issues, while working closely with cross-functional teams across the organization. The ideal candidate should have strong expertise in continuous integration, automated deployment, testing, and relevant tooling such as Git/GitLab, Jenkins, Ansible, Terraform, Linux, and AWS services (EC2, S3, EKS).
Key Responsibilities:
- Design and implement automated build and deployment solutions for Java-based microservices using tools such as Jira, GitLab, Jenkins, Artifactory, Ansible, and Terraform
- Collaborate with teams and clients to define and implement operational and infrastructure requirements
- Act as a liaison between management, development/QA teams, and operations
- Identify and implement automation opportunities to improve efficiency and business value
- Support large-scale CI/CD and source code management implementations
- Troubleshoot and resolve technical challenges across environments
- Monitor project progress and provide technical direction where required
- Build and maintain strong relationships with internal teams and third-party suppliers
- Work within Agile delivery environments
- Maintain lightweight documentation for systems and processes
- Mentor and support junior team members
Essential Skills:
- Strong experience with Jenkins (Enterprise level) and reusable pipeline creation
- Solid understanding of Linux OS, networking, and security hardening
- Hands-on experience with AWS services (EC2, S3, Lambda, EKS, API Gateway, ALB, Auto Scaling)
- Expertise in Infrastructure as Code tools (Ansible, Terraform) with mandatory Ansible automation framework experience
- Proficiency in Scripting/programming (Python, Groovy, Shell, etc.)
- Experience with Git and branching strategies
- Knowledge of automated testing tools (eg, ReadyAPI, Cucumber)
- Familiarity with microservices architecture and Kubernetes (preferably EKS)
- Experience managing distributed systems across multiple AWS environments
- Experience in deployment, support, and monitoring of application stacks
- Knowledge of CI/CD quality gates (eg, SonarQube integration, regression suites)
- Understanding of REST APIs, JSON, and YAML
Desirable Skills:
- Experience with JIRA or similar issue tracking tools
- Knowledge of HashiCorp Packer (AMI creation) and Vault (secrets management)
- Familiarity with messaging systems (IBM MQ, RabbitMQ)
- Experience with monitoring tools such as Elastic Stack and AppDynamics
- Passion for working in fast-paced environments with frequent production releases
- Strong ownership mindset and accountability
- Eagerness to learn new tools and technologies
- Excellent attention to detail
- Strong communication skills (written and verbal) across all levels