Ansible SME Tech Lead

Job Title: Ansible SME / Technical Lead

Contract Type: 12-month initial contract (Inside IR35)

Location: Remote

Client: Leading Financial Services Organisation

Overview

We are supporting a major financial services client in the search for an Ansible SME / Technical Lead to provide hands-on expertise and technical leadership across enterprise automation initiatives. This role is ideal for a senior Ansible specialist who enjoys working at both a strategic and delivery level, helping teams design, build, and optimise secure, scalable automation solutions in a regulated environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, maintain, and optimise Ansible playbooks, roles, and modules.
• Act as the Ansible subject-matter expert, providing guidance on automation strategy, standards, and best practices.
• Lead and support the setup, configuration, and ongoing use of Ansible Automation Platform (AAP) 2.6.
• Collaborate with engineering, operations, and application teams to automate infrastructure and application workflows.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex automation and platform-related issues.
• Support integrations with CI/CD pipelines, monitoring platforms, and ITSM tools.
• Ensure automation workflows meet security, compliance, RBAC, and credential management requirements.
• Mentor and train engineers on Ansible usage, automation patterns, and DevOps practices.
• Evaluate new Ansible features, modules, and integrations to drive continuous improvement.
• Document automation solutions and contribute to shared knowledge bases and standards.

Required Skills & Experience

• Strong hands-on experience with Ansible and Ansible Automation Platform in enterprise environments.
• Proven experience setting up and working with AAP 2.6, including its core features and architecture.
• Proficiency in YAML, Python, and common scripting languages such as Shell, Perl, or Ruby.
• Solid understanding of infrastructure, cloud, and application automation.
• Experience implementing RBAC, security controls, and compliance within automation workflows.
• Good knowledge of DevOps principles, CI/CD pipelines, and integrations with monitoring tools.
• Experience with automation/orchestration tools such as Ansible and Puppet.
• Hands-on experience managing Linux-based systems (RHEL, Ubuntu, CentOS) across production, staging, and development environments.
• Strong problem-solving, communication, and documentation skills.
• Red Hat certifications (e.g., RHCE, Ansible Automation) highly desirable.

Why Apply?

• Long-term, 12-month initial contract with extension potential
• Fully remote engagement
• High-impact role within a large, regulated financial services environment
• Opportunity to act as a technical leader and shape enterprise automation practices

If you are an experienced Ansible specialist looking for a senior, hands-on contract role with real influence, we'd be keen to speak with you.