Reading
6 months
up to £74 per hour - inside IR35 via Umbrella
Active SC Clearance - required to work onsite and support sensitive MOD/aerospace programmes.

This role will be based in Reading with hybrid/custom working options where appropriate.

Senior Systems Engineer - Secure Digital Platform - Data and Integration

Job Purpose
The Senior Systems Engineer is accountable for the design, implementation, operation, support, and continuous improvement of enterprise infrastructure, cloud platforms, and hosting services. This role provides technical leadership across hybrid environments, ensuring systems are resilient, secure, scalable, and aligned with organisational objectives.

The Senior Systems Engineer is responsible for managing and supporting Microsoft Azure cloud services, on-premises infrastructure, virtualisation platforms, storage, networking technologies, and container orchestration platforms including Kubernetes and OpenShift. Working closely with security teams, architects, application teams, and service delivery functions, the role supports business-critical services while driving automation, modernisation, and operational excellence initiatives.

Key Accountabilities and Objectives
Design, deploy, and support enterprise infrastructure across cloud and on-premises environments.
Administer and optimise Microsoft Azure services and cloud-native infrastructure.
Manage and maintain Windows Server and Linux-based environments.
Deploy, configure, and support Kubernetes and OpenShift container platforms.
Implement Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and automation solutions to improve platform management.
Ensure infrastructure security, compliance, resilience, and availability requirements are met.
Monitor system performance, capacity, and operational health across all managed environments.
Support backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity capabilities.
Collaborate with security teams to implement secure-by-design infrastructure solutions.
Troubleshoot and resolve complex incidents, problems, and technical issues.
Maintain technical documentation, standards, and operational procedures.
Mentor junior engineers and contribute to knowledge sharing across technical teams.
Support infrastructure transformation, cloud migration, and technology refresh activities.

Objectives
Cloud & Infrastructure Engineering
Deliver reliable and scalable infrastructure solutions.
Support the adoption and governance of cloud services.
Ensure high levels of platform availability, performance, and resilience.
Drive infrastructure modernisation initiatives.

Platform & Container Services
Design and support Kubernetes and OpenShift hosting platforms.
Enable secure and efficient deployment of containerised workloads.
Improve platform automation, observability, and operational efficiency.
Support platform scalability and life cycle management.

Operational Excellence
Maintain infrastructure services in accordance with service level objectives.
Identify and resolve recurring operational issues.
Improve system monitoring, alerting, and performance management.
Ensure operational processes follow industry best practices.

Automation & Continuous Improvement
Promote Infrastructure as Code and automation-first approaches.
Develop and maintain automation solutions using Scripting and orchestration tools.
Reduce manual operational overhead through process improvement.
Drive continuous service enhancements and innovation.

Planning
Support the development of infrastructure roadmaps and strategic plans.
Manage technical risks, dependencies, and operational challenges.
Participate in capacity planning and technology life cycle management.
Provide technical assurance and delivery confidence across programmes and projects.
Escalate issues and risks appropriately.

Bachelors degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Systems Engineering, or a related discipline.
Experience in infrastructure, systems, cloud, or platform engineering roles.
Strong experience supporting enterprise-scale cloud and on-premises environments.
Demonstrable expertise in Microsoft Azure infrastructure and services.

Desirable Qualifications
Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate.
Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert.
Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA).
Red Hat OpenShift Administration certification.
VMware VCP certification.
ITIL Foundation or equivalent service management certification.

Azure Solutions Architect, Azure Administrator, OpenShift, or Kubernetes certifications.
Strong experience administering Microsoft Azure services and infrastructure.
Experience within defence, aerospace, or highly regulated environments.
Experience supporting hybrid cloud and on-premises environments.
Experience supporting classified or secure environments.
Strong knowledge of Windows Server and Linux operating systems.
Knowledge of Azure Arc and hybrid cloud management technologies.
Experience managing enterprise virtualisation platforms such as VMware or Hyper-V.
Experience with Software Defined Networking (SDN).
Strong understanding of networking technologies including TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, VPNs, load balancing, Firewalls, and routing.
Knowledge of Zero Trust Architecture principles.
Hands-on experience administering Kubernetes clusters.
Experience with service mesh technologies such as Istio.
Practical experience supporting Red Hat OpenShift environments.
Experience supporting large-scale enterprise container platforms.
Experience with Infrastructure as Code tools including Terraform, Bicep, ARM Templates, or Ansible.
Knowledge of cloud cost optimisation and FinOps principles.
Experience with monitoring, logging, and observability platforms.
Experience with edge or distributed computing architectures.
Strong Scripting and automation skills using PowerShell, Bash, Python, or similar technologies.
Experience with backup, recovery, and disaster recovery solutions.
Strong troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and problem-solving skills.
Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
Ability to mentor and support junior engineers.
Experience working within Agile, DevOps, or Platform Engineering environments.