Lead DevOps Engineer, British Intelligence Agencies
MI6 - Permanent
£77.2k
£77,242 plus a recruitment and retention allowance of £6,251. There is the opportunity to qualify for additional allowances and a skills-related payment under the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability (GDDPC) Framework - formerly known as DDaT.
5 days a week in office (Onsite )
UK's domestic and foreign intelligence services
Posted today
UK's domestic and foreign intelligence services
1001+ employees
Posted today
£77.2k
£77,242 plus a recruitment and retention allowance of £6,251. There is the opportunity to qualify for additional allowances and a skills-related payment under the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability (GDDPC) Framework - formerly known as DDaT.
5 days a week in office (Onsite )
1001+ employees
Company mission
MI5, MI6 and GCHQ work together to protect the UK from a range of national security and overseas threats, keeping citizens safe.
Role
Who you are
- You'll be self-motivated, with high standards and a commitment to delivering high-quality results. You'll have experience using AI within engineering processes, reviewing AI output, and guiding AI to produce software and deployments that meet corporate standards. You'll also be skilled at integrating AI capabilities into production systems, including familiarity with emerging standards such as the Model Context Protocol (MCP)
- You'll have a relevant degree or equivalent experience in industry, and a passion for writing code, improving processes, and communicating with technical and non-technical colleagues alike. You'll be constantly looking to improve yourself and learn new things, and you'll thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
- Finally, you’ll have experience leading a team of engineers, including setting a clear direction and providing guidance to junior engineers
What the job involves
- We are looking for experienced professionals to collaborate on some of the biggest challenges facing the UK
- Operating at the heart of the mission, you’ll use your technical skills to protect the UK, disrupt the activities of hostile states, and exploit opportunities in the digital space
- Almost all of MI6’s operational work is underpinned by technology; from keeping our officers safe overseas, to the secure platforms that connect our global partnerships. The challenges we face are complex, varied, and vast
- You will share our vision and values, and will work on seemingly impossible puzzles, to make the country safer and more prosperous
- This is what we do, every day, at MI6
- As the Lead DevOps Engineer, you will join an expanding DevOps capability responsible for helping engineering teams deploy, operate and maintain software effectively across established platforms. You’ll be responsible for leading a team of engineers, provide technical leadership across this area and have a strong foothold in the automation and AI-assisted engineering space. You will be at the forefront of the journey to improve deployment speed, operational reliability and productivity
- You will provide technical leadership across DevOps, deployment, and service operations, driving improvements in how software is deployed, operated, and maintained on established platforms. You will lead the adoption and effective use of Kubernetes and containerised environments, while embedding Site Reliability Engineering principles across both services and teams
- Your focus will be on enhancing CI/CD pipelines, automation, and release processes, using AI safely to boost deployment efficiency and operational productivity. By identifying and reducing bottlenecks between software development and production, you will improve overall reliability, observability, and operational performance. Furthermore, you will guide fellow engineers and promote effective DevOps practices, ensuring a careful balance between delivery pace and the essential requirements of security, resilience, and service stability
Salary benchmarks
Our take
The British Intelligence Agencies - GCHQ, MI5 and MI6 play crucial roles in protecting the nation from a range of security threats. By focusing on counterterrorism, espionage, and cyber threats, the unified force works to safeguard the public and support law enforcement agencies. Its work, largely behind the scenes, is pivotal in ensuring national security.
With origins dating back to the 19th century, each of the British Intelligence Agencies plays a specific role within the security services. GCHQ focuses on signal intelligence gathering and information assurance, MI5 on counterterrorism and national security, whilst MI6 is focused on foreign intelligence and overseas security. This evolution into three specific organisations reflects the agency's ability to stay ahead of emerging security challenges, adjusting its strategy and operations as needed.
As technology and global threats change, the British Intelligence Agencies' approaches continue to evolve, ensuring the UK's security remains a top priority. With its deep expertise and ongoing adaptation, they are major key players in protecting national and international interests, whilst responding to complex security dynamics.
Kirsty
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Company
Company benefits
- Merit awards – we have a merit award system to recognise exceptional contributions by individuals or team
- Flexible working – opportunities to work part-time, compressed hours or as a job share are available, dependent on the role and business needs
- Pension – we understand the importance of saving for retirement and offer a desirable pension scheme, which gives you a guaranteed pension based on career average earnings
- Annual leave – our employees are entitled to 25 days annual leave, rising to 30 days after five years’ service. In addition to this, employees are entitled to public and privilege holidays. Part-time employees receive the same entitlement calculated on a pro-rata basis
- Maternity and paternity leave – we offer maternity and paternity leave over and above the statutory entitlements
- Voluntary service leave – we offer special leave for our employees who wish to undertake voluntary work
- Rented accommodation loan – moving house to take up an offer of employment can be expensive. We offer new joiners the opportunity to take out an interest-free loan of up to £2,500, via our benevolent fund, to assist with the financial burden of relocating into privately rented accommodation. You will be sent an application for the loan at the point of receiving a final offer of employment
- Season ticket loan – we recognise that travel expenses from your home to the office can be significant, so we offer an interest-free season ticket loan which can be used for travel, car park costs or the purchase of a bicycle
- On-site facilities – there is a gym, restaurant, and coffee bar at some locations
- Clubs and societies – we offer a range of sports clubs, fitness classes, societies, and language training facilities
- Childcare Vouchers – we offer two childcare voucher schemes which provide a simple and cost-effective way for employees to receive help towards the cost of childcare
- Eye Voucher Scheme – we offer eye care vouchers and a financial contribution towards prescription glasses
- Physiotherapy – we offer subsidised in-house physiotherapy
- Personal learning – all our staff can undertake professional development to improve their skills and performance in the workplace
Company HQ
Manchester, UK
Articles
Leadership
Ken McCallum
(Director General)An MI5 Officer with over 25 years of experience in national security and intelligence. Their career has spanned roles in counterterrorism, cyber security, and leading MI5's strategic response to major incidents. They were appointed Director General in 2020 and previously served as Deputy Director General and Director General of Strategy.
Blaise Metreweli
(Chief)Blaise joined the Service in 1999 and has had a range of roles, most recently Director General Technology & Innovation (Q). She has spent most of her career operationally in the Middle East & Europe.
Anne Keast-Butler
(Director)Became the first female Director of GCHQ in May 2023. Previously served as Deputy Director General at MI5, where they led operational and investigative work, including responding to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. With over 30 years in national security, they have held key roles in MI5, GCHQ, and Whitehall, including launching the National Security Programme.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at British Intelligence Agencies
- At the Intelligence Agencies, diversity and inclusion are critical to our mission. To protect the UK, we need a truly diverse workforce that reflects the society we serve. This includes diversity in every sense of the word: those with different backgrounds, ages, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, ways of thinking, and those with disabilities or neurodivergent conditions. We therefore welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including those from groups that are underrepresented in our workforce, such as women, those from ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities, and those from low socio-economic backgrounds. Find out more about our culture, working environment, and diversity on our website: https://www.gchq-careers.co.uk/life-at-gchq/diversity-inclusion.html
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