DevOps Engineer

• Lead DevOps Engineer – Azure Data Platform • 6-Month Contract • Hybrid – Newcastle or Leeds • £450–£500 Inside IR35 We are seeking a Lead DevOps Engineer to take ownership of our Microsoft Azure Data Platform strategy and lead a team of engineers in delivering high-quality, scalable solutions. This is a hands-on leadership role, combining technical expertise with the ability to mentor, manage, and inspire a growing DevOps capability. Key Responsibilities: • Lead and Manage a team of DevOps and Data Engineers, providing direction, mentorship, and performance support. • Drive the development, support, and optimisation of solutions across Azure Data Factory, Azure Synapse Analytics, and Azure Data Lake. • Design and oversee Infrastructure and Configuration as Code using Terraform, ensuring best practices and governance are followed. • Own and optimise CI/CD pipelines (preferably in GitLab CI, with Azure DevOps experience welcomed). • Collaborate with stakeholders to define platform strategy, taking ownership of initiatives (e.g. proof-of-concepts, test-and-learn assignments) and delivering them successfully. • Work closely with product owners and senior leadership to shape the technical roadmap for the Azure data platform. • Foster a culture of continuous improvement, driving automation, reliability, and scalability across the engineering function. • Troubleshoot and optimise workloads across Unix/Linux/Windows environments, including scripting where required. • Champion agile DevOps principles, leading by example in a Scrum/Kanban environment. Essential Skills & Experience: • Proven experience leading and managing engineering teams, including mentoring and developing team members. • Extensive hands-on experience with Microsoft Azure services (ADF, Synapse Analytics, Data Lake). • Proficiency with Infrastructure as Code (Terraform). • Strong background with CI/CD pipelines (GitLab CI preferred, Azure DevOps considered). • Experience delivering cloud-based solutions in agile DevOps environments with continuous integration and deployment. • Public sector experience (preferably central government), working to security and compliance standards. • Eligible for SC Clearance (must have lived and worked in the UK for the past 5 years). Desirable Skills: • Recent hands-on experience with Kafka and Kafka Connect. • Experience contributing to strategic planning for data and DevOps platforms. What We’re Looking For: You are a technical leader and team builder who thrives in complex, fast-paced environments. You enjoy solving challenging problems, guiding others to success, and shaping the direction of data and DevOps platforms. You combine hands-on expertise with the ability to communicate effectively with both engineers and stakeholders.