DevOps Engineer

DevOps Engineer Outside IR35 | 12 months | Active SC | £500-£525 p/d SR2 is working with a long-standing delivery partner on the major public sector project, supporting modern DevOps enablement across platform and product teams. We’re looking for a skilled DevOps Engineer with strong Kubernetes experience to join a specialist platform engineering function. This team acts as an enabler helping application teams adopt DevOps best practices via reusable tooling, scalable platforms, and robust CI/CD. This is a 12-month contract, Outside IR35, and offers a chance to shape the DevOps culture of a critical Defence programme. Due to the quick turn around for this role, the client requires all applicants to currently have active SC clearance; unfortunately they cannot put you through this if you do not already have it. Key Responsibilities: • Lead DevOps delivery across secure, containerised Defence platforms. • Build and enhance AWS infrastructure using Terraform, with MODCloud exposure highly advantageous. • Drive CI/CD automation via GitLab, GitOps workflows with ArgoCD, and Kubernetes-based architectures (EKS, EKS Anywhere, Rancher). • Support HQ initiatives including prototypes, R&D, business automation, and technical strategy. • Guide junior engineers and contribute to best practice, standards, and continuous improvement. • Engage confidently with stakeholders to shape technical decisions aligned to wider business objectives. Essential Skills / Experience: • Strong AWS engineering background with Terraform. • Docker, Kubernetes, EKS, EKS Anywhere, Rancher. • GitOps (ArgoCD) and CI/CD automation via GitLab. • VMware, bare-metal deployments, and cross-domain solutions. • Advanced Linux with strong scripting (Python or PowerShell). • Secure-by-design delivery aligned to MOD standards (e.g., JSP453). • Proven experience leading delivery within agile teams. Desirable Skills: • Experience in MODCloud environments. • Familiarity with observability tooling (Prometheus, Grafana, Splunk). • Knowledge of containerised data services (Postgres, Redis, Kafka, Keycloak). • Broader Infrastructure-as-Code and automation experience (Ansible, HashiCorp tools). The Details: • Contract: 12 months • IR35: Outside IR35 • Rate: £500 - £525 p/d • Location: Remote with occasional on-site presence (fortnightly) • Clearance: Active SC required