DevOps Engineer

This Grade 7 DevOps Engineer post at Kent Fire and Rescue Service is an 18-month fixed-term role in its IT delivery operations. The work centres on automating manual and error-prone IT processes and building pipelines, tooling and engineering practices that make delivery more reliable. The post suits someone who can work pragmatically across a mixed technology estate and win colleagues over through technical credibility rather than mandate. Proven hands-on automation experience in a controlled production setting decides fit.

What the job involves

• Identify, prioritise and deliver automation of manual, repetitive or error-prone IT processes, targeting measurable cuts in operational effort
• Design, implement and maintain automation, scripting, pipelines, tooling and engineering practices
• Decide which improvements can be standardised and which justify a different approach
• Support adoption of modern DevOps practices such as source control, automated testing, deployment automation, configuration management, monitoring and repeatable releases
• Ensure automation and engineering changes meet security, architecture, change, service management and operational controls
• Produce documentation and operational ownership for automation and tooling, covering monitoring, failure handling, support and knowledge transfer
• Influence colleagues through technical credibility, collaboration and coaching

Qualifications

• Relevant technical or professional qualification in IT, software engineering, infrastructure or a related discipline, or demonstrable equivalent experience

Experience

• Demonstrable experience using automation or scripting to improve technology operations or software delivery
• Identifying manual or repetitive work and replacing or simplifying it through technology or process improvement
• Implementing technical changes in a controlled production environment
• Supporting or maintaining automation after implementation, including handling failures and operational exceptions

Checks & eligibility

• Pre-employment references and a standard or enhanced DBS check

Other

• Understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion and how it fits with everyday work

Nice to have

• DevOps, cloud, automation or engineering certification
• IT service management or change-management qualification, or equivalent knowledge
• Experience delivering automation across endpoint, infrastructure or cloud-management platforms
• Experience with Intune, MECM, Azure, Microsoft 365 or similar enterprise platforms

What’s offered

• Automatic membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme with a 16.5% employer contribution
• 32 days annual leave in addition to bank and public holidays
• Annual increase of one scale point within grade up to the top of the grade
• Blue Light Card and CSSC Card discount schemes
• Employee Assistance Programme and access to health and wellbeing services
• Family friendly policies promoting work-life balance
• Free to join internal clubs and colleague forums
• Gym access and free parking