Senior Infrastructure Operations Engineer

Job summary

Are you passionate about IT ready to embrace a new challenge?

Are you experienced in a range of systems?

If so, we would love to hear from you!

At the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) we build world class digital services and you'll be part of a team delivering both change and service excellence. As we continue the transformation journey there will be opportunities for you to support programmes that help migrate legacy technology onto cloud-based platforms paving the way for the future business and service transformation.

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays and a privilege day for the King’s birthday.
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Read more in the Benefits section below!

Find out more about what it's like working at DVLA - Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency – Civil Service Careers

Job description

As a Senior Infrastructure Operations Engineer (SEO), you will play a key role in supporting and maintaining the critical infrastructure and operational services that underpin DVLA's digital platforms. Working within a 24/7 operational environment, you will help ensure services remain secure, reliable and available, supporting both day-to-day operations and the delivery of strategic technology change.

You will use your technical expertise and operational knowledge to support the monitoring, management and continual improvement of infrastructure and application services across physical, virtual and cloud-based environments. The role requires the ability to respond to incidents, problems and changes, whilst ensuring services are delivered in line with organisational standards, service requirements and operational best practice.

Working closely with engineers, service teams and business stakeholders, you will contribute to maintaining service resilience, improving operational effectiveness and supporting DVLA's ongoing technology transformation. Whether leading operational activity, driving service improvements or providing technical expertise, you will play an important role in delivering reliable outcomes for millions of DVLA customers.

Your responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• Supporting the operation, monitoring and maintenance of critical Server infrastructure (Windows, UNIX & Linux) and application services.
• Providing technical leadership and expertise in the investigation and resolution of incidents, problems and changes.
• Ensuring services are proactively managed through effective monitoring, alerting and automation.
• Working collaboratively across operational and technical teams to deliver resilient and reliable services.
• Contributing to service improvements that enhance performance, reduce risk and improve efficiency.
• Supporting the delivery of technology change, including the adoption of modern and cloud-based platforms.
• Maintaining effective communication with stakeholders and ensuring operational activities are managed safely and efficiently.

Great line management is important to us as an organisation, and we will equip and support line managers to develop the skills they need. We aim to empower line managers to create teams where people can flourish and deliver excellent outcomes for the public.

For further information on the role, please read the attached role profile. Please note that the role profile is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process. This job advert will detail exactly what will be assessed during the recruitment process.

Person specification

To be successful in this role you will need to have the following experience:

• Proven experience of leading technical teams within an IT operations environment, with accountability for service outcomes and team performance.
• The ability to bring together Infrastructure Operations Engineers from different operational disciplines (Operations Centre and Platforms) to build a cohesive and collaborative shift team.
• Strong operational judgement, with experience of overseeing monitoring, alerting and incident response for live, customer facing services.
• A clear leadership style that sets direction, supports others and maintains focus on priorities, even in high pressure or ambiguous situations.
• Excellent communication skills, enabling you to work effectively with engineers, peers and stakeholders, and to ensure shared understanding and joined up working.
• Experience of supporting or implementing monitoring improvements and automation, reducing manual activity and improving operational effectiveness.

Additional Information

Working for the DVLA Digital Team

At DVLA, licensing is just the start. Every project you implement, touch and deliver has a ripple effect that’ll wash across the nation. Here the work you’re doing has the capacity to change the way 53 million people interact with our services. As we aim to keep our roads some of the safest in the world, our innovative, transformative digital-led services help optimise a nation of individuals and business every single day.

To see how our people are transforming our digital services, head over to our DVLA Digital Services Blog and, to understand more about the great opportunities and benefits of working at DVLA read our Inside DVLA blog .

Working hours, office attendance and travel requirements

The successful candidate is required to be available on a rota basis to undertake work within a shift system covering 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. An indicative shift allowance of 35% is applicable.

Full time roles consist of 37 hours per week. Whilst we welcome applications from those looking to work with us on a part time basis, there is a business requirement for the successful candidate to be able to work at least 35 hours per week.

This role is suitable for hybrid working, which is a non-contractual arrangement where a combination of workplace and home-based working can be accommodated subject to business requirements.

The expectation at present is a minimum of 60% of your working time a month will be spent at either your designated workplace (one of the locations cited in the advert) or, when required for business reasons, in another office/work location. There may be occasions where you are required to attend above the minimum expectation.

If you have a question about hybrid working, part time/job share hours, flexible working, travelling for work, or require a reasonable adjustment, please contact the Vacancy Holder during the recruitment process to avoid possible disappointment later in the process should your working arrangements not be compatible with the requirements of the role (see below for contact details).

Security Check

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check . To allow for meaningful checks to be carried out, candidates will be required to have at least 5 years continuous residency in the UK. All applicants for this role must ensure that they meet this minimum residency requirement - if you do not, your application will be withdrawn.

Visa Sponsorship

Please note that we do not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker Licence sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship. Candidates must ensure they have the appropriate rights to work in the UK before application.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Leadership
• Working Together

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Incident Management (Skill level: Working)
• Technical Understanding (Skill level: Working)
• Continuous service improvement (Skill level: Working)

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £44,241, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency contributes

£12,816 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

Passionate, reliable and always willing to push yourself and those around you, you’ll continue to seek improvement in your own role and challenge us too. Because we pride ourselves on how we approach your development. From training courses to specialist skills workshops and opportunities to grow your expertise, we thrive when you thrive. You can find out more about all of the above here alongside a full list of our benefits:

• Best in class learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity with a range of staff communities to support all our colleagues
• Generous employer contribution of 28.9%, depending on chosen pension scheme
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.
• Digital communities with clear career frameworks
• On-site gym plus personal training available (membership applies)
• On-site nursery, restaurants and coffee bar
• 25 days holiday (plus bank holidays), increasing by 1 each year (up to 30) & 8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the King’s birthday.
• 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme providing free confidential help and advice for staff.
• Free parking

Find out more about the benefits of working at DfT and its agencies (opens in a new window).

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window) , and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

How to apply:

Our selection process ensures a comprehensive assessment of each applicant's qualifications, skills, and potential fit within our organisation.

The selection process for this role will be:

Stage 1: Sift of CV and personal statement

Stage 2: Interview

You must be successful at each stage to progress to the next stage.

Stage 1: Sift

At sift, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

Experience – you will be asked to provide a CV (unlimited wordcount) and personal statement (750-word count). Please provide evidence of your Experience of the following:

• Provide a time when you have been accountable for leading an IT operational environment or shift.
• Evidence of how you brought together people from different technical or operational disciplines to work as a single team
• Experience of how you have led improvements to processes including monitoring, alerting or automation within an IT operations environment.

The sift will take place 24/09/26.

Stage 2: Interview

At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

Behaviours

• Leadership
• Working Together

Technical

• Government Digital & Data Skills: Incident Management (Skill level: Working)
• Government Digital & Data Skills: Technical Understanding (Skill level: Working)
• Government Digital & Data Skills: Continuous service improvement (Skill level: Wor