Lead Infrastructure Engineer (Microsoft)

• Details
• Reference number
• 473908
• Salary
• £57,515
• National Salary: £57,515
• London Salary: £62,034
• Plus an additional allowance up to £24,915
• A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

GBP

• Job grade
• Grade 7
• Contract type
• Permanent
• Business area
• DFT - Corporate Delivery Group (CDG)
• Type of role
• Digital
• Information Technology
• Operational Delivery
• Working pattern
• Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time
• Number of jobs available
• 1
• Contents

• Location
• About the job
• Benefits
• Things you need to know
• Apply and further information

Location

Birmingham, Hastings, Leeds, London, Swansea

About the job

Job summary

Are you passionate about cloud technologies and modern infrastructure?

Can you use cloud technologies to deliver secure, scalable, and resilient infrastructure solutions?

Do you have the technical expertise to work across Linux, virtualisation, and automation technologies?

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

This is an exciting time to join the Digital, Information and Security Directorate within the Department for Transport as we restructure our directorate to ensure we are ready for future challenges, building a more sustainable, skilled and in-house capability.

Lead, influence and innovate. This is a rare opportunity to combine deep technical expertise with strategic leadership, working with senior stakeholders to shape cloud and infrastructure services used across the wider DfT Group.

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 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 Department for Transport Central - Department for Transport Careers and within the Government Digital and Data Profession.

Job description

This is an exciting opportunity to join our Digital, Information and Security Directorate at a time of significant transformation. As a Lead Infrastructure Engineer, you will provide technical leadership across a diverse technology landscape, helping to deliver secure, resilient and scalable cloud and infrastructure services that support critical departmental operations.

Working with technologies including Microsoft 365, Azure, Google Cloud Platform and Power Platform, you will lead specialist teams, drive the adoption of best practices, and help define the future direction of our infrastructure services. You will work closely with architects, engineers, suppliers and senior stakeholders, translating complex technical concepts into clear business outcomes and influencing strategic decisions.

You will be responsible for supporting the design, implementation and operation of cloud-based solutions, championing innovation, improving service performance and ensuring infrastructure remains secure, compliant and fit for the future. Alongside your technical responsibilities, you will help develop team capability, foster a culture of continuous improvement, and contribute to delivering the technology foundations that enable digital transformation across the wider DfT Group.

Your responsibilities will include, but aren’t limited to:

• Interact with senior stakeholders across departments and will reach and influence a wide range of people across larger teams and communities. Having the ability to present highly technical information in a confident, clear, concise direct manner to a less technical audience.
• Working with technical architects to translate the architectural designs into operations and support technical architects in operationalising the design and provide strategic advice on use of cloud services across agreed platforms
• Leading and directing infrastructure specialist teams in building, managing, supporting and maintaining solutions according to departmental policy. Leading by example with your technical expertise in Office 365, Google Cloud Platform, and Azure.
• Defining best practices for implementing, supporting and maintaining cloud services, ensuring that these best practices are adopted and followed by own team, and other teams within Digital, Information and Security Directorate

For further information on the role, please read the 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.

Additional Information

This post is a reserved post and is open only to UK nationals.

The role is part of the Government Digital and Data Profession and utilises an enhanced Capability–Based Pay Framework which provides access to a Digital and Data allowance.

The base pay is £57,515. In addition to this the role includes a Digital and Data allowance of up to £24,915.

The value of allowance awarded will be based on an assessment of your skills and experience as demonstrated through the selection process. Here are more details on the pay framework.

Person specification

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

• Experience with Cloud Platforms like Microsoft 365, Google Cloud Platform, Azure, AWS or Power Platforms.
• Solid understanding of virtualisation technologies and Mobile Device Management (MDM) and best practices
• A good understanding of scripting languages like PowerShell, Bash or Python and/or Terraform.
• Ability to interact with a wide variety of stakeholders and partners.
• Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously, prioritising them correctly.

Working hours, office attendance and travel requirements

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 29.6 hours per week.

Occasional travel to other offices will be required, which may involve overnight stays. For candidates based outside of London, there will be an expectation to travel to London on a regular basis to maintain relevant access requirements and provide in-person support when required.

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/visiting stakeholders. Your designated workplace will be your contractual place of work. 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).

Visa Sponsorship

DfTc does not offer Visa Sponsorship for this role.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions

Technical skills

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

• Lead infrastructure engineer - IT infrastructure (Level: Expert)
• Lead infrastructure engineer - Technical Understanding (Level: Expert)
• Lead infrastructure engineer - Troubleshooting and problem resolution (Level: Expert)

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £57,515, Department for Transport contributes £16,662 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides .

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits:

• 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).
• 8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the King’s birthday.
• Access to the staff discount portal.
• Excellent career development opportunities and the potential to undertake professional qualifications relevant to your role paid for by the department, such as CIPD, Prince2, apprenticeships, etc.
• Joining a diverse and inclusive workforce with a range of staff communities to support all our colleagues.
• 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme providing free confidential help and advice for staff.
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Find out more about the benefits of working at DfT and its agencies.

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 for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

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 (1000 word count). Please provide evidence of your Experience of the following:

• Experience with Cloud Platforms like Microsoft 365, Google Cloud Platform, Azure, AWS or Power Platforms.
• Solid understanding of virtualisation technologies and Mobile Device Management (MDM) and best practices.
• A good understanding of scripting languages like Powershell, Bash or Python and/or Terraform.
• Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously, prioritising them correctly.

The sift will take place from Wednesday 26th August 2026

Stage 2: Interview

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

• Behaviours – Leadership, Making effective decisions.
• Technical – IT infrastructure, Technical understanding, Troubleshooting and Problem Resolution.
• Experience - Cloud Platforms like Microsoft 365, Google Cloud Platform, Azure, AWS or Power Platforms.

The interviews will take place week commencing Monday 14th September 2026.

This interview will be conducted online via Microsoft Teams. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.

You can find out more about our hiring process, how to apply, and application and interview guidance on our careers site.

Please note that we will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change.

Further information on the selection process

We will also hold a 12-month reserve list for this role, which may lead to potential opportunities beyond the role you applied for.

During your application, you should indicate which location(s) you wish to be considered for and, if successful, you will be placed on an individual list of candidates for each location. Candidates will be held on that list and drawn from it in merit order. We advise you to carefully consider which locations you wish to be considered for. If you decline an offer for a location you have expressed a preference in or have expressed an interest in more than one location and accept an offer, you will be withdrawn from any lists you may be held on. We may also offer candidates a location that they have not expressed a preference for where we have the requirement to do so but this will again be done on the basis of your place in the overall merit order and, in this event, you will not be removed from the list if you decline.

Appointments for this position will be made in order of merit. If you are successful in the selection process but there are no further available posts for the advertised role, you may be contacted to discuss an offer for a lower graded role (with similar experience and responsibility requirements).

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

Reasonable Adjustments

As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need during the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you need a reasonable adjustment so that you can complete your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service via dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Document Accessibility

This job advert contains links to the DfT Careers website. Our website provides useful guidance and information that can support you during the application process. If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert or the information on our website, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Further Information

For more information about how we hire, and for useful tips on submitting your application for this role, visit the How We Hire page of our DfT Careers website. You can find detailed information about the recruitment process and what to expect when applying for a role.

If you are unsuccessful in the selection process, your application may be considered for a lower graded position if your demonstrated skills and experience meet the requirements of the alternative position. Candidates will be considered in order of merit.

Pre-employment Checking

If your application is successful but you have been dismissed from the Civil Service, your application could be removed at the pre-employment checking stage depending on the nature of the dismissal.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment. A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

All external applicants and current employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) will be required to undergo a Social Media Check. A Social Media Check is a review of your publicly available online activity, typically across platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and others. The purpose is to identify any public posts or content that could raise concerns for employers, such as:

• Hate speech or discriminatory behaviour
• Threats or acts of violence
• Illegal activity or substance misuse
• Sexually explicit material
• Extremist views or affiliations

Importantly, this check does not involve hacking into your accounts or accessing private messages. It only considers content you have chosen to make public. Employers use this kind of screening to help ensure their workplace remains safe, inclusive, and aligned with company values. It’s not about judging your personality or lifestyle - it’s about checking for potential red flags that might affect the role or company culture. If you have questions or concerns about the social media check, we would be happy to explain in more detail what’s being looked at and how your data is handled securely and fairly.

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting .

See our vetting charter .

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles .

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Simon Oakes
• Email : Simon.oakes@dft.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact Government Recruitment Services via email: dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website at https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk