Senior Cloud Engineer Fixed Term Appointment

Are you an experienced Cloud Engineer with the ability to adapt and thrive in a continually evolving cloud platform environment Do you have a strong aptitude for problem-solving and service optimisation Are your strengths rooted in leadership shared ownership collaboration and a commitment to achieving and maintaining high-quality standards

Social Security Scotland are looking to recruit a Senior Cloud Engineer to help develop and maintain our critical infrastructure and services which are hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS).

This opportunity is a Fixed Term Appointment for 47 months. The position may be made permanent during this period however this would depend on business requirements and cannot be guaranteed.

The Digital Delivery & Change division is responsible for delivering the infrastructure capability and digital solutions that will support Social Security Scotland.

The Senior Cloud Engineer role will sit within the Engineering and Cloud service branch - focused on delivering a roadmap of requirements and continual improvements of the AWS estate. There will be regular interaction with colleagues in the Architecture team Cyber Security Team Applications Development teams and a number of suppliers involved in the provision of the Divisions software and infrastructure.

The ideal candidate will have a strong track record in leading a multi-disciplinary team that have responsibility for delivery and support of enterprise level services. You will be proactive in responding and anticipating sudden changes to business priorities and addressing wider strategic priorities.

Responsibilities

At this role level you will:

• Manage operational support of IT solutions and services.
• Manage workload performance and development of a team of IT operations specialists by building capability to deliver services as required.
• Manage third party provision of IT operations services.
• Manage provision of expertise to programmes and projects.
• Manage the development of architectural solutions for IT operations solutions throughout the service life cycle.

Additional Duties

• Manage service components to ensure they meet business needs and performance targets.
• Deal with high impact complex change requests.
• Ensure that release policies procedures and processes are applied.
• Interact with and read code.
• Carry out baseline repair activities.
• Identify process optimisation opportunities with guidance and contribute to the implementation of proposed solutions.
• Lead the investigation and resolution of incidents.
• Take accountability for issues that occur and be proactive in searching for potential problems.
• Initiate and monitor actions to investigate patterns and trends to resolve problems effectively consult specialists where required.
• Determine the appropriate remedy and assist with its implementation.
• Determine preventative measures.
• Draft and maintain procedures and documentation.
• Set standards for the definition security and integrity of objects and ensure conformity to these standards.
• Identify process improvements and contribute to the definition of best practice.
• Prioritise and define approaches to understand the user story guiding others in doing so.
• Offer recommendations on the best tools and methods to use.

Success Profiles
We use an assessment framework called Success Profiles which lists the elements we test and provides detailed descriptions of each. Find out more about the framework here.

For this post the following Success Profile elements will be assessed:

Essential Experience

1. Able to provide business and technical leadership to a team of experienced technologists often working in a pressured environment with a demanding work load to deliver solutions for customers.
2. Evidence of delivering continual service improvement; willing to challenge established practices using evidence to deliver a better service to the business as a whole. This will include a vision for streamlining processes and reducing costs to ensure focus on delivering support for new business critical technologies.

Behaviours

• Making Effective Decisions (Level 4)
• Leadership (Level 4)
  

You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours here: Success Profiles - Civil Service Behaviours ()

Technical / Professional Skills:
This role is aligned to Lead Infrastructure Operations Engineer within the Digital Data and Technology Profession.

These skills will be tested during the Technical Assessment if you are successful at sift stage. They will be not be assessed at application stage. Please review the following to understand the skill expectations: Infrastructure operations engineer - Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework

How to Apply
Apply online providing a CV and Supporting Statement (of no more than 750 words) which provides evidence of how you meet the experience and behaviours listed in the Success Profiles above.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be used to support your application but all statements and examples 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 and presented as your own) applications will be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.

Please see our candidate guidance for more information on acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in recruitment

Should a large number of applications be received an initial sift may be conducted using the CV and Supporting Statement on the first Experience criteria. Candidates who pass the initial sift will have their applications fully assessed.

Following the application sift there may be a telephone interview as part of the assessment process before the main interview.

Candidates who are successful at sift stage will be invited to attend an Interview and Technical Assessment. You will receive a Technical Assessment Candidate Pack which will outline the skills to be assessed and the assessment methods to be used. The interview will further assess the Experience and Behaviours listed in the job advert and the Technical Assessment will evaluate the Technical Skills relevant to the role.

We aim to provide feedback on request. However if we receive a large number of applications it may not be possible for us to provide specific feedback on your application. We will provide feedback on request to candidates who attend an interview/assessment.

Expected Timeline (subject to change)
Sift w/c 27th April 2026
Interview w/c 18th May 2026
Location In Person in either Dundee or Glasgow

Reserve List
In the event that there are more successful candidates than posts available a reserve list will be kept for up to 12 months.

About Us
Social Security Scotland is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government. Our benefits help people from all walks of life in Scotland. We offer rewarding careers and employ people across Scotland in a wide range of professions and roles. We are committed to recruiting a diverse workforce that is representative of the clients we serve. Find more about us here.

We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits. Find out more about what we offer.

As part of the UK Civil Service we uphold the Civil Service Nationality Rules.

Working Pattern
Our standard hours are 35 hours per week and we offer a range of flexible working options depending on the needs of the role. We embrace a hybrid working style where all colleagues will spend time in either our Glasgow or Dundee offices. There is an expectation of a minimum 2 days per week in your assigned location which will be either Glasgow or Dundee. If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for please contact us.

Security Checks
Successful candidates must complete the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) before they can be appointed. BPSS is comprised of four main pre-employment checks Identity Right to work Employment History and a Criminal Record check (unspent convictions).

You can find out more about BPSS on the UK Government website or read about the different levels of security checks in our Candidate Guide.

Equality Statement
Social Security Scotland are committed to equality and inclusion and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation.

Social Security Scotland are a Disability Confident Employer. We will consider and implement any reasonable adjustments you may require throughout the recruitment process and during the course of your employment should you be successful in securing a post. If you feel you may require assistance with any part of our recruitment process please contact us at

Find out more about our commitment to diversity and how we offer and support recruitment adjustments for anyone who needs them.

Right to Work in the UK
Social Security Scotland is an approved sponsor under the UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker route. Please note that UK immigration guidance including skill and salary thresholds and eligible occupations is reviewed regularly and subject to change. If you require visa sponsorship you should check the latest criteria to confirm whether this role meets current requirements before applying. You can find further advice on - Skilled Worker visa: Overview -

Further Information
Social Security Scotlands recruitment processes are underpinned by the recruitment principles of the Civil Service Commissioner which outline that selection for appointment be made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition - Recruitment - Civil Service Commission ()

If you feel at any time your application has not been treated in accordance with the values in the Civil Service Code and/or if you feel the recruitment has been conducted in such a way that conflicts with the Civil Service Commissioners Recruitment Principles you can make a complaint by contacting Social Security Scotland at in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commissioner.

Find out more about our organisation what we offer staff members and how to apply on our Careers Website.

Read our Candidate Guide for further information on our recruitment and application processes.

If you experience any difficulties accessing our website or completing the online application form please contact the Resourcing Team via

Apply before 23:55 pm on 29th April 2026

Contact Name- Resourcing Team
Contact email