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Job summary

Important - To apply for this role you will need to submit a CV and covering letter. These need to be merged into one document. When submitting your application Applied will ask you to upload a CV, when doing this you should upload your merged document of your CV and covering letter. There are further details in the Selection Process section further below in this advert.

Here at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), we work on things that make a real difference to people’s lives.

Whether it's through the homes we live in, the work of our local councils, or the communities we’re all a part of, our work is at the top of the political agenda. We have ambitious and far-reaching outcomes to achieve this year and, if you’re thinking of joining us, there’s never been a more exciting time.

We have circa 3,500 staff who are based in 20 offices across the UK. As an infrastructure engineer for DLUHC you’ll sit within the heart of the technology team in our digital directorate.
 
The technology team is responsible for delivering various modern technology services to a user base. We work flexibly to deliver excellent user centred services within Microsoft Azure, AWS, Microsoft 365 and other SaaS and Desktop apps. We’re now looking to build internal capability and skills so that we can take forward cloud-based services for the department.  
We’re looking for an infrastructure engineer with AWS experience in building and managing an enterprise environment and experience of using Terraform as well as Github. As an Infrastructure Engineer, you’ll join us in providing platforms that deliver enterprise cloud solutions and high-profile projects. As a team we have a high degree of autonomy in delivering our services in a fast-paced supportive environment. 
  
Cloud is a platform for continued transformation and we want to be able to build and maintain infrastructure that will support DLUCH as it introduces new Digital services, along with developing and running a set of common re-usable elements such as external connectivity, proxies and DNS that can be consumed across a number of different applications.  
  
We support teams that work in an Agile manner with rapid prototyping, and also for larger production applications that need to sit on robust and flexible infrastructure.  
 
As an infrastructure engineer, you’ll work closely with architects and developers to ensure what is built meets our needs and fits with our strategic vision whilst keeping it secure, managed and supportable. 

We particularly welcome candidates from an ethnic minority background and other underrepresented groups to apply, as we work to continually improve our ability to represent the places and communities we support through our work.

Job description

As an infrastructure engineer you’ll: 
 

•    work with architects, engineers and security colleagues to help design AWS infrastructure and services that will run efficiently and securely. 

•    be responsible for building and maintaining our AWS infrastructure, using Github and Terraform to deploy infrastructure as code.

•    test infrastructure or services are working as intended. 

•    act as the lead for resolving incidents or issues related to the cloud infrastructure we have built and deployed, working closely with the application developers to understand the root cause, apply relevant changes and test to the satisfaction of yourself and the application product owner. 

•    fulfil requests from other teams to create new subscriptions or environments in line with our design principles and security best practices. Providing guidance or input as necessary to ensure that new digital services will operate correctly within our AWS infrastructure environment. 

•    be responsible for writing and maintaining documentation in relation to the AWS infrastructure, including change requests, design documents, configuration, user guidance and policy documents. 

•    manage the AWS admin user base to ensure access is controlled and managed in line with good security principles such as role based access control, allowing costs to be attributed to the relevant application/service team that generated them.  

•    work with external suppliers and application teams to ensure their services are running correctly, continue to be improved and operate within guardrails that you will be responsible for deploying, maintaining and monitoring.
 
•    improve our built environment, capabilities, or skills to ensure that we can continue to iterate and meet the challenges that our application developers will bring to the team.  

•    as part of a cross platform/service business request service, triage new requirements, translating business requirements and non-functional requirements into solution designs  

Person specification

Essential Skills

As an infrastructure engineer you’ll have:

•    demonstrable AWS cloud engineer and implementation experience with AWS Cloud Practitioner certification
•    experience designing and building web environments on AWS, which includes working with services like EC2, ELB, RDS, and S3
•    experience writing Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC), using Terraform.
•    experience using monitoring solutions like CloudWatch
•    good understanding of AWS cloud services and infrastructure components (IAAS/PAAS)
•    good troubleshooting abilities, being able to suggest innovative solutions to technical and business problems.
•    managing competing priorities and being able to work in a fast paced environment 
•    understanding of networking fundamentals (i.e., firewall rules, routing, VLANs, DNS).
•    experience of working in an Agile sprint planning environment

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role

• An environment with flexible working options

• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity

• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

Things you need to know

Selection process details

We are for everyone 

At DLUHC we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce. We promote equality of opportunity in all aspects of employment and a working environment free from discrimination, harassment, bullying and victimisation. 

We would strongly recommend that applicants get in touch with the vacancy manager to find out more information about this role. 

We are for everyone 

CV and Cover Letter Declaration 

We recruit based on your knowledge and skills, and not background, gender or ethnicity - this is called name blind recruitment. 

Please remove references to your: 

• name/title

• educational institutions

• age

• gender

• email address

• postal address

• phone number

• nationality/immigration status

You will need to merge your CV and covering letter into one document. When submitting your application Applied will ask you to upload a CV, when doing this you should upload your merged document of your CV and covering letter. 

Most of our campaigns utilise multiple assessors and so it is possible that your application would be viewed by different assessors. 

At sift, through your CV and covering letter we will be assessing: 

Experience

Technical

Your covering letter should be no more than 1 page referencing how you meet the criteria set out in the job description

The interview will be of a blended nature consisting of experience, technical, behaviour and strength based questions as listed in the advert. The strength based questions will require natural responses from the candidates.  

In full the campaign will test the below Success Profile Elements: 

Experience: Yes - Experience questions will be based around the essential skills and criteria as listed in the job description 

Technical: Yes – Technical questions will be based around the essential skills and criteria as listed in the job description. 

Strength: Yes

Behaviours: Changing and Improving, Making effective decisions

We do not consider direct CV applications – you must apply for this role via the application link on Civil Service Jobs: 

Please note that near miss offers may be made at the lower grade to candidates who do not meet the grade criteria for this campaign 

Group 1 DDat roles 

DLUHC has implemented the DDaT capability framework for Group 1 roles. Applicants that are successful at the sift stage will be required to complete a capability assessment at interview.  

DLUHC will honour completed capability assessments for this role from other Government Departments for existing Civil Servants. Please provide a copy of your capability assessment to the Hiring Manager when applying. If you have any queries on pay, please contact the Hiring Manager. 

Salary is determined by performance at interview, within the range advertised. Each experience or technical skill is assessed between 1-3, representing working towards, at or above the job level requirements. You are awarded a proficiency level accordingly, and you will be given opportunities at least once a year to re assess your capability and progress through the pay scale within your grade. An additional digital allowance may be payable depending on level of assessed capability. 

Candidates moving from another government department have the option to retain their current salary where the principle for implementation is there is no detriment where existing pay exceeds the indicative level. Where individuals are at a lower salary than their assessed level, they will receive an upward adjustment. 

SEO Group 1 DDaT salary 

• The salary for this role will between £43,854- £47,317 (London), £40,582 - £44,099 (National) depending on the proficiency level assessment. 

• An additional digital allowance may be payable depending on the level of assessed capability up to £6,665 

• For applicants in receipt of existing allowances, we will assess each case individually and aim to match the digital allowance implemented with no detriment.  

• For existing civil servants, the usual policy on level transfer and promotion will apply and is non-negotiable 

Benefits 

Transfers across the Civil Service on or after 4 October 2018: 

Any move to DLUHC from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk. 

For further information about the benefits available to DLUHC employees, please see the attached Candidate Pack. 

Location 

• London 

• Wolverhampton 

• Darlington

• Birmingham

• Newcastle-upon-Tyne

• Birkenhead

• Leeds

• Manchester

• Cambridge

• Truro

• Exeter

• Plymouth

• Bristol

• Hastings

• Nottingham

• Warrington

Sift and Interview dates

We will perform a sift to assess and score the evidence provided in the CV and covering letter. Applicants achieving the pass mark will be offered an interview on a rolling basis. We will be sifting and interviewing applicants as we go – so please don’t wait until the deadline to submit your application. All interviews are currently being held remotely via videocall. 

Reserve List 

In the event that we identify more appointable candidates than we currently have posts available, we will hold applicant details on a reserve list for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made. This may include roles at a lower grade. Candidates placed on a reserve list will be informed of this. Due to the length of time CTC checks can take, our HR Shared Services team will contact reserve list candidates for London based roles to commence CTC checks. Those candidates who do not wish to remain on the reserve list should contact recruitment@levellingup.gov.uk to be removed from the reserve list. 

SC (Security Check): 

Important note 

Successful candidates for roles based in our 2 Marsham Street building must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Security Check and the process can take up to 8 weeks to complete. 

Please note that successful candidates will need to pass the Security Check – this requires you to have been resident in the UK for the past 5 years. Please refer to the DLUHC Notes on Security Clearance section of our Candidate Pack for further information on Security Check (SC).  

Candidates should also note that with effect from 1st August 2018 the department will also check all applicants who are successful at interview, against the Internal Fraud Database (IFD) held by the Cabinet Office. In accordance with the Civil Service Internal Fraud Policy, any applicant who is included on the IFD will be refused employment by DLUHC. Please see the Candidate Pack for further information on the Internal Fraud Database. 

Before starting your application it’s very important to make sure that you are eligible to apply and meet the Civil Service nationality requirements. All candidates are expected to read the information provided in the DLUHC candidate pack regarding nationality requirements and rules 

Candidate Pack Information 

Please see attached Candidate pack for further information. 

Internal Fraud Database 

The Internal Fraud function of the Fraud, Error, Debt and Grants Function at the Cabinet Office processes details of civil servants who have been dismissed for committing internal fraud, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned.The Cabinet Office receives the details from participating government organisations of civil servants who have been dismissed, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned, for internal fraud. In instances such as this, civil servants are then banned for 5 years from further employment in the civil service. The Cabinet Office then processes this data and discloses a limited dataset back to DLUHC as a participating government organisations. DLUHC then carry out the pre employment checks so as to detect instances where known fraudsters are attempting to reapply for roles in the civil service. In this way, the policy is ensured and the repetition of internal fraud is prevented.  

For more information please see- Internal Fraud Register 

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).

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

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals

• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK

• nationals of the Republic of Ireland

• nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)

• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service

• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service

• certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window).

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.

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

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 :Lindsey Dodd

• Email :Lindsey.Dodd@levellingup.gov.uk