Infrastructure & DevOps Lead
| Job Type | Contract |
| Location | Manchester |
| Area | North West, UK |
| Sector | Digital Tech: IT Ops |
| Salary | £0 Per Day |
| Start Date | May 20th, 2026 |
| Advertiser | Priyanka Dubey |
| Job Ref | 7490 |
| IR35 | Inside |
| Security Clearance | DV |
- Description
- The Client:
A government department client is looking for an Infrastructure & DevOps Lead to join them on a 6 month contract. This position will be based in Manchester.
Job Summary:
We are seeking an experienced Infrastructure & DevOps Lead to provide maternity cover for a 6–12 month contract within a high-security policing environment. The role will lead a small, junior technical team and provide hands-on technical leadership across infrastructure, DevOps practices, and operational resilience.
This role requires a strong blend of technical depth, leadership capability, and experience operating in secure, complex environments.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead, mentor, and develop a junior infrastructure and DevOps team, ensuring high performance and technical growth.
- Own and oversee infrastructure operations, ensuring stability, availability, and security of services.
- Drive DevOps best practices, including CI/CD pipelines, automation, and infrastructure-as-code.
- Provide technical leadership and hands-on support across cloud and on-prem environments.
- Ensure compliance with security, governance, and operational standards appropriate to sensitive environments.
- Support incident management, root cause analysis, and service improvement initiatives.
- Collaborate with stakeholders across technical and non-technical teams to deliver service improvements.
- Act as a visible technical leader, supporting decision-making and prioritisation within the team.
- Ensure documentation, process maturity, and operational continuity during the maternity cover period.
Required Skills & Experience:
- Proven experience in Infrastructure Engineering and/or DevOps leadership roles.
- Strong background in leading small technical teams, ideally in junior or developing environments.
- Experience with modern infrastructure tooling (e.g. cloud platforms, automation, CI/CD pipelines).
- Strong understanding of infrastructure architecture, networking, and systems administration.
- Experience working in secure or regulated environments (public sector, defence, policing, or similar desirable).
- Ability to operate in fast-paced, high-accountability environments.
- Strong communication skills with the ability to engage both technical teams and senior stakeholders.
- Experience mentoring engineers and improving team capability.
Desirable Experience:
- Previous exposure to policing, national security, or intelligence environments.
- Experience working with DV, SC, or NPPV-cleared environments.
- Knowledge of cloud migration / hybrid infrastructure environments.
- Familiarity with government or public sector frameworks and delivery models.
- Experience supporting service transformation or digital modernisation programmes.
Key Success Criteria:
- Stable and resilient infrastructure operations maintained throughout cover period.
- Effective leadership and development of junior team members.
- Timely delivery of operational and improvement objectives.
- Strong stakeholder confidence and minimal disruption during transition period.
- Effective use of automation and DevOps practices to improve efficiency.
An active DV clearance is required for this role. At a minimum, candidates must be eligible and willing to undergo security clearance. Due to the short-term nature of the contract and the urgency of the requirement, the client may prioritise applicants who already hold active DV clearance and meet all essential criteria.
Our Company:
Malikshaw Interim & Executive is a specialist provider of talent management solutions helping our clients transform the delivery of our public services. As an Equal Opportunities Employer, we combine providing the best talent with delivering diverse, inclusive workforces and particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented. These include people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, disabled people, LGBTQI+ people, and women.
How to Apply:
Please apply through the link provided to send your application directly to the Recruiter managing this assignment.
If you qualify for any of the above, please notify us on your covering letter and your recruiter will confirm if the client is a member. We will then be in touch to discuss your suitability and arrange your Guaranteed Interview.
Should you require reasonable adjustments at any point during the recruitment process or if there is a more accessible way for us to communicate, please do let me know.
- Lead, mentor, and develop a junior infrastructure and DevOps team, ensuring high performance and technical growth.
