Senior Cloud DevOps Engineer - The National Archives - SEO

Are you ready to take the next step in your career?
At The National Archives, we don’t just store history—we shape the future of how it’s preserved and accessed. Our Digital Archiving and Digital Services teams ensure that uncurated government records are transformed into structured, accessible digital archives that enable public research and scrutiny.
We are looking for a Senior Cloud Infrastructure Engineer to join our growing team. This is an opportunity to work at the cutting edge of cloud technologies, shaping secure, scalable, and resilient infrastructure that underpins our digital archiving mission. You will have the autonomy to lead key projects, drive change, and influence technical decisions, while working in a highly collaborative environment where ideas are rolled around, tested, and improved together.
We work three days a week on-site and two remotely, striking a great balance between face-to-face collaboration and flexibility. Our team is experienced, open-minded, and thrives on curiosity—so if you're looking to move into a Senior Engineer role where you can bring your ideas to the forefront, this is the perfect opportunity.

Why Join Us?
• Preserve the past, shape the future – Your work will ensure the most significant government records are not just stored, but transformed into living digital archives that empower future generations to explore history, understand decisions and scrutinise events.
• Solve complex, meaningful challenges – Work on unique large-scale cloud and security problems, shaping the digital future of one of the world’s leading archives.
• Lead and innovate – Take ownership of key projects, influence technical decisions, and help shape our cloud infrastructure strategy.
• Grow and develop – Learn from and contribute to a highly skilled, experienced team that values collaboration, mentoring, and continuous improvement.
• Fantastic environment – Work in a beautiful riverside location on the banks of the Thames, with access to an onsite gym and green spaces—perfect for balancing work with outdoor time.

Job description

What You’ll Be Doing
• Building & optimising cloud infrastructure – Designing, implementing, and maintaining scalable, resilient AWS infrastructure (EC2, ECS, RDS, Lambda, S3, IAM, Terraform, Docker, etc.).
• Embedding security & compliance – Ensuring our platforms meet ISO 27001, Cyber Essentials+ and security best practices.
• Automating and improving efficiency – Developing and maintaining CI/CD pipelines to streamline deployments and system operations.
• Collaborating and leading – Working with multidisciplinary teams, mentoring junior engineers, and bringing new ideas to the table.
• Innovating and adapting – Driving continuous improvement, adopting new technologies, and helping transition our infrastructure to support live operations.

Person specification

Who We’re Looking For
• Cloud Expertise – Strong experience with AWS (EC2, ECS, RDS, Lambda, S3, IAM, etc.)
• Security & Compliance – Understanding of cloud security best practices, vulnerability management, and risk mitigation.
• DevOps & Automation – Experience with CI/CD pipelines, automation tools (Terraform, Ansible, GitHub Actions), and Infrastructure as Code.
• Problem-Solving & Collaboration – Proven ability to diagnose issues, design technical solutions, and work effectively within an Agile team.
• Supplier Management – Experience managing external partners and vendors to ensure high-quality service delivery.

How to apply:

If you are an internal applicant: please do not use the link on this page. Please apply via your employee Workday account.

If you are an external applicant: to submit your application please click the 'Apply at advertiser's site' button on this page.

You will be asked to provide details of your work experience and write a personal statement.

Application Process
• Interview: Interviews will be held on-site and will include a technical test.
• Personal Statement:

The National Archives is evolving, using cloud infrastructure and digital preservation to make government records accessible and resilient.

In 750 words outline how your expertise can contribute to this transformation. What challenges do you think we face in digital preservation and how would you approach the challenge? Additionally tell us what skills you’re keen to develop while working with us.

Selection for interview will be based on the ‘essential’ skills and experience in the job description attached below. Please ensure your statement demonstrates how your skills and experience meet these criteria.

We understand that you might use artificial intelligence (AI) and other resources to assist with your application; however, please ensure all information you provide is factually accurate, truthful, and original and doesn’t include ideas or work that isn’t your own. We encourage you to showcase your unique knowledge and skills using your own voice.

SC clearance/willingness to obtain SC clearance will be required for this role. This requires candidates to have been resident in the UK for at least the past three years. Please do not apply if you have been resident in the UK for less than three years as your application will be rejected.

Please note: Applications for flexible working patterns will be considered.