Azure Cloud Engineer
Permanent
Edinburgh/Hybrid
£45,942 - £53,478 per annum
Everything we do at the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) aims to create the right environment for colleges and universities to thrive.
The Scottish Funding Council is Scotland’s tertiary education and research authority. Our ambition is to make Scotland an outstanding place to learn, educate, research, and innovate – now and for the future. So, naturally, we have a clear focus on recruiting the best people and developing them throughout their career. We invest around £2 billion every year, and our funding enables colleges and universities to provide life-changing opportunities for over half a million people.
We’re not only looking for the best people to come and work for us, but also people who will connect with our guiding principles which include working in partnership, championing diversity, and supporting sustainability for future generations.
By fostering our guiding principles, we are very proud of the inclusive working environment that we have created. We are committed to attracting people of all backgrounds: we want our colleague base to reflect the people and communities that we serve.
Job Summary
Reporting to the Head of Cloud Infrastructure and working as part of an existing team, as the Azure Cloud Engineer here at SFC you will develop, administer, support, and maintain Cloud based solutions, including new services, projects and the migration of existing services to the Cloud.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide technical leadership in the planning, design, and implementation of cloud-based applications.
- Manage and optimize IaaS and PaaS elements to deliver robust, cost-efficient solutions in Azure.
- Ensure the architecture of cloud solutions align with business requirements and application development strategy.
- Perform system troubleshooting and problem-solving across platform and application domains.
- Lead efforts to identify and evaluate emerging cloud technologies and methods to ensure SFC remains a current and modern Cloud based organisation
- Develop and organize cloud systems to ensure data security, cloud backup, disaster recovery, and compliance with internal and external regulations.
- Implement and manage cloud environment using Infrastructure as Code (IaC).
- Troubleshoot Microsoft Azure and On-Prem infrastructure, including network performance and security, and make recommendations for future proofing and performance improvement.
- Ensure robust documentation is delivered and kept up-to-date, including processes, controls and developments.
- Ensure existing IT policies and procedures are adhered to and enforced appropriately.
- Proactively identify process improvement opportunities and support continuous improvement initiatives under your own initiative and direction of the Head of Cloud Infrastructure.
Person specification
It is important through your CV / Cover Letter that you give evidence of proven experience of each of the following essential criteria:
Essential Requirements:
- Experience administering Azure Services: M365, App Service, Azure SQL, Blob Storage, Key Vault, ExpressRoute, Virtual machines, Virtual Networks.
- Experience of Azure Migration, migrating on-premises solutions to the cloud using Azure Migrate (or other) tools.
- Experience with Continuity of Operations/Disaster Recovery architecture and planning.
- Extensive and applied experience administering Windows Server OS 2016 and above (Standalone & Cluster) patching, domain admin, network configuration, security monitoring.
- In-depth technical knowledge of Microsoft Azure and On-Prem infrastructure components and how they integrate with one another.
- In-depth knowledge of with Azure Security Centre and Azure Monitor: Network, Application, Infrastructure.
- In-depth knowledge of multi factor authentication (Azure MFA preferred), Microsoft AD Integration with Cloud Applications/Microsoft Azure Active Directory.
- Good working knowledge of Network administration and VPN administration.
- Good working knowledge of Active Directory Services including DNS, DHCP, and DFS.
- Qualifications: Microsoft Cloud Certification, at least one of the following (AZ-400 , AZ-303, AZ-104).
- Good interpersonal and communication skills.
- Proven track record of delivering high quality and effective outputs within time and resource constraints.
- Ability to work collectively and with impact as part of a team.
Core Technical Knowledge:
- Experience in on premises infrastructure, virtualisation technologies or applications.
- Experience with Azure Active Directory including on premises Active Directory and hybrid identities.
- Experience supporting the Microsoft 365 Suite, Exchange Online, SharePoint, Teams.
- Experience/knowledge in Microsoft Intune (Windows 10/11, Autopilot, Android/iOS, MAM/MDM).
- Experience with Azure IaaS (networking, virtual machines).
- Experience with Azure Backup & Recovery Services.
- Experience with Windows Serve.
Additional information
Location:
SFC offers hybrid working for its employees. This means that whilst the role is based at our Edinburgh office, there is substantial opportunity to work from home most of the time. As a rule of thumb SFC expects that a minimum of three days a month in the office (on average) will achieve the benefits of its hybrid approach, however it is for the employee and their line manager to negotiate. Please be aware that this role can only be worked from within the UK and not overseas. Relocation expenses are not available.
Key Rewards and Benefits:
- Normal full-time hours of work are 35 per week. We will consider flexible working arrangements. A flexi-time system is in operation.
- Annual leave entitlement of 26.5 days pro-rata, rising to 30 days pro-rata after 4 years’ continuous service. Public and privilege holiday entitlement of 11.5 days pro-rata.
- A flexible approach to hybrid working, giving you flexibility to work from home for some of the time while also maintaining regular in-person contact with colleagues.
- Annual pay review: approved within the framework of the Scottish Government’s Public Sector Pay Policy and negotiated with our recognised trade union, Unite. Salaries are reviewed annually in April for employees who commence employment prior to 1 October in the preceding year.
- Eligibility to join the Civil Service Pension Scheme. With its low member contribution rates and generous employer contributions, this gives you a secure, inflation-proof pension for life with no investment uncertainty. Details of contribution rates together with further details of the pension benefits are available on the Civil Service Pensions website. There is also the option of a Partnership pension account.
- Support for continuous professional development.
- Support for health and wellbeing, including generous occupational sick pay, free access to confidential advice and support through our 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme, Special Leave (paid and unpaid), a contribution to learning outside work through our Lifelong Learning Fund, free winter flu vaccination, and access to occupational health support.
- Support for travel to and from work, including a salary sacrifice cycle loan scheme, cycle storage and shower facilities, an interest-free loan for bus or rail season tickets and free office car parking for employees on a first-come basis.
The Selection Process
How to Apply:
To apply, please send your CV and cover letter. The selection panel will use this evidence to assess your application against the selection criteria in the Person Specification section above. It is not mandatory to provide a cover letter but it can be beneficial to provide further evidence of your suitability against the essential skills. In your CV please also set out your educational and professional qualifications, and career history, with key responsibilities, dates and achievements. Please provide reasons for any gaps.
Expected Timeline:
Your application will be reviewed by a Reed Recruitment Specialist who may invite you to an initial telephone screening call. The call will last up to 30 minutes, giving you an opportunity to discuss your relevant experience, the role and The Scottish Funding Council in more detail.
Should you application be progressed, the selection panel will assess your application by considering the evidence you have provided in your CV / Cover Letter. Please ensure your application demonstrates how you meet the criteria in the Person Specification for the role. The selection panel will then select the shortlist of candidates to take forward to interview stage.
Pre-Employment Checks:
As part of our pre-employment process, we will ask you to provide relevant documentation to show that you are eligible to work in the UK and a Basic Disclosure Scotland certificate. You must be eligible to work in the UK to apply for this role; we do not offer sponsorships. We also take up references as part of this process. Expenses will be reimbursed for Basic Disclosure check. This will only be requested if you are appointed into the role.
Disability Confident:
If you need any adjustments to support your application, such as information in alternative formats, please contact us and we’ll do everything we can to help. If you’re eligible under the Disability Confident Scheme please give details when prompted at the appropriate stage in the online application process.
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to
Disability Confident.
