Overview
Hours: 37 hours
Are you ready to make a difference in the water & waste industry? Southern Water are going through an immense digital transformation programme and require skilled and talented people to join our supportive and collaborative teams to deliver these transformation initiatives.
Closing Date: 2025-10-31
Location: Durrington, Worthing (Hybrid) • Contract Type: Permanent • Salary: Circa 70K + bonus.
The Cloud Operations Engineer plays a critical role in the design, implementation, and ongoing operation of Southern Water’s cloud infrastructure, with a strong emphasis on Microsoft Azure. As a key technical contributor within the Cloud Operations function, you will be responsible for ensuring that cloud-based services are available, secure, efficient, and cost-effective. This includes provisioning and managing compute, storage, networking, and identity services, as well as supporting the use of advanced PaaS capabilities and analytics platforms.
You will be in a hands-on role that demands strong technical expertise, a problem-solving mindset, and a proactive approach to continuous improvement. You will support the development and operation of cloud Landing Zones and act as a trusted delivery partner for internal stakeholders and project teams. By applying DevOps and automation principles, you will reduce manual overhead, accelerate delivery cycles, and improve operational resilience. You will contribute to broader strategic goals by supporting the shift from traditional on-premises infrastructure to scalable, cloud-native services aligned with an as-a-service delivery model. The engineer will also work closely with security, compliance, and disaster recovery teams to ensure that cloud services are not only high-performing and flexible, but also resilient and governed appropriately. As Southern Water continues to grow its cloud footprint, this position offers an opportunity to shape how cloud services are delivered across the business. It is ideal for someone looking to deepen their technical expertise while contributing to a major enterprise-wide transformation in digital infrastructure.
Responsibilities
Azure Cloud Engineering
* Build, configure, and maintain Azure cloud environments (IaaS, PaaS, storage, networking, identity).
* Deploy and support Azure Landing Zones in line with enterprise architecture standards.
* Support the transition from IaaS to PaaS services by designing and implementing modern cloud-native solutions.
* Monitor and manage cloud workloads to ensure availability, performance, and security.
Operations & Automation
* Implement infrastructure as code (IaC) using tools such as Bicep, ARM templates, or Terraform.
* Automate provisioning, scaling, and maintenance of cloud resources using DevOps pipelines and scripts (PowerShell, Azure CLI, CI/CD etc.).
* Monitor system health, respond to incidents, and participate in root cause analysis and continuous improvement.
Security, Governance & Compliance
* Enforce cloud security best practices, including RBAC, encryption, and secure networking.
* Support compliance with internal policies and regulatory standards by ensuring guardrails and policies are in place.
* Collaborate with Security Operations and Compliance teams to remediate vulnerabilities and audit issues.
Cost Management & FinOps Support
* Contribute to cost optimization by right-sizing resources and identifying opportunities to reduce waste.
* Use Azure Cost Management tools and dashboards to track and forecast cloud spend.
* Provide reporting and insights to the Cloud Operations Manager and Finance teams.
Process Development & Documentation
* Document standard operating procedures, cloud configurations, and runbooks.
* Help maintain consistent operational practices and contribute to knowledge sharing across the team.
Collaboration & Support
* Work with infrastructure architects, data platform teams, developers, and project teams to support solution delivery.
* Act as an escalation point for cloud-related incidents and changes.
* Assist with service transitions, knowledge transfer, and training for BAU support teams.
Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity
* Support the implementation and testing of disaster recovery and business continuity plans related to cloud infrastructure.
* Ensure cloud services are resilient and recoverable in line with RTO/RPO.
* Collaborate with the DR/BCP team to maintain and update recovery procedures and test plans.
Staying Current with Cloud Technologies
* Stay informed on the latest Azure features, cloud architecture patterns, and best practices.
* Participate in training, certifications, or knowledge-sharing sessions to continuously enhance cloud skills.
* Recommend improvements or innovations based on emerging technologies and industry trends.
Knowledge And Skills Needed
* Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field or equivalent work experience.
* Extensive experience with Microsoft Azure cloud services and PaaS/IaaS solutions.
* Strong knowledge of landing zone architecture and best practices.
* Proven experience in defining and implementing cloud infrastructure standards and best practices.
* Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Terraform or CloudFormation to provision and manage resources programmatically.
* Containerisation and Orchestration: Docker and Kubernetes.
* Automation: Scripting skills (Python, PowerShell) to automate tasks.
* Security: Cloud security, IAM, encryption, and compliance frameworks (e.g., PCI DSS, NIST).
* Networking: Virtual networks, subnets, security groups, load balancers, VPNs.
* DevOps Principles: Understanding of DevOps practices for deployments.
* FinOps: Experience with managing cloud costs and FinOps principles.
What Do We Offer?
* 25 days annual leave + Bank Holidays.
* Free annual flu jab and eye test vouchers.
* Pension contributions up to 11% (depending on your contribution).
* An employee assistance program.
* A network of sports and social clubs.
* Company and performance-related bonus.
* Life assurance equal to 4x salary.
* Salary sacrifice electric car scheme (after 6 months service).
* Health Cash Plan.
* Two paid volunteering days a year.
* Occupational health service.
* Discounts with over 800 popular retailers.
* Digital GP service.
* Study support may be available for job-related qualifications.
* Competitive maternity & paternity leave and flexible return to work options.
* Cycle to work scheme.
Privacy Statement
All applicants must be eligible to live and work in the UK. You will need to provide evidence of eligibility and current proof of address, as part of the recruitment process. If you do not meet these criteria, your application will not be considered.
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