Dundee, Glasgow Job Summary Social Security Scotland is currently seeking a Cloud Engineer – FinOps to join our Chief Digital Office. The Chief Digital Office is responsible for delivering the infrastructure, capability and digital solutions that support Social Security Scotland. Our FinOps team ensures cloud investments deliver maximum value while promoting financial accountability. You will optimise cloud costs through automation and real-time monitoring. If you’re passionate about identifying efficiencies and influencing infrastructure decisions, this role is for you. As a Cloud Engineer in FinOps, you’ll work with engineering, finance, and architecture teams to monitor, analyse, and optimise cloud spending. You’ll use tools like AWS Cost Explorer, Cloudwatch, and Terraform to identify savings, support cost transparency, and implement cost-effective solutions. Collaboration and technical expertise are essential, along with strong analytical skills and a proactive mindset — you’ll diagnose issues, suggest improvements, and help ensure our cloud infrastructure remains secure, efficient, and aligned with business needs. Please note this post is a Fixed Term Appointment for 47 months. At This Role Level, You Will: provide specialist technical support and assistance to projects, ensuring delivery of non-functional requirements and continual service improvement, be responsible for preparations and support of IT operations solutions and services - physical or virtual - according to industry and organisational best practices, standards, service requirements and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) throughout the product life cycle, coach and mentor junior team members, assist in the provision of first class services and consistent levels of capability, as required by the organisation. An infrastructure operations engineer supports, manages and maintains the core infrastructure that underpins production services. A senior infrastructure operations engineer acts as second- or third-line support for incidents, problems and changes to solutions and services. DDaT Pay Supplement This post is part of the Scottish Government Digital, Data and Technology (DDAT) profession and as a member of the profession you will join the professional development system. This post currently attracts a £5,000 annual DDAT pay supplement, applicable after a 3 months competency qualifying period. The payment will be backdated to your start date in the role. Pay supplements are reviewed regularly and there is one currently underway. Changes will be communicated when the review is concluded. Job Description Cost Management and Analysis Support ‘Show back’ and ‘Charge back’ processes using AWS Cost Explorer and Quicksight, utilising system awareness and stakeholder engagement to identify cost savings, analyse pricing and risks. Conduct technical analysis with cloud monitoring tools (AWS Console, CloudWatch, CloudTrail, Kibana) and implement Infrastructure as Code (Terraform) updates to reduce costs. Manage AWS assets to ensure accurate records, secure configurations, and verify their location and status. Analyse impact of changes, develop, document, and implement change requests. Operational and Incident Management Monitor and diagnose AWS anomalies, investigating causes and owning resolutions until issues are mitigated or transferred. Initiate investigations into patterns and trends, driving resolution of operational problems. Use management tools to investigate issues, collect performance data, and generate reports. System Optimisation and Stakeholder Engagement Manage AWS hosting components to meet performance and business needs. Identify process improvement opportunities and contribute to the development of solutions. Optimise system performance, forecast resource needs, and implement preventative measures. Engage with users and stakeholders to gather requirements and assess risks. Technical Skills And Compliance Demonstrate awareness of scripting tools and software in use. Ensure secure configuration and accurate documentation of assets. Collaborate with AWS and Cloud Engineering specialists as needed to determine remedies and support their implementation. Cost Management and Analysis Support ‘Show back’ and ‘Charge back’ processes using AWS Cost Explorer and Quicksight, utilising system awareness and stakeholder engagement to identify cost savings, analyse pricing and risks. Conduct technical analysis with cloud monitoring tools (AWS Console, CloudWatch, CloudTrail, Kibana) and implement Infrastructure as Code (Terraform) updates to reduce costs. Manage AWS assets to ensure accurate records, secure configurations, and verify their location and status. Analyse impact of changes, develop, document, and implement change requests. Operational and Incident Management Monitor and diagnose AWS anomalies, investigating causes and owning resolutions until issues are mitigated or transferred. Initiate investigations into patterns and trends, driving resolution of operational problems. Use management tools to investigate issues, collect performance data, and generate reports. System Optimisation and Stakeholder Engagement Manage AWS hosting components to meet performance and business needs. Identify process improvement opportunities and contribute to the development of solutions. Optimise system performance, forecast resource needs, and implement preventative measures. Engage with users and stakeholders to gather requirements and assess risks. Technical Skills And Compliance Demonstrate awareness of scripting tools and software in use. Ensure secure configuration and accurate documentation of assets. Collaborate with AWS and Cloud Engineering specialists as needed to determine remedies and support their implementation. Person specification Success Profiles We use an assessment framework called ‘Success Profiles’ which lists the elements we test and provides detailed descriptions of each. Find out more about how we assess the Success Profile Elements. Essential Experience Can communicate with senior, non-technical managers the benefits, risks and operational considerations of AWS hosted IT solutions and their technical design. This includes explaining the impact of any technical decisions on the sustainability of the solution. Good analytical skills to be able to scrutinise AWS issues and draw conclusions and interpretations from the information available to plan and deliver solutions for customers. This will include being proactive in responding and anticipating sudden changes to business priorities. Behaviours Making effective decisions - Level 3 Leadership - Level 3 You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours here: Success Profiles - Civil Service Behaviours (publishing.service.gov.uk) Technical / Professional Skills: This role is aligned to Senior Infrastructure Operations Engineer within the Digital, Data and Technology Profession. These skills will be tested during the Technical Assessment if you are successful at sift stage. They will be not be assessed at application stage. Please review the following to understand the skill expectations: Infrastructure operations engineer - Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework. Annual Leave - You will receive 25 days annual leave on joining us. This will increase to 30 days after four full years of service. You will also have 11.5 public and privilege days of leave every year. We also offer Flexi-time. Any extra hours you've worked can be taken as leave when suitable. A Civil Service Pension - This job comes with a Civil Service pension. New joiners to the Civil Service will join a career average pension scheme as standard. Read more here - www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk. Healthy work life balance - We can offer the possibility of full-time, part-time, term-time, and job shares. We also encourage flexible working. Discounts - You can enjoy a vast range of retail, travel and lifestyle discounts through our benefit scheme. Personal support for you - Our Employee Assistance Programme gives you confidential, independent information and guidance 24/7. Volunteering special leave - Up to six days paid special leave a year for volunteering. We support our staff to help causes important to them. Great locations - Our bright and modern offices in the heart of Dundee and Glasgow have been designed with staff in mind. Both locations are ideal for public transport. Artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use. Selection process details Expected Timeline (subject to change) Sift - w/c 12th January 2026 Interviews – w/c 9th February 2026 Location - In Person in either Dundee or Glasgow Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. Security Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks. Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. 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 the Republic of Ireland nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window) nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020 Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service 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 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. Diversity and Inclusion The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window). This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative. The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window). 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 : Resourcing Team Email : Recruitment@socialsecurity.gov.scot Telephone : 08001577194 Recruitment team Email : Recruitment@socialsecurity.gov.scot Further information https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/working-with-us/help-with-your-application