Technical Lead (Senior Infrastructure Engineer) - Met Office - SEO

Location

Exeter, South West England, EX1 3PB

About the job

Job summary

We’re looking for a Senior Infrastructure Engineer to help us make a difference to our planet. 

As our Senior Infrastructure Engineer, the job may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in the office and part of the week from home. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and the location advertised will be your contractual place of work. 

Our opportunity is full time, 37 hours per week, but we would also consider applicants wishing to work a minimum of 33 hours per week.  Our people are at the heart of what we do and we'll do our best to agree a working pattern that works for everyone. 

World changing work 

From science to technology, from meteorology to management, and from planning to communication, our expertise helps us stand out as the authority on weather accuracy and climate prediction. We help individuals, industries and government to make better decisions to stay safe and thrive. This is the Met Office. This is who we are. 

We’re a force for good - focusing on our environmental and social impact
We’re experts by nature - always learning and developing to do things better
We live and breathe it - putting our purpose at the heart of decision-making
We’re better together - understanding partnerships and inclusivity make us greater
We keep evolving - pushing boundaries to make tomorrow better for our customers

Your world of expertise 

In this position, you will help define and deliver the technical direction of our digital infrastructure, with a particular focus on harnessing Microsoft technologies to support the organisation’s evolving requirements.

Your responsibilities will include designing, implementing, and maintaining robust, scalable, and secure infrastructure solutions, making full use of platforms such as Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, and associated cloud services. These solutions will underpin the delivery of world-class meteorological services and ensure the Met Office remains at the forefront of digital innovation.

As a senior member of the team, you will provide technical leadership across a variety of projects, championing best practices and standards within the Microsoft ecosystem. You will also mentor and support other technical staff, contribute to complex problem-solving, and participate in strategic decision-making, ensuring our infrastructure remains resilient, responsive, and continuously advancing. Your deep expertise in Microsoft architecture will be integral in maintaining the Met Office’s reputation for technical excellence.

Job description

Design, build, configure, and operate infrastructure solutions, ensuring robust, secure, and efficient operation of systems and services in line with Met Office architectural standards.
Administer and support IT infrastructure, proactively monitoring performance, troubleshooting issues, and implementing improvements to optimise service delivery and minimise downtime.
Lead and mentor infrastructure teams, coordinating day-to-day activities, allocating tasks, and fostering a culture of technical excellence and knowledge sharing.
Implement and maintain automation to improve service reliability, compliance and operational efficiency.
Oversee the integration and delivery of infrastructure services, working closely with internal stakeholders and third-party providers to ensure high-quality, reliable service outcomes.
Take ownership of problem management, swiftly addressing incidents and root causes, and applying corrective actions to prevent recurrence.
Ensure compliance with information security practices and departmental policies, actively managing risks and adhering to modern development, testing, and operational standards.
Contribute to the planning and management of technology roadmaps, workforce requirements, and project delivery, supporting the Digital Workplace function’s strategic goals.

We operate an on-call roster in Technology to provide 24/7/365 support to respond to operational service requirements. This post may be part of an on-call roster and the postholder would be required to participate in an on-call roster where in operation. 

Person specification

1. Experts by Nature

Demonstrates deep and broad technical expertise across enterprise infrastructure domains, including Windows Server platforms, identity and access management, networking, cloud and hybrid services, and end user technologies. Acts as a senior technical authority, able to diagnose and resolve complex, multi-layered infrastructure issues, balancing operational stability, security, and performance in line with DDaT standards and Met Office policies. 

Provides technical leadership and assurance across live services and project work, ensuring solutions are robust, supportable, and aligned to architectural direction and organisational priorities.

2. Live and Breathe It

Extensive experience delivering complex infrastructure change and improvement initiatives from design through to implementation and operational handover. Brings strong architectural and operational insight to modern, cloud-first and hybrid infrastructure services, ensuring they are resilient, identity-driven, secure, and fit for purpose.

Able to manage multiple competing priorities and concurrent projects, maintaining momentum while adapting to changing business needs. Takes ownership for seeing work through to successful conclusion, ensuring outcomes are clearly defined, risks are managed, and benefits are realised.

3. Better Together, Communication & Stakeholder Management

Excellent communication skills, with the ability to clearly explain complex technical concepts, risks, and decisions to both technical and non-technical audiences. Builds trusted relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including Digital Workplace teams, security, architecture, service management, and external suppliers.

Confident in influencing technical direction, providing clear advice and recommendations, and ensuring stakeholders remain informed and engaged throughout delivery and operational change.

4. Better Together, Leadership & Team Development

Proven experience supporting and developing engineers in technical roles through mentoring, coaching, and constructive feedback. Provides day-to-day technical leadership, supports task prioritisation, and contributes to performance management in line with organisational expectations.

Fosters an inclusive, collaborative culture that values shared ownership, continuous learning, and professional development. Actively contributes to building capability within the team and across the wider DDaT community.