DevOps Engineer

Role profile

After a long period of sustained growth and increasing investment in cloud and AI capabilities, Osborne Clarke are looking to further strengthen our IT Operations function with bringing onboard a DevOps Engineer role based in our Bristol office.

This hands-on engineering role will be pivotal in designing, building and improving the cloud platform foundations used by our IT and Software Engineering teams, with an initial focus on our new Azure Cloud Platform. You will help ensure secure, repeatable and supportable cloud environments, and work extensively with our Software Engineering team to build and operate AI capabilities across Azure and AWS.

This is a full-time position based in Bristol offering hybrid working, with flexibility to meet deadlines as required and participation in a monthly Saturday server maintenance window.

The role

The DevOps Engineer will be a key member of our IT Services, IT Operations, DevOps and AI Technical Stream, promoting collaboration, team working and modern engineering practices. You will work closely with Software Engineering, End User Computing, Cyber Security, Enterprise Architecture, FinOps and Risk & Compliance to deliver robust cloud platforms and services that support the firm’s priorities.

Other key responsibilities include:

Cloud Platform Design & Governance

• Design and build the foundations of our new Azure Cloud Platform, including landing zones, management structures, shared platform services and policy controls.
• Establish centralised ingress and egress patterns, aligned with network, security and governance requirements.
• Shape platform identity, subscription/account structures and architectural controls in collaboration with Enterprise Architecture and Cyber Security.
• Act as a subject matter expert for DevOps and cloud platform engineering, providing advice through project work, technical design and the IT service management system.

Infrastructure as Code & CI/C

• Develop reusable Infrastructure as Code modules and deployment patterns, using Terraform as the primary technology.
• Design, implement and maintain CI/CD pipelines for application and infrastructure delivery, principally using GitHub and associated automation tooling.
• Create standards, documentation, reference implementations and reusable patterns that make cloud engineering easier and safer for other teams.
• Maintain and improve Dev, Test and Live environments, ensuring clear ownership, accurate documentation and supportable operational processes.

AI Platforms & Engineering Collaboration

• Work across Azure and AWS with the Software Engineering team to build and operate the infrastructure and deployment capability required for AI products and services.
• Apply common engineering standards and reusable deployment patterns to support AI and data workloads.
• Support the End User Computing team with the design, automation and delivery of Azure Virtual Desktop environments and their supporting Azure services.
• Coordinate and prioritise workstreams across teams in line with customer expectations.

Monitoring, Security & Financial Governance

• Develop monitoring, alerting and operational controls to identify failures, security issues, cost anomalies and performance problems before they affect users.
• Work closely with Cyber Security to ensure platforms and applications follow agreed security controls and relevant cloud best practices.
• Partner with FinOps to establish sensible cloud financial governance, including tagging, cost allocation, budgets, forecasting, optimisation and visibility of cloud consumption.
• Maintain a heightened awareness of the risks associated with elevated access permissions and Information Security, acting in line with our Information Security Policy and best practice.

Service Management, Coaching & Operations

• Apply ITIL practices to the design, transition, operation and continual improvement of services, contributing to process review and improvement.
• Oversee and support release processes and product updates, using change, incident, problem and service management practices where appropriate.
• Provide DevOps and cloud platform expertise, mentorship and practical coaching to raise capability across IT Operations, Software Engineering and End User Computing.
• Lead DevOps and cloud platform work on both project and BAU activity within IT Operations, and provide regular assistance with BAU workload, including the monthly server maintenance window.
• Promote effective communication and a culture of mutual understanding across Business Services and the wider firm, acting as a professional service provider.

We are looking for

• Demonstrable experience of delivering DevOps, cloud platform or infrastructure automation outcomes in a complex environment.
• Strong engineering judgement, with the ability to turn architectural direction and service requirements into working, supportable platforms.
• Proven experience of coordinating and prioritising workstreams across teams in line with customer expectations.
• Ability to produce clear, accurate technical documentation, standards and operational processes.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines, maintaining quality under time pressure.
• Experience of coaching and mentoring colleagues, explaining technical concepts clearly and identifying capability gaps.
• Strong communication skills, able to work effectively with stakeholders across IT Operations, Software Engineering, End User Computing, Cyber Security, Enterprise Architecture and FinOps.
• Practical understanding of the software development lifecycle and ITIL or IT Service Management practices, including incident, problem, change and continual improvement.
• Expert practical knowledge of Infrastructure as Code, with strong commercial experience of Terraform and the creation of reusable modules and deployment patterns.
• Strong experience of designing, building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines for both application and infrastructure delivery.
• Strong experience of at least one major cloud platform (Azure, AWS or GCP), with the ability to transfer engineering principles and practices between platforms.
• Experience of cloud platform or landing zone design, including identity, policy, network topology, shared services, subscription or account structures and governance controls.
• Knowledge of centralised cloud ingress and egress patterns, private connectivity, DNS, firewalls, load balancing and Zero Trust network principles.
• Experience of working with software engineering teams to deliver cloud-hosted applications and services; experience supporting AI or data platforms in Azure or AWS is desirable.
• Experience of monitoring, observability, vulnerability scanning, backup, recovery and operational assurance for cloud services.
• Understanding of cloud financial management and FinOps practices, including tagging, cost allocation, budgets, forecasting and optimisation.
• Experience of Azure Virtual Desktop or comparable virtual desktop platforms is desirable.
• Broad IT Operations knowledge, including network protocols and standards.
• Experience of ServiceDesk and incident, problem and change management solutions and workflow tools.

Salary and benefits

We offer competitive salaries and generous benefits.We value the health and wellbeing of our people and our wide range of initiatives and benefits support this.

Our recruitment process

Please note that although we include closing dates for our roles as a guide, we review and progress applications on a rolling basis. At Osborne Clarke we do not make any recruitment decisions using automated decision-making.

We are committed to providing an environment where you can perform to the best of your abilities at every stage of your recruitment experience and beyond. If you require any adjustments to be made during the application stage, interview process, or when working with us, please let us know in confidence.

About Us

Osborne Clarke is an international legal practice with over 330 Partners and more than 1,260 talented lawyers in 26 locations*. Our sector-based approach enables us to help our clients tackle the issues they are facing today, and prepare for the ones that they will face tomorrow. Advising them both comprehensively and commercially. We love working closely with our clients on new deals, products and solutions which will transform their businesses, markets and even sectors. And our unique approachable culture is not an added extra, it's fundamental to our success.

At Osborne Clarke we value difference and encourage applicants from all backgrounds. We want everyone to feel that OC is a place where you can be yourself and belong, and our range of interest groups and diversity networks - not to mention our great teams - are a part of making that a reality.

*Services in India are provided by a relationship firm