{"id":3893301,"url":"https://alion.io/job/scottish-government-senior-application-operations-engineer","title":"Senior Application Operations Engineer","company":{"id":2109038,"name":"Scottish Government","domain":"remotesensingdata.gov.scot","url":"https://alion.io/company/remotesensingdata","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Oracle","truth_index":null},"role":"Industrial Engineering","role_family":"Industrial Engineering","seniority":"senior","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"hybrid","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Dundee, United Kingdom"],"countries":["GB"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":3,"visa_sponsorship":true,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Kibana","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-26T09:52:08Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-26","last_verified_at":"2026-11-10T18:34:44Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":15,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":15},"description":"Social Security Scotland is looking for a Senior Application Operations Engineer to join our Digital Services Branch. In this role, you will support and improve a portfolio of enterprise applications that are critical to the delivery of benefits and services to the people of Scotland.\nWorking within a complex enterprise environment, you will be responsible for the day-to-day operation of business-critical applications, acting as a technical subject matter expert for assigned services. You will lead incident and problem resolution activities, coordinating support teams, technology specialists and suppliers to ensure issues are investigated and resolved within agreed service levels. Through effective troubleshooting and root cause analysis, you will help ensure systems remain secure, reliable and resilient.\nYou will develop a detailed understanding of the applications you support, their underlying technology stacks and their dependencies across the wider digital estate. Using this knowledge, you will investigate complex technical issues, identify factors affecting application availability and performance, and support the delivery of effective solutions.\nAs well as supporting live services, you will proactively review application performance and capacity to ensure services continue to meet business needs. You will identify opportunities to improve reliability, availability, security and operational efficiency, working with colleagues and suppliers to deliver improvements and maintain application roadmaps. You will also contribute to the assessment of application changes and support the introduction of new or enhanced services into live operation.\nThe role includes working closely with architects, engineers, suppliers, business owners and end users to resolve issues, improve service performance and ensure applications continue to meet organisational standards. You will support application patching, certification and compliance activities, working with Information Security colleagues and suppliers to ensure services remain aligned with technology, security and governance requirements.\nThis is an opportunity to work across a diverse and evolving application landscape, helping to deliver trusted and effective digital services that support the people of Scotland.\n Responsibilities\nManage application services and components to ensure they meet business requirements, service levels and performance targets.\nAssess, document and implement change requests, evaluating impacts and ensuring effective change management.\nIdentify opportunities to improve processes, contributing to the design and delivery of optimisation initiatives.\nDiagnose, prioritise and resolve incidents, taking ownership through to resolution, mitigation or handover.\nInvestigate recurring issues, monitor trends and implement preventative measures to reduce future incidents.\nCollaborate with technical specialists and stakeholders to determine and implement appropriate solutions.\nTranslate technical and business requirements into practical, scalable frameworks and solutions.\nUtilise management systems (such as JIRA), monitoring tools (such as Kibana) and logical data models to investigate issues, analyse performance and produce reports.\nInstall, configure, maintain and reconfigure application platforms and related technologies.\nMonitor, optimise and forecast application performance, capacity and resource requirements.\nUnderstand core technical concepts related to this role and apply them with guidance\nReview requirements and specifications, define test conditions, identify risks, and analyse and report testing outcomes.\nEngage users and stakeholders to gather requirements, conduct user-focused research, and use qualitative and quantitative insights to deliver user-centred outcomes.\n Success Profiles\nWe use an assessment framework called ‘Success Profiles’ which lists the elements we test and provides detailed descriptions of each. Find out more about the framework here.\nFor this post, the following Success Profile elements will be assessed:\nExperience\nDemonstrable experience of configuring, supporting and maintaining applications and platforms within a complex enterprise environment. This must include hands-on experience carrying out complex incident and root cause investigations and taking ownership of incidents through to resolution.\nThe post holder should have proven analytical, planning, organizational and project management skills, including the ability to balance competing and shifting priorities to meet tight deadlines. Ability to work on own initiative and without close supervision.\nBehaviours\nCommunicating and Influencing (Level 3)\nLeadership (Level 3)\nYou can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours here.\nTechnical / Professional Skills\nThis role is aligned to Senior Application Operations Engineer within the Government Digital and Data Profession.\nPlease review the following to understand the skill expectations: Application Operations Engineer - Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework\nThese skills will be tested during the Technical Assessment if you are successful at sift stage. They will not be assessed at application stage.\nHow to Apply\nApply online, providing a CV and Supporting Statement (of no more than 750 words) which provides evidence of how you meet the Experience and Behaviours listed in the Success Profiles above.\nArtificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be used to support your application, but all statements and examples 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, and presented as your own) applications will be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.\nPlease see our candidate guidance for more information on acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in recruitment.\nShould a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the CV and Supporting Statement on the first Experience criteria. Candidates who pass the initial sift will have their applications fully assessed.\nPlease note: there may be a telephone interview prior to the final interview stage.\nSuccessful candidates will be invited to an interview which will assess the Experience and Behaviours noted above, and a technical assessment comprising a 10 minute presentation which will assess the Technical Skills.\nCandidates who pass the sift and are invited to the Interview and Technical Assessment stage will receive a Technical Assessment Candidate Pack, which will outline the skills to be assessed and the assessment methods to be used.\nWe aim to provide feedback on request. However, if we receive a large number of applications it may not be possible for us to provide specific feedback on your application. We will provide feedback on request to candidates who attend an interview/assessment.\nExpected Timeline (subject to change)\nSift - week commencing 16th November 2026\nInterview - week commencing 30th November 2026\nLocation - In Person in either Dundee or Glasgow\nReserve List\nIn the event that there are more successful candidates than posts available, a reserve list will be kept for up to 12 months.\nAbout Us\nSocial Security Scotland is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government. Our benefits help people from all walks of life in Scotland. We offer rewarding careers and employ people across Scotland in a wide range of professions and roles. We are committed to recruiting a diverse workforce that is representative of the clients we serve. Find more about us here.\nWe offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits. Find out more about what we offer.\nAs part of the UK Civil Service, we uphold the Civil Service Nationality Rules.\nGDD Pay Supplement\nThis post is part of the Government Digital and Data (GDD) profession and currently attracts a £3,000 annual GDD pay supplement, which is paid monthly. Pay supplements are reviewed regularly.\nWorking Pattern\nOur standard hours are 35 hours per week and we offer a range of flexible working options, depending on the needs of the role. We embrace a hybrid working style where all colleagues will spend time in either our Glasgow or Dundee offices. There is an expectation of a minimum 2 days per week in your assigned location, which will be either Glasgow or Dundee. If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact us.\nSecurity Checks\nSuccessful candidates must complete the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), before they can be appointed. BPSS is comprised of four main pre-employment checks - Identity, Right to work, Employment History and a Criminal Record check (unspent convictions).\nYou can find out more about BPSS on the UK Government website, or read about the different levels of security checks in our Candidate Guide.\nEquality Statement\nSocial Security Scotland are committed to equality and inclusion, and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation.\nSocial Security Scotland are a Disability Confident Employer. We will consider and implement any reasonable adjustments you may require throughout the recruitment process and during the course of your employment, should you be successful in securing a post. If you feel you may require assistance with any part of our recruitment process, please contact us at .\nFind out more about our commitment to diversity and how we offer and support recruitment adjustments for anyone who needs them.\nRight to Work in the UK\nSocial Security Scotland is an approved sponsor under the UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker route. Please note that UK immigration guidance, including skill and salary thresholds and eligible occupations, is reviewed regularly and subject to change. If you require visa sponsorship, you should check the latest criteria to confirm whether this role meets current requirements before applying. You can find further advice at Skilled Worker visa: Overview - GOV.UK\nFurther Information\nSocial Security Scotland’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the recruitment principles of the Civil Service Commissioner, which outline that selection for appointment be made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition - Recruitment - Civil Service Commission\nIf you feel at any time your application has not been treated in accordance with the values in the Civil Service Code and/or if you feel the recruitment has been conducted in such a way that conflicts with the Civil Service Commissioner’s Recruitment Principles, you can make a complaint, by contacting Social Security Scotland at  in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commissioner.\nThe successful candidate will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 3 years unless successful in gaining promotion to a higher Band or Grade.\nFind out more about our organisation, what we offer staff members and how to apply on our Careers Website.\nRead our Candidate Guide for further information on our recruitment and application processes.\nIf you experience any difficulties accessing our website or completing the online application form, please contact the Resourcing Team via \nApply before 23:55 on 16th November 2026\nContact Name - Resourcing Team\nContact Email - 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