Infrastructure & Cloud Technical Lead

At AQA, we’re committed to advancing education and we’re committed to our people. As the largest provider of academic qualifications in the UK, we mark over 10 million exam papers each year and it’s our people who make this happen.

Infrastructure & Cloud Technical Lead

Permanent

Manchester: £58,824 - £66,685

Milton Keynes: £61,250 - £69,622

Hybrid – 2x days a week in the office

Imagine leading the future of enterprise technology, ensuring secure, scalable, and reliable cloud and infrastructure services. Are you ready to take ownership of cutting-edge solutions that drive innovation and enhance user experience? If you thrive in a dynamic, security-focused environment, this is your opportunity to make a real impact.

At AQA, we are looking for an Infrastructure & Cloud Operations Technical Lead to play a key role in delivering and supporting our enterprise-scale cloud and infrastructure services. Reporting to the Infrastructure & Cloud Operations Manager, you will provide technical leadership, ensuring our platforms remain secure, resilient, and future-proof. You will work closely with cross-functional teams, suppliers, and stakeholders to align technology with business strategy.

What’s in it for you?

• Lead and innovate within a high-performing, security-focused organisation.
• Drive the evolution of infrastructure and cloud services, ensuring efficiency and value for money.
• Collaborate with architecture, security, and IT teams to develop scalable solutions.
• Enjoy a flexible work environment with a 35-hour week and extensive opportunities for professional and personal development.
• Access to an enhanced contributory pension scheme which could you see you paying in 7% and AQA contributing 11.5% (Other options are available)
• Receive 25 days of annual leave, increasing to 30 days with service, plus bank holidays and additional Christmas office closure.
• Comprehensive health coverage from day one, including Bupa PMI, Health Cash Plan, and Life Assurance.
• Participate in eco-friendly transport schemes, including electric vehicles and cycle-to-work options.

What You’ll Need:

• Extensive experience in cloud (Azure) and on-premise infrastructure.
• Technical expertise in computing hardware, storage, backup, virtualisation, telecoms, and networking.
• Knowledge of ITIL, ISO/IEC27001, Cyber Essentials Plus, and COBIT frameworks.
• Problem-solving skills with the ability to translate technical challenges into business solutions.
• Relevant certifications such as ITIL Foundation, Azure Administrator Associate, and CISSP.
• There may be a requirement to provide out of hours support on a rota basis

How do I apply?

Read the full job description and upload your most recent CV by following the link provided.

Closing date for applications will be Thursday 20th March

AQA is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace where everyone—regardless of religion, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, age, disability, sexual orientation, or background—is valued, respected, and supported to thrive.

Recruitment Agencies

We have a preferred supplier list (PSL) in place.

Unsolicited CVs will be treated as a gift. We will not be subject to or liable under your terms and conditions for agency fees.

Full Job Description

Summary

Purpose:
As the Infrastructure & Cloud Operations Technical Lead within the Enterprise Technology department under CSO, your role provides subject matter technical expertise in ensuring the effective delivery and support of secure, scalable and reliable infrastructure and cloud services that provide value for money.
You will have a direct impact on the user experience, implementing user-centric technologies and tools to enhance productivity and user experience ensuring and stakeholder satisfaction. Contributes to a culture and service that is evergreen and continually reviewing opportunities to improve the infrastructure and cloud services.
Your time will be shared between project and BAU activities.Landscape:
Reporting to the Infrastructure & Cloud Operations Manager, who in turn reports into the Head of Enterprise Services, within the Enterprise Technology Directorate. As a technical leader within the Enterprise Technology department, the Infrastructure & Cloud Operations Technical Lead will be responsible for on premise infrastructure and cloud platforms.
The role will technically lead the continuous improvement of an enterprise scale infrastructure and cloud operations service that has responsibility for on-premises infrastructure and accountability for assuring managed services.
Supporting a hybrid workforce that is geographically spread across five office locations. As a security focussed organisation, you will provide services that enable ongoing alignment and certification to ISO/IEC27001 and Cyber Essentials Plus.
The role involves you working closely with other technology teams, specifically other members of the Infrastructure and Cloud Operations team, EUC and Security & Architecture teams, as well project managers and external vendors.
Enterprise Technology consists of the following functions:
• Service Delivery
• Enterprise IT Services
• Enterprise Applications
• Enterprise Architecture
• Security, Risk & Data Protection


Activities:
Build supplier relationships, working in partnership to design future state, and oversee the management of environments, ensuring optimal performance and security, technically holding suppliers to account for the delivery of contracted services
Provide technical leadership and support the development of the infrastructure and cloud platform services. Evaluate emerging technologies and trends to make recommendations for adoption in alignment with AQA's technology strategy. Develop and deliver the infrastructure and cloud roadmap
Drive the design and champion the implementation of secure, scalable and reliable infrastructure and cloud solutions providing value for money.  Implementation of user-centric technologies and tools to enhance productivity and user experiences
Collaborate with Enterprise Architecture to ensure the alignment of infrastructure and cloud solutions and services with overall architecture standards. Providing technical leadership and subject matter expertise, contributing to and implementation of solutions designs, ensuring projects are being delivered to the required expectations
Provide technical leadership and mentor a team of infrastructure and cloud technical experts, role modelling behaviours and actions to support this. Acting as a technical escalation point for infrastructure and cloud services and technology
Contribute to resource planning activities to ensure resources can deliver BAU and project priorities.
Implement and embed effective operational management and monitoring governance, processes and procedures to ensure the timely identification, documentation and resolution of issues
Develop and enforce best practices for infrastructure and cloud technologies
Identify and drive automation initiatives to streamline infrastructure and cloud services
Support lifecycle planning for hardware and software technologies, ensuring that we remain current, contributing to a structured forward plan that enables an evergreen approach to infrastructure and cloud services
Participating in the identification, assessment, planning and management of threats and opportunities as appropriate in support of a robust risk management process
Contributing to the identification, assessment, planning, testing and implementation of incident management processes to support recovery of key business processes in the event of a disruption to normal operations
Support the development of measures that demonstrate a high performing infrastructure and cloud service

To be successful in this role, you will need to know:
Extensive technical understanding and competence in the management and development of an infrastructure and cloud environment
Extensive technical understanding and competence in the management and development of mainstream cloud (including MS Azure) / on-premise infrastructural environments, computing hardware, storage and back up platforms. Server and Desktop Virtualisation. Telecoms & Networking, especially Cisco technologies
Experience in implementing, developing and maintaining infrastructure and cloud services in complex large-scale enterprise environments
Good knowledge of and the ability to apply ITIL, ISO/IEC27001, Cyber Essentials Plus and COBIT standards and frameworks into the delivery of the infrastructure and cloud service
Understanding of programme and project management methodologies
Offer solutions to complex requests using best practice and relevant technologies
Apply methodical problem-solving techniques to troubleshoot and resolve issues
Be results focused: make pragmatic decisions and deliver at pace
Excellent customer service
How to be resilient and work under pressure, being used to meeting deadlines
Commercially aware and experience of working in an environment that relies on 3rd parties and 3rd party delivered services
The ability to translate the impact of a technical issue onto a business service
Ability to influence and persuade stakeholders
Take responsibility for own personal professional development
Ideally hold professional certifications relevant to the role
ITIL Foundation
Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate
Microsoft Certified: Identity and Access Administrator Associate
Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer Associate
Microsoft 365 Certified: Administrator Expert - MS-102
ISC2: CISSP - Certified Information Systems Security Professional

There may be a requirement to provide out of hours support on a rota basis