Junior DevOps Apprentice

Do you have a passion for technology?

Are you excited by the opportunity to become a highly skilled tech professional within HM Revenue & Customs, by completing an apprenticeship?

This could be the perfect time to apply for our Level 4 apprenticeship as a DevOps Engineer apprentice.

At HMRC, we are already one of the most digital advanced tax authorities in the world and have one of the largest IT infrastructures and data sources in the UK. With 50 million customers to serve, over 60 thousand colleagues to support, and £600 billion to collect to fund UK Plc, our IT operation is huge!

HMRC is made up of Customer Groups which are working independently towards one common goal. Our role sits within HMRC’s Chief Digital & Information Office (CDIO) Group that deliver in-house solutions for a broad range of technical and operational issues.

See what it’s like to work at HMRC: find out more about us or ask our colleagues a question. Questions relating to an individual application must be emailed as detailed later in this advert.

This is a great opportunity to earn while you learn.

As a Junior DevOps you will be working within an exciting dynamic driven team who will guide and support the vision responsible for innovative solutions, working with up to date technologies via automation and transition of code throughout the delivery life cycle.

This role is a Junior DevOps, working to achieve a Level 4 Apprenticeship in DevOps Engineering. You will learn to write code, develop software and build infrastructure, all managed through code. You will demonstrate the ability to perform a range of complex and non-routine work under general direction from your peers and your manager.

You will engage and work closely with other technical teams in developing and deploying code using a continuous integration/delivery pipeline enabling the rapid delivery to live of new and enhanced solutions and their ongoing support and maintenance.

You will deliver and integrate software to form a complete DevOps toolchain. You will be responsible for planning and designing large groups of stories. You will be able to transform technical requirements into an effective DevOps toolchain to enable product delivery. You will make sure deployment strategies for products are repeatable, scalable and highly available and will have a deep technical knowledge, providing support to delivery teams and solving complex problems.

As well as being given 20% off the job training to allow you to complete your apprenticeship within your working hours, you will undergo a 4 ½-month bootcamp to kickstart your apprenticeship with the learning provider. This front-loaded method of learning will allow apprentices to arrive into the workplace ready to consolidate their new learning, and hit the ground running as a DevOps Engineer apprentice. Typically, the apprenticeship will run for 24 months.

You’ll be supported by your line manager, learning and development manager, skills coach and the DevOps community, as well as fellow apprentices on the programme, so you will have plenty sources of encouragement and support to help you succeed.

You will be working in this role, rotating through our Platform Teams where you will learn to write code in a few different languages, largely Python and Terraform, and will also be working with cutting edge technologies in a modern public cloud environment.

In this role you will:

• Be given the opportunity to learn a wide range of different technologies to build, develop and implement solutions across the Platform.
• Learn about delivery frameworks such as Agile and work in teams putting theory into practice.
• Work professionally and independently, taking ownership and initiative as appropriate.
• Communicate effectively in a variety of situations including formal and informal both within your team and with our customers.
• Identify appropriate technical solutions using both logical and creative thinking, and then work with the team to deliver them.

You will develop skills and understanding in the following areas:

• An understanding of communication protocols in use between applications and between end users and our services.
• Write code in a variety of programming languages, including Python and Ruby.
• Use distributed source control, focusing on GitHub.
• Gain an understanding of Linux Administration.
• Build, deploy and operate a world-class platform within an agile environment that meets the requirements of digital service teams.
• Writing, testing and configuring alerts to be delivered to the team responsible.
• Focus on test-driven development to ensure that released code is optimised to meet requirements.
• Write code in the open, to ensure it can be contributed to, reviewed and where possible shared and reused.
• An understanding of key principles of modern standard's approach, how they apply to the work they are undertaking, and will apply under guidance.

Essential Criteria

We’re looking for someone who has a foundation of technical skills which could include:

• Passionate about IT, enjoys solving problems and has different approaches to solving problems.
• Able to design, code, test, correct & document simple programmes or scripts under the direction of others.
• Able to help fix faults following agreed procedures. Carried out agreed infrastructure maintenance tasks.
• A great teammate who can assist on designing components of larger systems.
• Aware of how to integrate systems and the challenges of designing, building and testing interfaces between systems.
• Has an awareness or understanding of user experience analysis and its principles.
• Can see the purpose of user stories and focuses on user needs.

• Minimum Eligibility Requirements

• Valid passport/birth certificate and NI number.
• Must have lived in the UK and/or EEA for 3 years prior to apprenticeship start date
• Not undertaking another apprenticeship or government funded qualification at the same time
• You must not hold an existing qualification at the same or higher level in a similar subject. – we reserve the right to withdraw applications who are deemed ineligible due to existing qualifications.
• You must hold GCSEs in Maths and English at Grade C or above.

• Level 3 Software Apprenticeship or similar subject
• A Levels in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths) subject and successful completion of our aptitude test*
• BTEC Diploma in IT and successful completion of our aptitude test*
• 2 years of relevant work experience and successful completion of our aptitude test*

• The aptitude test will be completed during the first stage of the recruitment process, should you be successful at sift stage.

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• This phase consists of 3 sections - a coding course, problem solving challenge and a brief telephone interview with the learning provider who will deliver your apprenticeship programme should you be successful. All 3 sections will be assessed during your

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

• What qualifications will you get?

  This post is a permanent position within HM Revenue & Customs.

  All apprentices who meet the scheme’s milestones will receive a Level 4 apprenticeship qualification in DevOps Engineering.

Find more about HMRC benefits in 'Your little extras and big benefits handbook' for further information or visit Thinking of joining the Civil Service.

Job contact :

Name :
Mathew Howes
Email :
mathew.howes@hmrc.gov.uk

Recruitment team

Email :
hmrcrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk