Senior DevOps Engineer

Summary

A senior DevOps engineer delivers and integrates software to form a complete DevOps toolchain. They are responsible for planning and designing large groups of stories.

At this role level, you will:

transform technical requirements into an effective DevOps toolchain to enable product delivery
provide coaching and mentoring to more junior colleagues
ensure that deployment strategies for products are repeatable, scalable and highly available
have deep technical knowledge, providing support to delivery teams and solving complex problems

Background

Background Components

Description	Background
Takes a logical, analytical approach to problem solving and pays close attention to detail.	Prior Knowledge and Skills

Work Activity Components

Title	Details
Barriers and impediments	Identifies barriers to progress. Recommends remedial action and/or escalates as appropriate.
Team effectiveness	Schedules and facilitates meetings to identify blockers to team effectiveness.
Workshop design	Designs simple, and/or contributes to the design of multi-event, workshops to solve workplace performance problems or improve team or individual effectiveness.
Workshop facilitation	Facilitates, and/or assists in the facilitation of, group activities or workshops in situations of complexity, ambiguity, and competing stakeholder needs.
Documentation and version control	Documents work in accordance with agreed standards. Applies version control in accordance with agreed procedures.
Reviews and monitoring	Participates in reviews of own work and leads reviews of colleagues’ work.
Policies, standards and guidelines	Applies agreed standards and tools, to achieve well-engineered outcomes. Identifies issues related to software development activities. Proposes practical solutions to resolve issues.
User evaluation	Plans and performs all types of user experience evaluation to check and confirm that usability and accessibility requirements have been met. Selects appropriate use of formative or summative evaluations. Prepares for evaluations according to policies and standards. Examines such products and services, and their development documentation against defined lists of required features or levels of performance. Records findings in standard formats. Participates in review meetings. Archives assessment material.
Change management	Assesses the stability of user stories or requirements against changes in context of use and makes recommendations to ensure usability and accessibility needs continue to be met. Defines new user stories or requirements.

Knowledge/Skills

Knowledge/Skills Components

Title	Depth	Details	Type
Conceptual Thinking		Acquiring understanding and insights regarding the underlying issues in complex problems or situations through the development of abstract representations, the identification of patterns and the analysis of hypotheses.	Behavioural Skills
Creativity		Taking innovative approaches to problem solving and/or devising inventive and creative solutions.	Behavioural Skills
Attention to Detail		Applying specific quality standards to all tasks undertaken to ensure that deliverables are accurate and complete.	Behavioural Skills
Cross-Functional and Inter-Disciplinary Awareness		Understanding the needs, objectives and constraints of those in other disciplines and functions.	Behavioural Skills
Teamwork		Working collaboratively with others to achieve a common goal.	Behavioural
Application Systems	Familiar with	Technical or functional understanding of Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) applications and/or other bespoke software deployed within the organisation in order to provide system configuration, audit, technical, and/or functional support.	Technical Knowledge and Skills
Application Development Tools	Proficient in	Software tools which automate or assist part of the development process.	Technical Knowledge and Skills
Configuration Management	Familiar with	The discipline that gives precise control over IT assets and components by recording and maintaining information about the ‘configuration items’, including hardware devices, computer programs, software licences, documentation, network devices, and data centre facilities (virtualised and static).	Technical Knowledge and Skills
Programming Languages	Proficient in	A set of codes and syntax (supported by software tools) that enables the unambiguous translation of specified functionality into source code for the creation of computer programs.	Technical Knowledge and Skills
Operational/Service Architecture	Familiar with	Knowledge of the IT/IS infrastructure and the IT applications and service processes used within own organisation, including those associated with sustainability and efficiency.	Technical Knowledge and Skills
Structured Reviews	Proficient in	Methods and techniques for structured reviews, including reviews of technical work products, test plans, business cases, architectures and any other key deliverables.	Technical Knowledge and Skills
Software Testing Tools	Familiar with	Software tools which automate or assist any part of the testing process across all or part of the testing lifecycle.	Technical Knowledge and Skills
Middleware	Familiar with	Software which forms part of the operating platform infrastructure.	Technical Knowledge and Skills
DevOps	Proficient in	The collaborative approach consisting of agile practices, processes, and procedures designed to facilitate rapid IT service and product delivery. DevOps emphasizes people (and culture) and seeks to improve collaboration between development (Dev) and operations (Ops) teams with the aim of shortening the systems development life cycle to provide continuous release of high-quality software.	Technical Knowledge and Skills
Agile	Proficient in	A collection of methods, practises, tools and techniques, underpinned by the Agile Manifesto, that enable teams to deliver high value products and services in small, workable, increments. An Agile culture typically encompasses concepts such as Servant-Leaders; ceremonies, Stand-Ups, Sprints and Retrospectives; and the deployment of tools and techniques such as Backlogs and A/B Testing.	Technical Knowledge and Skills
Techniques for Effective Meetings	Familiar with	Methods and techniques for running effective meetings and for understanding and influencing the roles played by participants.	Other Knowledge and Skills
Coaching Techniques	Familiar with	Methods and techniques for coaching individuals or groups by a balanced combination of support and direction, including use of virtual learning environments plus add-ons to augment feedback specific to work items, workflow or career plans.	Other Knowledge and Skills
Standards Writing Techniques	Aware of	Principles, methods and techniques for establishing, documenting, and maintaining standards.	Other Knowledge and Skills
Project Planning and Control Techniques	Aware of	Methods and techniques associated with planning and monitoring progress of projects.	Other Knowledge and Skills

Training Activities

Training Components

Title	Details
Corporate Policies, Standards, Procedures, Guidelines and Tools	Policies, standards, procedures, guidelines, software tools and operating system facilities used in everyday work.
Systems Development	Systems development, including development life cycles and methods, organisation interfaces, typical corporate application architectures, project and programme management, risk management and change control.
Advanced Programming Methods and Techniques	Complex methods and techniques for the creation of program code. Typically for use in scientific calculation, for improving operational efficiency of programs or for enhancing the productivity of experienced programmers.
System Testing	Methods and procedures for planning, specifying and executing tests, including levels of testing, e.g. Unit Testing, Integration Testing, System Testing, User Acceptance Testing, Regression Testing, Live User Testing, etc.
Facilitation	Methods and techniques for managing (or facilitating) a meeting or group session (both face-to-face and online) and then through a series of planned activities the creation, by consensus, of products (e.g. lists of business issues, requirements, technical options, etc.).
Software Configuration	Installation, configuration and tuning of applications or systems software.
Coaching	Concepts, methods and techniques for providing coaching in subject specialisms to individuals or groups (e.g. GROW model).
Mentoring	Methods and techniques for providing mentoring support to less experienced individuals.
Security Awareness	Tools and techniques to help users and employees understand the role they play in helping to combat information security breaches and for IT and security professionals to prevent and mitigate risk.

PDAs

PDA Components

Title	Details
Deputising	Standing in for supervisor or manager on a temporary basis during periods of absence.
Job Shadowing and Special Assignments	Undertaking temporary periods or secondments in other roles, inside or outside IT, particularly those that offer a new perspective on own function or exposure to other environments and cultures.
Research Assignments	Exploring a topic which is not part of own normal responsibilities and presenting findings to colleagues and/or management
Gaining Knowledge of Activities of Employing Organisation	Developing an understanding of the potentially diverse range of activities (service, governance, administrative, regulatory, commercial, charitable, industrial, etc.) undertaken by the employing organisation.
Gaining Knowledge of IT Concepts and Techniques	Undertaking study, learning and, where possible, practice in IT concepts and techniques external to own function.
Participation in Professional Body Affairs	Taking an active part in professional body affairs at branch, specialist group, committee or board level.
Negotiating and Influencing	Undertaking learning and practice of negotiating with and influencing others.

Qualifications

Qualification Components

Title	Awarding Body
Registered IT Technician (RITTech)	BCS – The Chartered Institute for IT
FEDIP Senior Practitioner	FEDIP
EXIN DevOps Professional	Exin

Organisation Skills

Framework » Organisation Category » Subcategory	Skill Name and Description	Level
DDaT » Software Development	Software Development – Availability and capacity management You can define, analyse, plan, forecast, measure, maintain and improve all aspects of the availability of services, including power. You can control and manage service availability to meet business needs cost-effectively, including managing the capability, functionality and sustainability of service components (such as hardware, software, network resources, and software or infrastructure as a service).	2 – Working You can manage service components to ensure they meet business needs and performance targets.
DDaT » Software Development	Software Development – Development process optimisation You can identify opportunities for improving the development process, make these improvements and evaluate their success. You can work with others to select and implement tools and practices to build confidence and reduce risk in each stage of the software development life cycle (from planning and prioritisation through to build, test, deployment and monitoring).	2 – Working You can identify process optimisation opportunities with guidance and contribute to the implementation of proposed solutions.
DDaT » Software Development	Software Development – Information security You can maintain the security, confidentiality and integrity of information systems through compliance with relevant legislation and regulations. You can design, implement and operate controls and management strategies to allow this.	3 – Practitioner You can understand information security. You can design solutions and services with security controls embedded, specifically engineered with mitigation of security threats as a core feature.
DDaT » Software Development	Software Development – Modern standards approach You can apply a modern standards approach throughout automation and testing.	3 – Practitioner You can competently apply a modern standards approach and guide others to do so.
DDaT » Software Development	Software Development – Programming and build (software engineering) You can use agreed security standards and specifications to design, create, test and document new or amended software.	3 – Practitioner You can collaborate with others when necessary to review specifications. You can use the agreed specifications to design, code, test and document programs or scripts of medium-to-high complexity, using the right standards and tools.
DDaT » Software Development	Software Development – Prototyping You can apply technical knowledge and experience to create or design workable prototypes, both programs and physical outputs. You can understand parameters, restrictions and synergies.	3 – Practitioner You can approach prototyping as a team activity, actively soliciting prototypes and testing with others. You can establish design patterns and iterate them. You can use a variety of prototyping methods and choose the most appropriate.
DDaT » Software Development	Software Development – Service support You can maintain and support services.	4 – Expert You can demonstrate a breadth of understanding of service support.
DDaT » Software Development	Software Development – Systems design You can create the specification and design of systems to meet defined business needs. You can work with business and technology stakeholders to translate business problems into technical designs. You can visualise the ideal user service and come up with design ideas and possible design approaches. You can effectively explore different approaches to solving problems.	3 – Practitioner You can design systems characterised by medium levels of risk, impact, and business or technical complexity. You can select appropriate design standards, methods and tools, and ensure they are applied effectively. You can review the systems designs of others to ensure the selection of appropriate technology, efficient use of resources and integration of multiple systems and technology.
DDaT » Software Development	Software Development – Systems integration You can identify integration points between systems and processes, designing data contracts and communication between the components. You can make use of modern design patterns that reduce risk and complexity where possible. You can perform integration tests as part of the development process, drawing on suitable testing frameworks and methodologies.	3 – Practitioner You can define the integration build. You can co-ordinate build activities across systems. You can understand how to undertake and support integration testing activities.
DDaT » Software Development	Software Development – User focus You can understand users and identify who they are and what their needs are, based on evidence. You can translate user stories and propose design approaches or services to meet these needs. You can engage in meaningful interactions and relationships with users. You can show that you put users first and can manage competing priorities.	3 – Practitioner You can collaborate with user researchers and can represent users internally. You can explain the difference between user needs and the desires of the user. You can champion user research to focus on all users. You can prioritise and define approaches to understand the user story, guiding others in doing so. You can offer recommendations on the best tools and

Framework » Organisation
Category » Subcategory

Skill Name and Description

Level

DDaT » Software Development

Software Development – Availability and capacity management

You can define, analyse, plan, forecast, measure, maintain and improve all aspects of the availability of services, including power. You can control and manage service availability to meet business needs cost-effectively, including managing the capability, functionality and sustainability of service components (such as hardware, software, network resources, and software or infrastructure as a service).

2 – Working

You can manage service components to ensure they meet business needs and performance targets.

DDaT » Software Development

Software Development – Development process optimisation

You can identify opportunities for improving the development process, make these improvements and evaluate their success. You can work with others to select and implement tools and practices to build confidence and reduce risk in each stage of the software development life cycle (from planning and prioritisation through to build, test, deployment and monitoring).

2 – Working

You can identify process optimisation opportunities with guidance and contribute to the implementation of proposed solutions.

DDaT » Software Development

Software Development – Information security

You can maintain the security, confidentiality and integrity of information systems through compliance with relevant legislation and regulations. You can design, implement and operate controls and management strategies to allow this.

3 – Practitioner

You can understand information security. You can design solutions and services with security controls embedded, specifically engineered with mitigation of security threats as a core feature.

DDaT » Software Development

Software Development – Modern standards approach

You can apply a modern standards approach throughout automation and testing.

3 – Practitioner

You can competently apply a modern standards approach and guide others to do so.

DDaT » Software Development

Software Development – Programming and build (software engineering)

You can use agreed security standards and specifications to design, create, test and document new or amended software.

3 – Practitioner

You can collaborate with others when necessary to review specifications. You can use the agreed specifications to design, code, test and document programs or scripts of medium-to-high complexity, using the right standards and tools.

DDaT » Software Development

Software Development – Prototyping

You can apply technical knowledge and experience to create or design workable prototypes, both programs and physical outputs. You can understand parameters, restrictions and synergies.

3 – Practitioner

You can approach prototyping as a team activity, actively soliciting prototypes and testing with others. You can establish design patterns and iterate them. You can use a variety of prototyping methods and choose the most appropriate.

DDaT » Software Development

Software Development – Service support

You can maintain and support services.

4 – Expert

You can demonstrate a breadth of understanding of service support.

DDaT » Software Development

Software Development – Systems design

You can create the specification and design of systems to meet defined business needs. You can work with business and technology stakeholders to translate business problems into technical designs. You can visualise the ideal user service and come up with design ideas and possible design approaches. You can effectively explore different approaches to solving problems.

3 – Practitioner

You can design systems characterised by medium levels of risk, impact, and business or technical complexity. You can select appropriate design standards, methods and tools, and ensure they are applied effectively. You can review the systems designs of others to ensure the selection of appropriate technology, efficient use of resources and integration of multiple systems and technology.

DDaT » Software Development

Software Development – Systems integration

You can identify integration points between systems and processes, designing data contracts and communication between the components. You can make use of modern design patterns that reduce risk and complexity where possible. You can perform integration tests as part of the development process, drawing on suitable testing frameworks and methodologies.

3 – Practitioner

You can define the integration build. You can co-ordinate build activities across systems. You can understand how to undertake and support integration testing activities.

DDaT » Software Development

Software Development – User focus

You can understand users and identify who they are and what their needs are, based on evidence. You can translate user stories and propose design approaches or services to meet these needs. You can engage in meaningful interactions and relationships with users. You can show that you put users first and can manage competing priorities.

3 – Practitioner

You can collaborate with user researchers and can represent users internally. You can explain the difference between user needs and the desires of the user. You can champion user research to focus on all users. You can prioritise and define approaches to understand the user story, guiding others in doing so. You can offer recommendations on the best tools and

This job role profile was created in collaboration with BCS, using Role Model Plus. BCS is the professional body that has the responsibility of updating this job family.

Summary

Background

Background Components

Work Activity Components

Knowledge/Skills

Knowledge/Skills Components

Training Activities

Training Components

PDAs

PDA Components

Qualifications

Qualification Components

Organisation Skills

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