15 May 2026
15 May 2026
Teddington, United Kingdom
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National Time Scale
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Starting from £53,693 - dependent on experience
Permanent

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DevOps Engineer

About the Role
Our world-leading Time & Frequency department is seeking a DevOps Engineer with proven expertise in automation and container orchestration.

This is an exceptional opportunity to join the global authority in precision timing at a defining moment for UK digital infrastructure.

Backed by a government investment of £180 million in the National Timing Centre (NTC) programme, we are developing a world-first resilient time distribution capability that will provide industry with a robust alternative to satellite systems such as GPS – which are increasingly vulnerable to disruption from solar storms, jamming and spoofing. This will underpin essential services; including
Telecommunications,

Online banking,

Emergency response,

Transport networks, and

Wider digital and data-driven operations.
Together, these services form the backbone of modern society - and your leadership will help ensure they remain secure, reliable and robust even if global navigation satellite systems fail.
Key responsibilities:

You’ll work closely with the Product Manager(s) and Delivery Manager(s) to align product and business requirements, develop proposals, and balance tech debt to deliver product functionality.

Oversee software release management – automated deployment to multiple on-prem and cloud environments

Develop scripts to automate DevOps functions

Manage all content going live
About You
To be successful in this role, you will have the following skills, experience, and qualifications: 

Proven and recent experience in the delivery of DevOps solutions

Team leadership

Risk assessment and management

Security mindset

Clear communicator

Essential technical skills:

Automation – Packer, Terraform, Ansible, CI/CD practices, developing pipelines

Unix system administration

Cloud platform administration

Docker, container orchestration

Python and shell scripting

Professional software development experience

It is also desirable if you have interest in Physics, measurements, and communications, for example:

Time and frequency measurement and time scale steering

Real-time monitoring and control of electronic hardware

Satellite communication, optical fibre and GNSS-based systems
We actively recruit citizens of all backgrounds, but the nature of our work in specific departments means that nationality, residency and security requirements can be more tightly defined than others. You will be asked about this throughout the recruitment process. To work at NPL, you will need to obtain BPSS security clearance.

However, to work in this role in the Time & Frequency department, you will need to have an SC clearance with no restrictions, or you must have the ability to obtain an SC clearance.

Please note:  Applications will be reviewed, and interviews conducted throughout the duration of this advert therefore we may at any time bring the closing date forward.  We encourage all interested applicants to apply as soon as practical
About Us
The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is a world-leading centre of excellence that provides cutting-edge measurement science, engineering and technology to underpin prosperity and quality of life in the UK. Find out more about what it is like working here - The measure of us - Overview

NPL and DSIT have strong commitments to diversity and equality of opportunity, and welcome applications from candidates irrespective of their background, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, or age, providing they meet the required criteria. Applications from women, disabled and black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates in particular are encouraged. All disabled candidates (as defined by the Equality Act 2010) who satisfy the minimum criteria for the role will be guaranteed an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme.

At NPL, we believe our success is a result of the diversity and talent of our people. We strive to nurture and respect individuals to ensure everyone feels valued by treating everyone on the basis of their own individual merits and abilities regardless of their own or perceived identity, as part of our commitment to diversity & inclusion, we ensure we’re creating an environment where all our colleagues feel supported and welcome. More about this on our Diversity & Inclusion page.

We are committed to the health and well-being of our employees. Flexible working and social activities are embedded in our culture to create a positive work-life balance, along with a broad range of rewards, benefits and recognition. Our values are at the heart of what we do, and they shape the way we interact, develop our people and celebrate success. To ensure everyone has an equal chance, we’re always willing to make reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process. If you would like to discuss, please contact us.

[Internally, this role is known as "Senior Software Engineer"]