Mission freelance Technical Deployment Lead

Our client is urgently looking for a Technical Deployment Lead deploy and integrate complex software systems.

This is a 12 months contract initially with strong possibility of extension.


Please note that due to the nature of the role UK SC/DV or NATO clearance is required.


The Technical Site Deployment Lead leads transition and activation for deployment of data center nodes across multiple customer sites. These nodes are based on VMware Software-Defined Data Center (SDDC) architectures and will be remotely installed and configured via automation onto existing green field physical infrastructure.

The role oversees and supports site deployments and provides technical leadership during site configuration, transition, activation, and validation of all site capabilities.



Responsibilities:

Provide technical leadership of the overall site transition process, organizing and coordinating support from multiple teams and stakeholders.
Identify entrance and exit criteria and manage technical dependencies, risks, and activation issues; drive resolution and escalate as required.
Create site transition and activation plans that provide clearly articulated sequence of activities, responsible actors, and schedules for all activities required to activate a site.
Analyzing site requirements and lead the engineering team to develop the necessary site configuration files and automation playbooks.
Oversee instantiation and configuration of VMware Infrastructure-as-a-service hosting platforms.
Oversee instantiation and configuration of associated enterprise workload and services onto the resulting infrastructure-as-a-service nodes.
Lead Technical Validation and Verification activities during activation, including configuration verification, integration testing, performance checks, and readiness assessments prior to transition to operations.
Support Security Test and Verification activities in coordination with the contractor Security Accreditation Lead.
Provide clear technical status reporting to programme and technical leadership and stakeholders during transition and activation activities.
Ensure deployed configurations are documented, controlled, and aligned with customer's configuration management and baseline requirements.
Capture lessons learned and continuously improve transition planning, SDDC node deployment practices, and CI/CD pipeline automation.


Required Experience, Skills, and Education:

Bachelor's degree in computer science, Information Technology, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience).
5-8+ years of experience deploying and integrating complex software systems in enterprise or defence environments.
Proven experience leading technical deployment or activation efforts in customer-facing environments.
Strong experience with VMware infrastructure configuration, environment promotion, and production activation.
Experience working with DevOps pipelines and CI/CD tools (e.g., Terraform, Ansible, Jenkins, GitLab CI) to support controlled release and deployment activities.
Strong understanding of systems integration, API/interface validation, and configuration management.
Experience deploying applications into secure or classified environments subject to formal accreditation processes.
Hands-on troubleshooting experience in distributed or multi-tier architectures.
Working knowledge of Agile project management methodologies, tools (e.g., Jira, etc.), and coordination with Scrum teams.
Strong written and verbal communication skills in high-visibility, multinational stakeholder environments.
Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with a proactive approach to identifying and resolving issues.
Demonstrated leadership skills, with the ability to inspire and motivate teams.
Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams.
Ability to adapt to changing project requirements and work effectively in a fast-paced environment.
Ability to travel to various customer sites as required.


Due to the nature and urgency of this post, candidates holding or who have held high level security clearance in the past are most welcome to apply. Please note successful applicants will be required to be security cleared prior to appointment which can take a minimum 10 weeks. LA International is an award-winning partner of choice for many of the world's most influential companies and government organisations. Holding Enhanced Government Security Accreditation, we are recognised as the European market leader in the delivery of Security Cleared talent to organisations that demand the very highest levels of security, compliance and assurance.

An award-winning organisation, having secured the prestigious Queens Award for Enterprise: International Trade over multiple years. We are committed to fostering an inclusive, equitable and accessible workplace where everyone feels valued and supported. We welcome applications from all individuals, regardless of background or identity, and we encourage candidates who may not meet every listed requirement to still apply. If you require any adjustments or support during the recruitment process, please let us know and we will work with you to ensure a fair and accessible experience.

Please Note: If a high volume of applications is received, only candidates shortlisted will be contacted.