Design, build, and manage cloud infrastructure to support scalable and secure applications. A critical role in the modern tech stack, bridging development and operations.
Cloud Engineers are the architects and builders of the digital world, responsible for designing, deploying, and managing cloud infrastructure. They work with platforms like AWS, Azure, and GCP to ensure applications are scalable, secure, and efficient. Cloud Engineers are in high demand across a range of industries, from tech scaleups to large enterprises, and their role is crucial in driving innovation and efficiency in cloud-native environments.
A typical week for a Cloud Engineer is a mix of infrastructure design, deployment, and maintenance, with a focus on automation and security.
Based on advertised midpoints across the 186 UK listings priced in pounds in the last 12 months. Base salary only.
% of 158 listings posted in the last 12 months that mention each skill, extracted from job descriptions.
A typical UK progression for cloud engineers. Years are guidance — strong people move faster, and many senior folks sidestep into research, product or management.
Assist in the deployment and management of cloud resources, with a focus on learning and supporting more senior engineers.
Own the design and deployment of cloud infrastructure, ensuring scalability and security, and collaborate with development teams.
Lead complex cloud projects, mentor junior engineers, and drive innovation in cloud architecture and DevOps practices.
Strategise and oversee the entire cloud infrastructure, influence company-wide cloud policies, and lead cross-functional teams.
There's no single route, but most people follow some version of these steps.
Start with basic cloud concepts and services, and gain hands-on experience with cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, or GCP.
Work on real-world projects, either through internships, entry-level roles, or personal projects, to build a portfolio of cloud solutions.
Choose a specific area of cloud computing, such as DevOps, security, or architecture, and deepen your expertise through certifications and advanced training.
Take on leadership roles, managing cloud infrastructure projects and mentoring junior engineers to develop a strong team.
At the senior level, influence the company's cloud strategy, drive innovation, and ensure the organisation stays at the forefront of cloud technology.
Vivo Talent Cardiff £50,000 – £55,000 pa
Hands-on role contributing to the design, build and support of an Azure cloud-native platform during a period of modernisation and replatforming. Involves platform automation, Infrastructure as Code, DevOps tooling, incident response and root-cause analysis, working alongside senior engineers and architects. Suits someone with cloud engineering understanding who wants to deepen their expertise and take on increasing technical ownership.
Symmetric Recruitment Ltd Lincoln £40,000 – £48,000 pa
Hands-on cloud-first role owning the configuration, hardening and continual improvement of a Microsoft 365 and Azure tenant. Acts as senior escalation point for complex cloud and identity incidents, builds automation with PowerShell, Graph API and Infrastructure as Code, and mentors other Cloud Engineers while shaping the cloud roadmap.
Profile 29 London £50,000 – £70,000 pa
Design, build and operate resilient AWS cloud infrastructure for public-sector services, working across platform and delivery teams. The role spans Terraform and Kubernetes, CI/CD pipelines, event-driven systems like Kafka, databases, IdAM with Keycloak, and observability stacks, with a strong DevSecOps and automation focus.
VIQU IT Staffordshire £50,000 – £55,000 pa
Hands-on Microsoft cloud role strengthening internal Microsoft 365, Azure, Entra ID, Intune and SharePoint environments before moving into customer consultancy, solution design and pre-sales. Involves security and governance work such as vulnerability scanning, remediation and Cyber Essentials compliance, plus automation with Power Automate and acting as technical escalation point.
Specsavers Whiteley £60,000 pa
Joins a newly established Global Cloud Service team to design, deliver and evolve cloud services across a multi-cloud environment with a primary focus on Azure. Automates, optimises and maintains platforms and infrastructure using Terraform and CI/CD, collaborating with engineering, delivery, QA and operations teams to improve performance, reliability and scalability.
Fynity Cheltenham £80,000 – £120,000 pa
Hands-on role automating infrastructure provisioning, configuration and deployment in highly secure environments, building CI/CD pipelines and managing containerised applications on AWS. Works within a multidisciplinary Agile team alongside developers and customers, embedding security controls across cloud and container platforms.
eFinancialCareers London £75,000 pa
Design, build and maintain scalable AWS cloud infrastructure for a defence and security organisation supporting critical national infrastructure. The role blends hands-on engineering with automation, monitoring and security, using Terraform/CloudFormation and CI/CD pipelines while collaborating with engineering and architecture teams.
Experis London £550 – £650 pd
Administer, maintain and support Oracle Cloud Infrastructure environments while managing Linux-based production and non-production systems. Lead OS upgrade projects end to end, including RHEL installation, patching and troubleshooting, and drive security hardening, monitoring and cloud migration initiatives alongside infrastructure and application teams.
The locations with the most live listings for this role today.
Essential skills include proficiency in cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), infrastructure as code (IaC) tools, scripting languages (Python, Bash), and a strong understanding of DevOps practices.
Continuously update your skills through certifications, hands-on projects, and staying current with industry trends. Leadership experience and a deep understanding of cloud architecture will also help you advance.
Salary ranges can vary widely based on experience, location, and industry. For more detailed information, refer to the salary section on this page.
Day-to-day responsibilities include designing and deploying cloud infrastructure, monitoring and optimising system performance, collaborating with development teams, and troubleshooting issues.
Post your role in 90 seconds and reach the specialist audience that already reads this page.
