AWS Tech Lead

AWS Technical Lead – 12 month contract - Gloucester
The opportunity
Lead the migration and modernisation of a business-critical Customer Services Platform from on-premises infrastructure to AWS.
This is an opportunity for an experienced AWS Technical Lead with a strong enterprise Java background to shape the target architecture and guide delivery from initial discovery and planning through phased migration, cutover and operational handover.
The platform supports customer-facing and operational processes through a customer portal, integrated applications and complex enterprise interfaces. Combining legacy and modern technologies, high transaction volumes and demanding availability requirements, the programme will require technical leadership and a practical approach to security, resilience and delivery.
What you'll be doing
You'll take end-to-end technical ownership of the migration, working closely with UK-based programme leadership, architects, implementation partners, suppliers, engineers, security specialists, operations teams and business stakeholders.
Your responsibilities will include:
• Defining the programme's technical scope, target AWS architecture, migration strategy and delivery roadmap.
• Leading architecture and design reviews, validating technology decisions and maintaining clear technical records.
• Assessing technical debt, migration complexity, risks and dependencies, and agreeing mitigation plans.
• Guiding multidisciplinary onshore and offshore teams through implementation, testing, deployment, migration cutover and operational handover.
• Establishing engineering, secure development, documentation and code-review standards.
• Driving cloud-native modernisation where appropriate, alongside DevSecOps, automation and Infrastructure as Code.
• Coordinating architecture, development, infrastructure, security and operations workstreams, including third-party supplier deliverables.
• Facilitating technical workshops, resolving cross-team dependencies and communicating recommendations to senior stakeholders and governance boards.
• Validating security, compliance, disaster recovery and operational readiness before production releases.
• Supporting knowledge transfer and establishing a sustainable cloud operating and support model.
What you'll bring
Essential experience
• At least eight years' experience in software engineering.
• At least four years' experience in AWS architecture.
• A proven track record of leading large-scale AWS migration programmes.
• A strong enterprise Java background, including Java 17 or later; Java 21 is preferred.
• Significant technical leadership experience across multidisciplinary and distributed teams.
• Fluent written and spoken English.
Technical expertise
You'll bring strong knowledge of:
• AWS architecture: AWS Well-Architected Framework, multi-account environments, landing zones, cloud governance, secure-by-design principles and disaster recovery.
• AWS services: EC2, ECS and/or EKS, Lambda, API Gateway, S3, RDS, DynamoDB, EventBridge, SNS, SQS, IAM, CloudWatch, Systems Manager, Secrets Manager and Route 53.
• Software and integration architecture: Java, REST APIs, event-driven architecture, microservices, distributed systems, enterprise integration patterns and Domain-Driven Design.
• Architecture disciplines: Enterprise, solution, API and security architecture, alongside cloud migration strategy.
• Engineering and DevOps: CI/CD pipelines, Git, GitHub, GitLab and/or Azure DevOps, Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, Infrastructure as Code and automated testing.
Leadership and delivery skills
You'll be comfortable taking ownership of complex technical decisions and influencing stakeholders without relying on formal authority. You'll also have experience of:
• Translating business objectives into practical technical solutions.
• Explaining complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
• Presenting recommendations, risks and dependencies to senior leaders and steering committees.
• Coordinating suppliers and resolving cross-supplier dependencies.
• Planning and prioritising technical workstreams, forecasting delivery and managing risks, issues and escalations.
• Coaching engineers and promoting collaborative problem-solving and knowledge sharing.
Desirable experience and qualifications
• Knowledge of ISO 27001, NIST, Cyber Essentials, GDPR and AWS security frameworks.
• Relevant certifications, such as AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional, AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional, AWS Certified Security – Specialty, TOGAF, SAFe Agilist or Certified ScrumMaster.