📍 Job Overview

Job Title: DevOps Engineer
Company: FirstRand Bank India
Location: Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
Job Type: On-site, Full-time
Category: DevOps Engineer
Date Posted: June 18, 2025
Experience Level: Intermediate (2-5 years)
Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

Lead the automation of processes between software development and IT teams to enable continuous delivery, faster and more reliably in an agile environment.
Translate strategies into actionable goals and execute relevant projects/initiatives aligned to strategic objectives with specific performance measures and control systems to track progress.
Establish mutually beneficial relationships with stakeholders that support thought leadership, innovative, and integrated practice solutions.
Design and deliver customer service solutions, systems, and interactions aligned to development operations principles and best practices.
📝 Enhancement Note: This role requires a strong focus on collaboration, communication, and stakeholder engagement to drive continuous improvement and successful project execution.

💻 Primary Responsibilities

Lead the automation of processes between software development and IT teams to enable continuous delivery through designing, developing, testing, and releasing software frequently, faster, and more reliably in an agile environment.
Implement best practices to achieve good customer outcomes and ensure continuous improvement and collaboration between development, testing, and operations teams.
Translate strategies into actionable goals and execute relevant projects/initiatives aligned to strategic objectives with specific performance measures and control systems to track progress.
Establish mutually beneficial relationships with stakeholders that support thought leadership, innovative, and integrated practice solutions.
Design and deliver customer service solutions, systems, and interactions aligned to development operations principles and best practices.
Analyze information to identify trends, discrepancies, and inconsistencies for decision-making purposes and use insights gained through integrated business reports to measure success and realign tactical strategy implementation objectives appropriately.
Maintain expert knowledge on relevant legislative amendments, industry best practices, and provide advice to relevant stakeholders.
Provide thought leadership and expertise in DevOps engineering, automation, containerization, and OpenShift.
📝 Enhancement Note: This role requires a strong technical background in DevOps engineering, with a focus on continuous integration, continuous delivery, and infrastructure as code (IaC) practices.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field. Relevant certifications (e.g., AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, or Red Hat Certified Engineer) are a plus.

Experience: 2-3 years of full-stack DevOps engineering experience, with expertise in Java, automation, containerization, and OpenShift. Experience in cloud container solutions and Lean Thinking is non-negotiable.

Required Skills:

Strong communication and interpersonal skills
Ability to work under pressure and manage multiple projects simultaneously
Good stakeholder engagement and relationship-building skills
Expertise in Java, automation, containerization, and OpenShift
Experience in designing, developing, testing, and releasing software in an agile environment
Knowledge of Lean Thinking and continuous improvement principles
Ability to analyze information and identify trends, discrepancies, and inconsistencies for decision-making purposes

Preferred Skills:

Experience with infrastructure as code (IaC) tools such as Terraform, Ansible, or Puppet
Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and tools such as Jenkins, GitLab CI/CD, or CircleCI
Knowledge of container orchestration platforms such as Kubernetes or Docker Swarm
Experience with cloud platforms such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud
Familiarity with monitoring and logging tools such as Prometheus, Grafana, or ELK Stack

📊 Web Portfolio & Project Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

A well-structured and up-to-date portfolio showcasing your full-stack DevOps engineering projects, with a focus on automation, containerization, and OpenShift.
Live demonstrations of your projects, highlighting your ability to design, develop, test, and release software in an agile environment.
Case studies demonstrating your problem-solving skills, performance optimization, and scalability considerations.
📝 Enhancement Note: Ensure your portfolio highlights your ability to work collaboratively with stakeholders, manage multiple projects, and provide thought leadership in DevOps engineering.

Technical Documentation:

Well-commented and documented code, demonstrating your attention to detail and commitment to code quality.
Version control, deployment processes, and server configuration documentation, showcasing your understanding of DevOps best practices.
Testing methodologies, performance metrics, and optimization techniques, highlighting your focus on continuous improvement and quality assurance.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: The salary range for this role is estimated to be between ZAR 600,000 and ZAR 800,000 per annum, based on market research and regional adjustments for intermediate-level DevOps engineers in South Africa. This estimate is subject to change based on the candidate's experience, skills, and qualifications.

Benefits:

Opportunities to network and collaborate with industry professionals
Challenging work and opportunities to innovate
📝 Enhancement Note: Additional benefits may include health insurance, retirement plans, and other employee perks, as per the company's standard benefits package for full-time employees.

Working Hours: The standard working hours for this role are 40 hours per week, with flexibility for project deadlines and maintenance windows as required.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: FirstRand Bank India operates within the financial services industry, with a focus on retail and corporate banking, wealth and investment, and insurance. This role will be part of the technology division, working closely with software development, testing, and operations teams.

Company Size: FirstRand Bank India is part of the FirstRand Group, one of the largest financial services groups in Africa, with a presence in 23 countries and over 45,000 employees. This role will be based in the company's Johannesburg headquarters, providing ample opportunities for collaboration and career growth.

Founded: FirstRand Bank was founded in 1921 and has since grown to become a leading financial services provider in South Africa and across the African continent.

Team Structure:

The DevOps team is responsible for enabling continuous delivery, ensuring high system availability, and driving innovation through automation and collaboration.
The team consists of DevOps engineers, automation specialists, and site reliability engineers, working closely with software development, testing, and operations teams.
📝 Enhancement Note: The team structure and dynamics may vary based on the specific needs of the projects and the organization's overall structure.

Development Methodology:

Agile methodologies, such as Scrum or Kanban, are used to manage projects and enable continuous delivery.
Code reviews, testing, and quality assurance practices are employed to ensure high code quality and system stability.
Deployment strategies, CI/CD pipelines, and server management are crucial aspects of this role, with a focus on automation and infrastructure as code (IaC) practices.

Company Website: FirstRand Bank

📝 Enhancement Note: FirstRand Bank is committed to transformation and diversity, with a strong focus on employment equity and transformation in the South African financial services industry.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

DevOps Engineer Career Level: This role is at the intermediate level, requiring a strong technical background in DevOps engineering, with a focus on continuous integration, continuous delivery, and infrastructure as code (IaC) practices. The ideal candidate will have 2-3 years of relevant experience and a proven track record of driving successful projects and enabling continuous delivery.

Reporting Structure: This role reports directly to the DevOps Manager or a similar role within the technology division. The reporting structure may vary based on the specific needs of the projects and the organization's overall structure.

Technical Impact: The DevOps Engineer will have a significant impact on the development, testing, and operations teams, driving innovation through automation and collaboration. They will also play a crucial role in ensuring high system availability, performance, and scalability.

Growth Opportunities:

Technical Growth: This role offers ample opportunities for technical skill development, with a focus on emerging technologies, automation, and containerization. The ideal candidate will be eager to learn and stay up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices in DevOps engineering.
Leadership Development: With experience and proven success, this role can lead to technical leadership positions within the DevOps team or other areas of the technology division. The ideal candidate will have strong communication, collaboration, and stakeholder engagement skills, with a proven ability to drive successful projects and enable continuous delivery.
📝 Enhancement Note: Career progression within FirstRand Bank is based on individual performance, potential, and the organization's overall structure. The company offers various training and development opportunities to support employee growth and career advancement.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: FirstRand Bank India operates in a modern, collaborative office environment, with a focus on open communication and knowledge sharing. The office is designed to support agile working practices and encourage cross-functional collaboration between teams.

Office Location(s): The role is based in FirstRand Bank's Johannesburg headquarters, with the option to work remotely on a case-by-case basis, as determined by the company's remote work policy.

Workspace Context:

The DevOps team works in a dedicated workspace, with access to multiple monitors, testing devices, and development tools to support their work.
The workspace is designed to facilitate collaboration and knowledge sharing, with regular team meetings, code reviews, and pair programming sessions.
📝 Enhancement Note: The workspace and work environment may vary based on the specific needs of the projects and the organization's overall structure.

Work Schedule: The standard working hours for this role are 40 hours per week, with flexibility for project deadlines and maintenance windows as required. The work schedule may vary based on the specific needs of the projects and the organization's overall structure.

📝 Enhancement Note: FirstRand Bank is committed to work-life balance and offers flexible working arrangements, where possible, to support employee well-being and productivity.

📄 Application & Technical Interview Process

Interview Process:

Technical Screening: A technical assessment focused on Java, automation, containerization, and OpenShift. The assessment may include live coding exercises, system design questions, and problem-solving challenges.
Behavioral Interview: An in-depth discussion of your experience, skills, and cultural fit with the DevOps team. This interview may include scenario-based questions and role-playing exercises to assess your communication, collaboration, and stakeholder engagement skills.
Final Interview: A meeting with the hiring manager or a senior member of the DevOps team to discuss your career aspirations, growth opportunities, and next steps in the interview process.
Portfolio Review: A thorough review of your full-stack DevOps engineering portfolio, with a focus on automation, containerization, and OpenShift projects. The review will assess your ability to design, develop, test, and release software in an agile environment, as well as your problem-solving skills, performance optimization, and scalability considerations.

Portfolio Review Tips:

Highlight your ability to work collaboratively with stakeholders, manage multiple projects, and provide thought leadership in DevOps engineering.
Include case studies demonstrating your problem-solving skills, performance optimization, and scalability considerations.
Showcase your understanding of DevOps best practices, automation, containerization, and OpenShift.
📝 Enhancement Note: Ensure your portfolio is well-structured, up-to-date, and tailored to the specific requirements of this role and the organization's overall structure.

Technical Challenge Preparation:

Familiarize yourself with the latest trends and best practices in DevOps engineering, with a focus on automation, containerization, and OpenShift.
Brush up on your Java, scripting, and infrastructure as code (IaC) skills, as these will be essential for success in the technical assessment.
Practice system design questions and problem-solving challenges to ensure you can think critically and communicate effectively under pressure.
📝 Enhancement Note: The technical interview process may vary based on the specific needs of the projects and the organization's overall structure.

ATS Keywords: [Provide a comprehensive list of web development and server administration-relevant keywords for resume optimization, organized by category: programming languages, web frameworks, server technologies, databases, tools, methodologies, soft skills, industry terms]

🛠 Technology Stack & Web Infrastructure

Frontend Technologies: Not applicable for this role.

Backend & Server Technologies:

Java (Core)
OpenShift (Preferred)
Cloud Container Solutions (Required)
Automation Tools (Required)

Development & DevOps Tools:

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Tools (Preferred: Terraform, Ansible, or Puppet)
CI/CD Pipelines (Required: Jenkins, GitLab CI/CD, or CircleCI)
Monitoring Tools (Preferred: Prometheus, Grafana, or ELK Stack)
Container Orchestration Platforms (Preferred: Kubernetes or Docker Swarm)

👥 Team Culture & Values

DevOps Engineering Values:

Collaboration: Work closely with software development, testing, and operations teams to enable continuous delivery and drive innovation through automation and automation.
Continuous Improvement: Focus on identifying trends, discrepancies, and inconsistencies in information to measure success and realign tactical strategy implementation objectives appropriately.
Thought Leadership: Provide expertise and guidance in DevOps engineering, automation, containerization, and OpenShift to drive successful projects and enable continuous delivery.
Customer Focus: Design and deliver customer service solutions, systems, and interactions aligned to development operations principles and best practices to achieve good customer outcomes.
📝 Enhancement Note: The DevOps team values open communication, knowledge sharing, and continuous learning to drive success and enable continuous delivery.

Collaboration Style:

Cross-functional Integration: Work closely with software development, testing, and operations teams to ensure high system availability, performance, and scalability.
Code Review Culture: Participate in regular code reviews, pair programming, and knowledge-sharing sessions to ensure high code quality and system stability.
Knowledge Sharing: Contribute to the team's collective knowledge and expertise by sharing your experiences, insights, and best practices in DevOps engineering, automation, containerization, and OpenShift.
📝 Enhancement Note: The DevOps team values open communication, collaboration, and continuous learning to drive success and enable continuous delivery.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Technical Challenges:

Automation & Containerization: Design, develop, and implement automated processes and containerization solutions to enable continuous delivery and drive innovation in an agile environment.
OpenShift Architecture: Design, develop, and maintain OpenShift architectures to ensure high system availability, performance, and scalability.
Performance Optimization: Identify and address performance bottlenecks, optimize code, and implement caching strategies to improve system performance and user experience.
Scalability & Fault Tolerance: Design and implement scalable, fault-tolerant systems that can handle increased load and ensure high availability under various conditions.
📝 Enhancement Note: The technical challenges may vary based on the specific needs of the projects and the organization's overall structure.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

Technical Skill Development: Stay up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices in DevOps engineering, with a focus on automation, containerization, and OpenShift. Attend relevant conferences, workshops, and training sessions to expand your knowledge and skills.
Certification & Community Involvement: Pursue relevant certifications (e.g., AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, or Red Hat Certified Engineer) to demonstrate your expertise and commitment to continuous learning. Engage with the DevOps community through online forums, meetups, and other networking events to share knowledge and learn from your peers.
Technical Mentorship & Leadership Development: Seek mentorship opportunities from senior DevOps engineers and technical leaders within the organization. Develop your leadership skills through technical presentations, stakeholder engagement, and project management responsibilities.
📝 Enhancement Note: The learning and development opportunities may vary based on the specific needs of the projects and the organization's overall structure.

💡 Interview Preparation

Technical Questions:

Java & Automation: Demonstrate your proficiency in Java, scripting, and infrastructure as code (IaC) skills through live coding exercises, system design questions, and problem-solving challenges.
OpenShift & Containerization: Showcase your expertise in OpenShift, cloud container solutions, and automation tools through live demonstrations, architecture discussions, and technical deep dives.
Problem-solving & Performance Optimization: Address complex technical challenges, optimize code, and implement caching strategies to improve system performance and user experience. Demonstrate your ability to think critically and communicate effectively under pressure.
📝 Enhancement Note: The technical interview questions may vary based on the specific needs of the projects and the organization's overall structure.

Company & Culture Questions:

DevOps Team Culture: Demonstrate your understanding of the DevOps team's values, collaboration style, and commitment to continuous improvement, thought leadership, and customer focus.
Agile Methodologies & CI/CD Pipelines: Showcase your experience with Agile methodologies, CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure as code (IaC) practices, and how you have leveraged these to drive successful projects and enable continuous delivery.
User Experience & Performance Metrics: Discuss your approach to measuring user experience, performance metrics, and optimization techniques, and how you have used these to drive continuous improvement and successful project execution.
📝 Enhancement Note: The company and culture questions may vary based on the specific needs of the projects and the organization's overall structure.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

Live Demonstrations: Showcase your ability to design, develop, test, and release software in an agile environment through live demonstrations of your full-stack DevOps engineering projects.
Code Explanation & Architecture Decision Reasoning: Walk through your code, explaining your design choices, optimization techniques, and problem-solving approaches. Highlight your understanding of DevOps best practices, automation, containerization, and OpenShift.
User Experience & Performance Optimization: Demonstrate your focus on user experience, performance optimization, and scalability considerations through live demonstrations, case studies, and technical deep dives.
📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio presentation strategy may vary based on the specific needs of the projects and the organization's overall structure.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this DevOps Engineer position:

Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight your full-stack DevOps engineering experience, with a focus on automation, containerization, and OpenShift. Include relevant keywords and skills to ensure your resume is easily searchable by the Applicant Tracking System (ATS).
Portfolio Customization: Update your portfolio to showcase your ability to design, develop, test, and release software in an agile environment. Include live demonstrations, case studies, and technical deep dives to highlight your problem-solving skills, performance optimization, and scalability considerations.
Technical Interview Preparation: Brush up on your Java, scripting, and infrastructure as code (IaC) skills, and practice live coding exercises, system design questions, and problem-solving challenges to ensure you can think critically and communicate effectively under pressure.
Company Research: Research FirstRand Bank's industry, company culture, and technology stack to ensure you are well-prepared for the behavioral interview and can demonstrate your cultural fit and commitment to the organization's values and mission.

📝 Enhancement Note: The application steps may vary based on the specific needs of the projects and the organization's overall structure. Ensure you follow the company's application guidelines and submit your application ahead of the closing date indicated in the job posting.

DevOps Engineer