Application Support

Application Support Engineer – Atlassian Administrator

Department: Department for Business and Trade (DBT)
Directorate: Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT)
Job Grade: Higher Executive Officer (HEO)
Contract: Permanent
Salary: £37,666 – £44,347 per year
London salary: £41,666 – £44,347
National salary: £37,666 – £40,347
Working pattern: Full-time or Part-time, Flexible Working
Locations: Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Darlington, Edinburgh, London and Manchester
Vacancies: 1
Reference: 479970
Closing date: Midday, Wednesday 23 September 2026

If you have experience supporting Atlassian, Zendesk and ServiceNow and are looking for a permanent technology role within the UK Civil Service, this Application Support Engineer opportunity with the Department for Business and Trade could be worth considering.

The role sits within the department’s Digital, Data and Technology directorate and focuses on supporting important SaaS and productivity applications used across the organisation.

Important for applicants: This position can only be worked from within the UK and not overseas. The role also requires Security Check (SC) clearance, with the department stating that applicants must have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years to meet its clearance requirement.

Job Details

Your final salary will be determined according to your skills and capability as assessed at interview.

About the Department

The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) supports businesses to invest, innovate, export and grow across the UK.

Its Digital, Data and Technology directorate provides the technology, platforms and digital services that businesses, government colleagues and citizens rely on.

DDaT teams work across areas including:

• Digital services supporting businesses and access to government opportunities
• Data and AI products supporting decision-making
• Internal digital tools and services
• Secure technology platforms
• Cyber security services
• Technology supporting critical government operations

Successful applicants will join multidisciplinary teams working to improve digital services, solve technical problems and deliver better outcomes for users.

About the Application Support Engineer Role

The department is seeking a dynamic Application Support Engineer to join its application support function.

The service desk supports applications including the Atlassian Suite, Zendesk, ServiceNow, Google Workspace and other productivity applications used across the department.

You will help maintain the stability, resilience and reliability of these applications while contributing to the development and improvement of application support processes.

Working within an agile environment, you will report to the Application Support Manager and work alongside application engineers and other DDaT professionals, including Delivery Managers, Business Analysts, DevOps Engineers, Architects and Testers.

The position involves providing 1st and 2nd line technical support for SaaS applications across the department.

You will also be expected to identify opportunities to improve processes, introduce automation, make better use of application features and support the onboarding of new applications.

Key Responsibilities

As an Application Support Engineer, your responsibilities will include:

• Managing incidents, service requests and user queries through the Application Support Service Desk.
• Ensuring support requests are handled within agreed service-level agreements.
• Investigating, troubleshooting and resolving application problems.
• Escalating complex technical issues to appropriate internal teams or suppliers.
• Working with SaaS vendors and third-party suppliers during outages and escalations.
• Monitoring application availability, performance and user experience.
• Identifying potential issues before they significantly affect users.
• Supporting user onboarding and application access management.
• Managing permissions to ensure secure and effective access.
• Supporting software releases, testing, validation and change requests.
• Helping implement technical solutions and automation where appropriate.
• Working with stakeholders to identify new solutions and improvements.
• Creating and maintaining knowledge articles and technical documentation.
• Producing user guides and support information.
• Delivering user training where required.
• Introducing preventative measures to reduce recurring application problems.
• Contributing to the continued development and capability of the Application Support team.
• Sharing new application features and improvements through Show and Tell sessions.

Essential Requirements

Applicants should have:

• Experience supporting tools such as Atlassian, Zendesk and ServiceNow. This is the lead criterion.
• Experience working within a Service Desk environment.
• Experience working in agile or rapid application development teams.
• Experience contributing to solution delivery and decision-making across the full agile delivery lifecycle.
• Experience recommending and assessing tooling standards for application engineering.
• Experience collaborating with stakeholders to improve application usability and performance.
• Strong problem-solving skills.

Because of the anticipated application volume, the department may initially assess applications against the lead criterion:

Experience supporting tools such as Atlassian, Zendesk and ServiceNow.

Applicants may then progress to a full sift or potentially straight to interview.

Desirable Skills and Experience

The following are desirable but are not essential:

• Experience with Microsoft 365.
• ITIL Foundation certification.
• Experience with AWS Workspace.

The advert specifically states that ITIL Foundation certification and experience supporting Microsoft 365 and AWS Workspace would be beneficial, rather than mandatory.

Behaviours Assessed

The recruitment process will assess candidates against the following Civil Service behaviours:

• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace
• Changing and Improving

Technical Skills Assessed

Candidates will also be assessed against technical skills including:

• Technical understanding
• User focus
• Technical specialism
• Ownership and initiative
• Continual service improvement

Salary and Benefits

The role offers a salary of £37,666 to £44,347, depending on location and assessed skills and capability.

London-based applicants can receive between £41,666 and £44,347, while national locations offer £37,666 to £40,347, including the applicable allowance.

Benefits include:

• Learning and development tailored to your role.
• Flexible and hybrid working.
• Options such as condensed hours.
• Inclusive and diverse working environment.
• Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%.
• Annual leave starting at 25 days, increasing to 30 days with service.
• Three paid volunteering days each year.
• Employee benefits programme, including Cycle to Work.

Working Pattern and Location

The vacancy is available across:

• Belfast
• Birmingham
• Cardiff
• Darlington
• Edinburgh
• London
• Manchester

The role can be worked on a full-time or part-time basis, with flexible working arrangements available.

Employees work in a hybrid pattern, normally spending 2–3 days per week, on a pro-rata basis, in the office.

Travel to your primary office location is not paid for by the department. However, travel to another office location that is not your primary workplace will be covered.

Visa Sponsorship and Right to Work

Important: Visa sponsorship is not stated in this vacancy.

Applicants should therefore not assume that Skilled Worker visa sponsorship or a Certificate of Sponsorship is available for this position.

The department states that this job can only be worked from within the UK and not overseas.

The vacancy is broadly open to eligible groups including:

• UK nationals.
• Republic of Ireland nationals.
• Commonwealth nationals who have the right to work in the UK.
• Certain EU, Swiss, Norwegian, Icelandic and Liechtenstein nationals with relevant EU Settlement Scheme status.
• Individuals with eligible limited or indefinite leave to remain.
• Certain Turkish nationals and eligible family members with the relevant right to work in the Civil Service.

Applicants should check the official nationality and eligibility requirements before applying.

Security Clearance Requirement

This is an important part of the vacancy.

The successful candidate will need to obtain Security Check (SC) clearance.

The department states that applicants must have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years to meet its SC clearance requirement.

Failure to meet this requirement will result in the application being rejected or an offer being withdrawn.

Security and background checks may include:

• Criminal records checks.
• Credit and financial history checks.
• Security services records.
• Departmental or company records.
• Personnel and security records.
• Location history.

Successful candidates must also meet the required security conditions before appointment.

Application Process

The vacancy uses the Civil Service Success Profiles recruitment framework.

Applicants will be asked to provide:

• A two-page CV.
• A 500-word personal statement explaining how they meet the essential skills and experience required for the position.

The personal statement may use bullet points and subheadings where appropriate.

Applicants should pay particular attention to the lead criterion:

Experience supporting tools such as Atlassian, Zendesk and ServiceNow.

Sift and Interview Dates

The current recruitment timetable states:

Sift: Week commencing Monday 28 September 2026

Interviews: Week commencing Monday 5 October 2026

These dates are indicative and may change.

At interview, candidates will be assessed against relevant technical skills and Civil Service behaviours.

Candidates will also be required to deliver a presentation, with the presentation topic provided following the sift.

How Offers Are Made

Offers will be made in merit order according to candidates’ location preferences.

Candidates who pass the interview threshold but are not among the highest-scoring applicants may be placed on a 12-month reserve list.

Candidates considered a near miss at interview may also be offered a position at the grade below the one advertised.

Nationality Requirements

The vacancy is broadly open to eligible applicants who meet the Civil Service nationality and right-to-work requirements.

This includes eligible UK and Irish nationals, certain Commonwealth nationals with UK work rights, eligible EUSS applicants and certain individuals with settled or indefinite immigration status.

Applicants should check the official nationality rules before applying, particularly where their immigration status is not straightforward.

Artificial Intelligence and Applications

The employer allows candidates to use artificial intelligence as a support tool when preparing applications, but applicants must ensure that all examples and statements are truthful, factually accurate and based on their own experience.

Plagiarism or presenting other people’s ideas and experiences as your own can result in an application being withdrawn.

Applicants should therefore avoid submitting AI-generated examples that do not accurately reflect their actual work history and experience.

Who This Job Could Suit

This vacancy could be particularly relevant to applicants with experience in:

• Application support
• Service Desk operations
• SaaS application administration
• Atlassian administration
• Zendesk support
• ServiceNow support
• IT service management
• Agile technology teams
• Application engineering
• Technical troubleshooting
• User access and permissions
• Continual service improvement

Experience supporting multiple enterprise applications could be especially useful because the role involves working across several SaaS and productivity platforms.

Application Deadline

The closing date is:

Midday on Wednesday 23 September 2026

Applicants are advised not to wait until the final hours to submit an application, particularly because the recruitment process requires both a two-page CV and a 500-word personal statement.

Full Details + Apply

This is a UK-based Civil Service technology vacancy with the Department for Business and Trade.

The role offers a permanent HEO position, competitive salary, hybrid working, Civil Service pension benefits and opportunities to work across important government digital services.

However, applicants should pay close attention to the UK-only working requirement and SC security-clearance requirements before applying.

Full details + Apply:
https://www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/jobs.cgi?jcode=2012678

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this Application Support Engineer job permanent?

Yes. The vacancy is advertised as a permanent position.

How much does the role pay?

The advertised salary is £37,666 to £44,347. London salaries range from £41,666 to £44,347, while national salaries range from £37,666 to £40,347.

Where can I work from?

The advertised locations are Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Darlington, Edinburgh, London and Manchester.

The role operates on a hybrid basis, normally requiring employees to spend around 2–3 days per week in the office on a pro-rata basis.

Can I apply from outside the UK?

The advert states that the role can only be worked from within the UK, not overseas.

Does this job offer visa sponsorship?

The advert does not state that visa sponsorship is available. Applicants should not assume that Skilled Worker sponsorship or a Certificate of Sponsorship will be provided.

Is previous Atlassian experience required?

Yes. Experience supporting Atlassian, Zendesk and ServiceNow is identified as the lead criterion for the vacancy.

Do I need ITIL certification?

No. ITIL Foundation certification is listed as desirable, not essential.

Is Microsoft 365 experience required?

No. Microsoft 365 experience is listed as desirable rather than essential.

What security clearance is required?

The position requires Security Check (SC) clearance. The department states that applicants must have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years to meet its clearance requirement.

How many positions are available?

There is one vacancy.

What documents are required?

Applicants will need to submit a two-page CV and a 500-word personal statement addressing the essential skills and experience.

When will interviews take place?

Interviews are currently scheduled from the week commencing 5 October 2026, although the employer notes that dates may change.

Source and Disclaimer

Source: Civil Service Jobs / Department for Business and Trade