IT Software Development Administrator

We're looking for an IT Software Development Administrator to join our team in the Bristol Design & Product Development (D&PD) office, part of the Ensera Group.

Ensera has facilities in Europe, the USA, and Asia, as well as Design & Development hubs in Bristol, UK (where you'll be based), and New Jersey and Colorado in the USA.

In this role you'll report directly to, and work alongside, the Head of IT to provide ongoing IT support to the Ensera Design business, with a particular focus on supporting software and hardware development teams. You'll take ownership of the development toolset and environments, ensuring they are secure, efficient, and fit for purpose, while also contributing to wider group IT projects as needed.

Occasional travel to other Ensera locations, including Ireland, Poland, and the USA, may be required and some projects could involve evening or weekend work.

About you

This role sits at the intersection of IT operations and software development, so you'll be comfortable working across both areas. You'll take ownership of systems and environments rather than simply maintaining them, working closely with development teams to understand their needs and improve how they operate.

You're proactive and methodical, able to identify inefficiencies and implement practical improvements to tooling, workflows, and environments. You communicate clearly with both technical and non-technical colleagues and are confident explaining systems, processes, and decisions when needed, including during audits or reviews.

You can balance day to day IT support with longer term development environment improvements, maintaining a structured and organised approach with strong attention to detail, particularly in documentation and security.

Essential skills and experience

• Software development (commercial or personal projects), or IT support within a software or engineering environment
• Working knowledge of the software development lifecycle (SDLC)
• Administering or supporting development tools such as JIRA, Git, Bitbucket, Confluence, or CI/CD systems
• Familiarity with Linux environments and command line usage
• Experience supporting on premises hardware, servers, and services.
• Skilled in diagnosing and resolving hardware, software, and connectivity issues, with expertise in Windows and Microsoft 365.
• Understanding of TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, and VPNs for network troubleshooting and maintenance
• Strong troubleshooting and problem solving skills across hardware, software, and development environments
• Experience working collaboratively with technical teams to improve workflows and systems
• Ability to take ownership of systems and drive continuous improvement
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to explain technical concepts clearly

Beneficial skills and experience

• Atlassian suite (Bitbucket, JIRA, Confluence)
• Embedded development tools such as IAR Embedded Workbench or Altium Designer
• Version control systems (Git)
• Scripting or automation (e.g. Bash, Python)
• Supporting audits or working in regulated environments
• Familiarity with security standards or frameworks (e.g. ISO 27001, IEC 81001, Cyber Essentials)
• Experience improving or redesigning development environments or toolchains

Key responsibilities Development Tool Administration

• Own and administer core development platforms
• Manage access, permissions, and configurations
• Ensure availability, performance, and reliability of tools
• Drive improvements, upgrades, and integrations
• Maintain and support Linux based development environments
• Support build environments, automation pipelines, and version control workflows
• Work with developers to standardise and improve environments

Software Development Lifecycle Support

• Support the full SDLC from requirements through to deployment
• Improve workflows, traceability, and collaboration through tooling
• Contribute to CI/CD pipelines and automation practices

Cybersecurity, Compliance and Documentation

• Ensure systems are secure, patched, and aligned with internal policies
• Implement access controls and secure configurations
• Identify and remediate risks within development environments
• Maintain clear and detailed documentation
• Act as a point of contact during audits

IT Support

• Provide day to day IT support across the business
• Troubleshoot hardware, software, and access issues
• Support onboarding and off boarding of engineering staff
• Act as the primary IT contact for development teams

The salary for this role is £45,000 to £50,000, commensurate with the experience of the successful candidate. During your application we will ask you for your salary expectations.

Why work with us?

We offer flexible hybrid working policies in terms of working hours from day one. We operate availability hours so people can start at 9:30 am if needed, lunch can be taken between 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm, and we offer an early finish on Fridays if you have banked your contracted hours for the week.

Our full time contract is 38 hours per week. Colleagues at Ensera Design work with a great deal of flexibility, which varies across our teams. An individual's working pattern is agreed with their respective line managers, taking into account the needs of the individual and the team. We anticipate this role to be office based only to start, with flexibility once settled in to the role.

We offer:

• Performance related company wide bonus
• Flexible working approaches around availability hours
• Training and development opportunities, including dedicated learning days
• Private healthcare and Employee Assistance Programme
• Enhanced Maternity & Paternity leave
• Matched contributory pension scheme
• Holiday allowance starting at 25 days, plus purchase scheme
• Cycle to Work scheme and transport discounts
• Regular team events and socials
• A collaborative, supportive working environment

We believe that designing for people means including all people, starting with the team behind the work. Our human centred design ethos is rooted in empathy, and our values - pull together, find a way, and care - guide us in building a team that reflects the diversity of the world we design for.

We know that different perspectives lead to better ideas, stronger collaboration, and more meaningful outcomes. If you meet the skills and experience for this role, we welcome your application - whatever your background, identity, or path into design. What matters to us is that you share our belief in purposeful, people first design.