Application Operations Engineer (SAP)

The Welsh Government operates name-free recruitment. The recruiting panel will not see personal information such as a candidate’s name and address during the sifting process. This policy is in line with our commitment to end bias and promote equality and diversity.

Vacancy title
Application Operations Engineer (SAP)

23/09/2026, 16:00

Advertising basis Permanent

A starting salary of £37,111 will be available to the successful candidate. This is non‑negotiable.

Salary range or pay band HEO £37,111 to £45,378

Work pattern Full time (applications are welcome from people who work part time, as part of a job share or who work full time)

Group Operational Effectiveness Group

Directorate Digital, Data and Technology

Branch IT Services

Location (s) Pan Wales

‘Pan Wales’ means the post holder can be based in any Welsh Government office, subject to business needs. Roles based outside Wales, including London, are not available unless explicitly stated in the advert.

A list of the Welsh Government’s offices can be found on . Please note it may not always be possible to accommodate a preference for a specific office location.

The post holder’s travel from their home to their assigned Welsh Government office is considered their ‘ordinary commute’ and must be done in their own time and at their own cost.

Purpose of post
Welsh Government

The Welsh Government delivers digital services to people and business across Wales. Led by our Chief Digital Officer, the Welsh Government is increasingly delivering more services online and has a vision (outlined in the Digital Strategy for Wales) of improving the lives of everyone through collaboration, innovation and better public services.

To achieve this vision, the Welsh Government needs specialist digital, data and technology skills across all departments in the organisation to improve the services and policies we develop for Welsh citizens.

For more information about the benefits of making a difference with us, please see the Employee Benefits Pack .

Team/Division Overview

As the organisation continues to invest in and modernise its critical business systems, we are reviewing and evolving the way we support and sustain our corporate application landscape. Our focus is on building a resilient, knowledgeable, and customer‑focused capability that can effectively support both current and future business needs.

To support this ambition, we have brought together responsibility for a number of key corporate applications within a dedicated HR & Finance System Applications Support function. The team provides operational support, maintenance, continuous improvement, and technical expertise across a range of business‑critical platforms, ensuring they remain stable, secure, and fit for purpose while enabling the organisation to deliver its strategic objectives.

Job Role

We are recruiting an Application Operation Engineer to join the HR & Finance System Applications Support Team.

These are exciting opportunities to support and enhance critical business systems that underpin essential services across the organisation. We are looking for motivated individuals with strong technical, analytical and problem‑solving skills who are passionate about delivering reliable, high‑quality application support.

The available post is: Application Operation Engineer – SAP

The post requires experience of supporting, testing and maintaining SAP applications within a production environment, including incident management, system monitoring, configuration activities, and the delivery of system enhancements.

The post will play a key role in the day‑to‑day operation of service activities, support, and ongoing development of business‑critical systems. They will work closely with colleagues, suppliers, and stakeholders to deliver excellent customer service and continuous improvement.

The post is mapped to the Application Operations Engineer role/level in the DDaT Profession Capability Framework. Follow the link to understand the role and the required skills.

We are looking for people who are:

• Customer focused with a commitment to delivering reliable, responsive services
• Proactive team players who are eager to learn, solve problems, and improve user experience

Clear and confident communicators who can support a wide range of users

Key tasks
Your main day to day responsibilities will include :

• Experience of supporting, testing and maintaining SAP applications within a production environment, including incident management, system monitoring, configuration activities, and the delivery of system enhancements.
• Deliver second‑ and third‑line support, including investigating, replicating and resolving complex production incidents.
• Undertake configuration changes to HR and Finance applications to support issue resolution and system enhancements.
• Contribute to regression testing activities during system upgrades and patching cycles.
• Document business requirements and produce functional specifications and user guidance to support system changes.
• Provide support across the team and wider service as required, undertaking other reasonable duties and responsibilities requested by management to meet changing business needs and priorities.
• Engage with Business Process Owners to advise on and promote ERP best practice and standardised processes.
• Analyse and validate business requirements, using structured approaches such as workshops, interviews and process mapping.
• Support the delivery of change requests, ensuring alignment with Welsh Government strategies and optimisation of end‑to‑end HR and Finance processes.
• Collaborate with Business Support Analysts and wider stakeholders to design and deliver system and process improvements.
• Assess the impact of system and process changes on wider finance activities and accounting practices, providing constructive challenge where appropriate.
• Develop and maintain strong functional knowledge of HR and Finance systems to support users and colleagues.
• Contribute to communities of practice, sharing knowledge and supporting continuous improvement across the function.
• Support wider team and organisational objectives in line with role and grade expectations.
• Any other tasks commensurate with the grade and role requested by the line manager.

As a member of the Digital, Data and Technology profession in Welsh Government you will have access to a range of learning and development opportunities.

You will have the opportunity to work on various projects and engage with colleagues at all levels from within the profession and business areas across the organisation.

Welsh Government is supportive of your learning and development and has a range of training and opportunities available including a suite of online training, coaching and mentoring and short‑term experience placements which you will be able to take advantage of depending on your learning and development needs and discussions with your line manager.

Other vacancy related information
A reserve list may be held for this opportunity. Any candidate who is successful in being offered a reserve status, will remain on the reserve list for 12 months.

In the case of more than one candidate scoring the same, the panel has agreed the following criteria will determine merit order:

• Experience - Experience of providing support and advice for a wide range of users on specific software
• DDaT Skill –Change Management
• DDaT Skill - Continual service improvement

In the event of a large number of applications, an initial sift will be conducted against the lead assessment criterion: Experience 2. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Candidates who successfully demonstrate that they meet the minimum Experience Criteria will be invited to interview. You will receive a technical scenario for you to prepare a response to ready for your interview. The technical scenario and instructions will be emailed to you 5 days before your interview.

Hybrid Working:
This is a hybrid role where the post holder will be expected to attend their local Welsh Government office in line with organisational expectations and business needs. The role also requires regular attendance at team meetings, Anchor Days and knowledge transfer sessions to support collaboration and knowledge sharing, with most of the activities taking place in Cardiff.

Vetting level SC - Candidates applying for a role that requires SC clearance must have normally resided in the UK for a minimum of the last 5 years

Number of posts 1

Contact point for further information regarding the post

Welsh language requirements

Welsh language requirements 3 - Welsh language skills are not essential for this opportunity; you do not need Welsh language skills to apply. However, as the Welsh Government is a bilingual organisation, Welsh language skills are desirable and will be considered if two or more candidates receive the same score at the application or interview stage.

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our AI candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection Process and Stages

Welsh Government, like all other Government Departments use Success Profiles when we recruit. For each role we consider what you will need to demonstrate to be successful. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job. It raises performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

The selection process and stages are:

Number of Stages:

2 stage process

Stage 1 Application Form

Stage 2 Interview

Behaviours

We’ll assess you against these Behaviour criteria during the selection process.

Behaviour 1:
Leadership

Managing a quality service - Develop, implement, maintain and review systems and services to ensure delivery of professional excellence.

This will be tested at stage 2: Interview

Experience

We'll assess you against the following Experience criteria during the assessment process.

Evidence to provide Experience questions

Experience 1:
Experience of understanding business requirements and translating them into technical solutions

This will be tested at Stage 1: Application Form

This will be tested at stage 2: Interview

Experience 2:
Experience of providing support and advice for a wide range of users on specific software

This will be tested at Stage 1: Application Form

This will be tested at stage 2: Interview

Experience 3:
Experience of working with support partners to ensure service is maintained and delivered

This will be tested at Stage 1: Application Form

This will be tested at stage 2: Interview

Technical

We'll assess the following Technical skills during the selection process.

Technical 1:
Change Management – You can implement changes based on requests for change

This will be tested at stage 2: Interview

Technical 2:
Continual service improvement – You can show an awareness of developing process efficiency and common ways in which processes are optimised

This will be tested at stage 2: Interview

If you do not meet the eligibility criteria your application will not progress. If it becomes clear at a later stage in the process that you are not eligible to apply, your application may be withdrawn, or the offer retracted.

Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre‑settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members... (list continues)

Social Model of Disability

Welsh Government has adopted the social model of disability, which recognises that barriers in society act to disable people who have impairments, or health conditions, who are neurodivergent or who use British Sign Language.

We are committed to removing barriers in the recruitment process so that all (or potential new) staff can perform at their best.

Recruitment adjustments can be made at any part of the recruitment process for candidates with an impairment or health condition, who are neurodivergent or who use British Sign Language.

We are committed to inclusive recruitment and offer interviews to eligible candidates who meet the minimum criteria for the role through the following schemes:

Disability Confident

The Welsh Government is a Disability Confident Leader. As part of our commitment to this scheme we interview any candidate with an impairment, health condition, who is neurodivergent or who uses British Sign Language if they meet the minimum criteria for the post.

A Great Place to Work for Veterans

The Welsh Government operates the Great Place to Work for Veterans Initiative. As part of our commitment to this scheme we interview any eligible candidates who meet the minimum criteria for the post.

Redeployment Interview Scheme

Civil Service employers can offer an interview to a fair and proportionate number of civil servants who are at risk of redundancy and who meet the minimum criteria for the post.

By ‘minimum criteria ’ we mean that candidates must provide us with evidence in their application (and/or test) that they meet the minimum level of competence for the role - usually defined as a minimum score of 4 per criterion.

Social Partnership

In Welsh Government, the relationship between the employer and trade unions is based on social partnership. We believe our goals can best be achieved by management and trade unions working together.

Our 3 recognised trade unions are:
• PCS
• Prospect
• FDA

This relationship is underpinned by a partnership agreement. This sets out how our unions work with Welsh Government on issues such as:
• Pay
• Terms and conditions
• HR Strategy, policies and procedures
• Health, safety and well-being
• Organisational change

Our Welsh Government trade union colleagues work together to give their members a real say in the workplace. They make sure that the interests of their members are promoted and protected. They also help reduce inequalities and improve terms and conditions.

The Welsh Government has an excellent track record of working in partnership with its trade unions. We support you to join a recognised trade union, to ensure your voice is heard in the workplace. We encourage you to learn more about our trade unions, partnership working and to get involved in their work.

All Welsh Government staff are members of the Civil Service, and as a result are eligible for:

• 31 days annual leave (pro-rated for part time)
• training and development opportunities
• Cycle2Work Scheme
• Smart Working flexible working arrangement
• Green Car Scheme (subject to availability)

If you are an active Civil Service Pension member you can continue your membership throughout your employment with us.

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and wish to make a complaint please email . Please ensure that you refer to the vacancy reference number.

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Welsh Government, you can contact the Civil Service Commission:

How to Apply

All applications for this vacancy must be made using our online application system.

Unless stated otherwise in the 'Other vacancy‑related information for advert', the Welsh Government cannot offer Visa sponsorship. Welsh Government holds a Visa sponsorship licence, but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.

Applications are welcomed from people with a diverse range of lived and professional experiences. We are actively committed to becoming an increasingly diverse organisation which represents the diverse communities we serve. There are a number of Diversity networks that staff can participate in, which include the Disability Awareness and Support Staff Network; Minority Ethnic Staff Network; Mind Matters (Mental health and well‑being); PRISM (LGBTI+), Women Together and the Neurodivergence Network.

If you have an impairment which prevents you from applying online, please email our recruitment team. You can:

• request an application pack in an alternative format
• request a recruitment adjustment to help you submit your application

Use the 'Apply' button to submit your application. You will be asked to register if you don't have an account or sign in if you do. Registration takes a few minutes and you will need an email address.

You should check your Application Centre regularly for updates to your application. Please also check your spam/junk folder in case any communication regarding your application and/or assessment details finds its way there.

Once you've registered for an account and logged in, you'll be taken to the online application form. You must complete this and submit it before the deadline on the closing date. We will not consider an incomplete application form.

If you would like to apply for this vacancy in Welsh, please use the Change Language link on this page. We welcome applications in Welsh, and applications submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than applications submitted in English.

Please see the candidate guidance for more information on the recruitment process.

For information on Civil Service Success Profiles please click here .

For TS to G6 recruitment schemes: When presenting your evidence, you may find it useful to consider the expectations of the grade as set out in the Grade Description as well as the main responsibilities that are essential for the role.

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