Lead DevOps Engineer in Barcelona

Location: Barcelona-based
Work Model: Hybrid
Start: Before end of April

The Project

Are you a DevOps leader who actually enjoys talking to people? Someone who can lead infrastructure conversations with a client on Tuesday and jump on a call with your team in Manila on Wednesday? If you're tired of being stuck in a black box and want a role where communication matters as much as your technical skills, this one's for you.

Our client is a global digital marketing agency with 17 years in the game, offices in the US (Milwaukee), the Philippines, New Zealand, Bahrain, and France. They work with major international brands, including one of the world's largest pharmaceutical groups, delivering enterprise-level web experiences on complex CMS platforms.

They're now building their European hub in Barcelona, and they need a DevOps leader who can take ownership of the entire DevOps function. Not just code. Not just pipelines. The full picture: team leadership, client communication, and infrastructure strategy. The existing DevOps teams are technically strong but lack someone who can step up, communicate, and lead from the front.

Your responsibilities and impact as Lead DevOps Engineer:

• Lead and optimize cloud infrastructure on AWS for major client projects

• Design, implement, and manage CI/CD pipelines and automation workflows

• Develop and maintain Infrastructure as Code (IaC) using modern tooling

• Administer and maintain Linux-based systems , web servers, and application servers

• Monitor system performance and reliability using observability tools

• Lead incident response, root cause analysis , and resolution

• Visit the client's Barcelona office 1–2 times per week for brainstorming, technical discussions, and alignment sessions

• Communicate directly with clients , not just internally. This is the number one ask from the client: a DevOps person who can actually talk

• Lead and mentor DevOps teams across APAC and the US, coordinating across time zones

• Over time, take full ownership of the DevOps function across the organization, making it a transparent, integrated part of the company rather than a black box

Skills, qualifications, and interests you need to succeed in this role:

• 5+ years of experience in DevOps, SRE, or related infrastructure roles

• Strong expertise in AWS services and cloud architecture

• Proficiency in Linux system administration

• Solid experience with CI/CD pipelines, automation, and IaC (Terraform, Ansible, or similar)

• Strong problem-solving and incident troubleshooting skills

• Fluent in English (required for daily communication with teams and clients). Spanish is a plus but not mandatory

• Here's what really matters: communication skills. You need to be outgoing, comfortable presenting to clients, and able to explain technical decisions to non-technical stakeholders

• A leadership mindset : you've managed or mentored teams before, or you're ready to step into that role

• An entrepreneurial attitude: you're comfortable with a startup-like environment where things aren't always perfectly organized yet

• Understanding of cloud security best practices

What's in it for you?

• Be a founding member of the Barcelona office: help shape the team, the culture, and the technical direction from day one

• Own the DevOps function : this is not a "follow instructions" role. You'll have the autonomy to structure and lead DevOps across the entire organization

• Salary: from €60K gross/year , depending on experience and seniority

• Flexible working culture : no micromanagement, no hour-counting. Hybrid setup with 1–2 client visits per week in Barcelona, the rest from home

• Work on high-profile projects for major global brands

• Fast, two-step interview process: Head of Operations + CTO

• A leadership team that's honest, transparent, and will tell you straight up: "it might be messy at first, but that's the fun part"