At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and grow a team of platform engineers while driving technical direction and innovation.
- Company: ClearRoute, an engineering consultancy focused on quality and developer experience.
- Benefits: Flexible working environment, supportive culture, and opportunities for personal growth.
- Other info: Diverse and inclusive workplace that values individual perspectives and work-life balance.
- Why this job: Shape the future of software engineering and make a real impact in a collaborative setting.
- Qualifications: 10+ years in engineering with leadership experience and strong cloud expertise.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
About Us
ClearRoute is an engineering consultancy bridging Quality Engineering, Cloud Platforms and Developer Experience. We help enterprises reliably bring high-impact digital products to market faster, cheaper, and safer, working with technology leaders facing complex business challenges. We take as much pride in our people, culture and work-life balance as we do in making better software. We’re not just making better software. We’re making the making of software better. Collaborative, entrepreneurial and dedicated to problem solving, we bring the step change our customers need to sustain innovation. Our values challenge us to do the best we can for ClearRoute, our customers and most importantly our team. This is an opportunity for you to build the organisation from the ground up, use your voice to drive change and help transform organisations and problem domains.
Role
We are looking for a hands-on Head of Platform Engineering to lead and grow the platform functions for a number of major clients. This is a player-coach role where you’ll set technical direction and line-manage a team of approximately 12 platform and DevOps engineers, while staying close enough to the work to make architectural calls, unblock your team, and occasionally get into the code yourself. You will own the reliability, scalability, and developer experience of the clients’ core platform, and you’ll be a key voice in how we build and operate software as we scale.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead, mentor, and grow a team of approximately 12 platform/DevOps engineers, owning hiring, development, and performance.
- Set the technical vision and roadmap for platform engineering, balancing long-term architecture with near-term delivery.
- Stay hands-on: reviewing designs, pairing on hard problems, and contributing directly when it counts.
- Own infrastructure reliability, observability, security posture, and cost efficiency across environments.
- Drive improvements to developer experience, CI/CD, and self-service tooling so product teams ship faster and more safely.
- Partner with engineering leadership, product, and security to align platform investment with business priorities.
- Establish and uphold standards for incident response, on-call, and operational excellence.
- Advocate for and embed AI-first thinking across client engagements.
Required Experience
- 10+ years in software/platform/infrastructure engineering, with a meaningful stretch leading and managing engineers.
- Proven experience running a team of comparable size (~10+), including hiring and people development.
- Deep, current hands-on expertise across cloud, either - AWS / GCP / Azure, containers and orchestration (Kubernetes), and infrastructure-as-code (Terraform or similar).
- Strong grounding in CI/CD, observability, and modern operational practices (SRE principles, SLOs, on-call).
- A track record of scaling platforms and teams without losing technical credibility.
- Excellent communicator: able to set direction for engineers and translate technical trade-offs for non-technical stakeholders.
Desirable Experience
- Familiarity with AI-enabled engineering practices, LLM tooling, or AI-augmented delivery models.
- Experience with enterprise platform modernisation, cloud migration or digital transformation programmes.
- Experience operating in an AI-first or technology-forward consultancy environment.
- Industry exposure across financial services, energy, public sector and retail environments.
At ClearRoute, we believe diverse perspectives lead to better outcomes, and inclusion creates the conditions for everyone to thrive. We are proud to have built a family friendly working environment and have many employees who have caring responsibilities alongside work. We welcome applications from people who require flexibility and will be happy to discuss needs on an individual basis. We are committed to fostering a culture where all team members feel respected, supported, and empowered to do their best work. We celebrate individuality and our differences and understand that some differences may mean that you require changes made to the interview process. We are happy to cater to your needs to make the interview accessible, if this is something you require please let us know by emailing us at join@clearroute.io.
Head of Platform Engineering employer: ClearRoute
At ClearRoute, we pride ourselves on fostering a collaborative and inclusive work culture that prioritises employee well-being and professional growth. As the Head of Platform Engineering, you will have the unique opportunity to shape our platform engineering team while enjoying a family-friendly environment that supports flexible working arrangements. With a commitment to innovation and a focus on personal development, ClearRoute is an excellent employer for those looking to make a meaningful impact in the tech industry.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Platform Engineering
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry, attend meetups, and engage with online communities. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio or GitHub repository showcasing your projects and contributions. This is a great way to demonstrate your hands-on experience and technical prowess to potential employers.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by practising common questions and scenarios related to platform engineering. Think about how you would lead a team, tackle challenges, and drive improvements in developer experience—this will help you stand out!
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! We love seeing applications directly from candidates who are excited about joining ClearRoute. Plus, it gives us a chance to see your enthusiasm for our culture and values right from the start.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Platform Engineering
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion:When writing your application, let your enthusiasm for platform engineering shine through. We want to see how excited you are about leading teams and driving change in the tech world!
Tailor Your Experience:Make sure to highlight your relevant experience in software/platform/infrastructure engineering. We’re looking for someone who can demonstrate their hands-on expertise and leadership skills, so be specific about your achievements.
Be Clear and Concise:Keep your application straightforward and to the point. We appreciate clarity, so avoid jargon and make it easy for us to understand your qualifications and vision for the role.
Apply Through Our Website:Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity at ClearRoute.
How to prepare for a job interview at ClearRoute
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
As a Head of Platform Engineering, you’ll need to demonstrate your deep understanding of cloud platforms like AWS, GCP, or Azure. Brush up on your knowledge of containers, orchestration, and infrastructure-as-code tools like Terraform. Be ready to discuss how you've applied these technologies in real-world scenarios.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
This role involves leading a team of engineers, so be prepared to share your experiences in mentoring and developing talent. Think of specific examples where you’ve successfully managed a team, resolved conflicts, or driven performance improvements. Highlight your ability to communicate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
✨Emphasise Your Hands-On Experience
Since this is a player-coach role, it’s crucial to convey your willingness to get involved in the code and architectural decisions. Share instances where you’ve rolled up your sleeves to solve complex problems or contributed directly to projects. This will show that you’re not just a manager but also an active participant in the engineering process.
✨Align with ClearRoute's Values
Familiarise yourself with ClearRoute’s commitment to collaboration, innovation, and inclusivity. During the interview, express how your personal values align with theirs. Discuss how you can contribute to building a positive culture and enhancing the developer experience, which is key to their mission.
