At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the design and delivery of a unified Internal Developer Platform.
- Company: Join FactSet, a leader in financial solutions with a focus on innovation.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible working options, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Collaborate with diverse teams and influence key architectural decisions.
- Why this job: Shape the future of platform architecture and enhance developer productivity.
- Qualifications: Experience in platform engineering, Kubernetes, and cloud services required.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
Requirements
- B.S. or M.S. in Computer Science (or equivalent field)
- Extensive development and platform engineering experience with demonstrated performance as a highly technical contributor
- A strong understanding of modern platform engineering, internal developer platforms, and DevOps practices at enterprise scale
- Deep experience with Kubernetes and container orchestration — including cluster architecture, multi-tenancy, networking, and operational patterns at scale
- Significant experience with at least one major cloud provider (AWS, Azure, or GCP), including infrastructure design, managed services, cost management, and landing zone architecture
- Demonstrable insight into platform architectural directions that improve developer productivity, deployment velocity, and operational reliability
- Breadth of knowledge across several of the following areas: CI/CD, infrastructure as code, observability, service mesh, networking, identity/security, and managed data services
- Motivated and capable of helping to construct and influence a broad agenda to improve the platform capabilities and options available to engineering teams across the enterprise
- Strong communication skills for effectively working with a wide variety of stakeholders — from application developers to engineering leadership — across different teams at FactSet
- (Desirable) Exceptional ability to dive into new systems and designs to quickly understand the structure and provide meaningful evaluation, guidance, and identification of alternatives
- (Desirable) Experience designing multi-cloud or hybrid-cloud platform strategies for large engineering organizations
- (Desirable) Experience with CI/CD platform design (Jenkins, GitHub Actions, ArgoCD, GitOps workflows) and deployment governance
- (Desirable) Familiarity with developer portals and service catalogs (Backstage or equivalent)
- (Desirable) Experience with infrastructure-as-code and platform orchestration (Terraform, Crossplane, Helm)
- (Desirable) Understanding of zero-trust security models, identity frameworks (SPIFFE/SPIRE, OAuth2/JWT), and compliance automation
- (Desirable) Experience operating in a regulated financial services environment
What the job involves
The Platform Architecture team is responsible for unifying FactSet's developer infrastructure and core technologies — providing a coherent Internal Developer Platform and Platform as a Service to ensure engineering teams have access to the technology capabilities they need to provide world‑class financial solutions to our clients in a way that is self‑service, governed, and easy to consume.
This team is responsible for identifying future evolutions and innovative revolutions of FactSet's core platform components in order to enable increased developer productivity, operational reliability, and to unlock new capabilities that accelerate delivery across all engineering teams or enable novel client‑facing technologies.
All team members, and in particular this leadership role, have the opportunity to be exposed to the entire FactSet technology stack and every engineering team across the organization as they seek to understand and contribute to key architectural needs.
The current focus of the team is on designing and delivering FactSet's Internal Developer Platform as a Platform as a Service — a unified, self‑service platform encompassing governed CI/CD, container orchestration, managed platform services (compute, storage, databases, messaging, caching), developer portal, and observability.
The goal is to consolidate fragmented internal tooling into a coherent platform experience and expand managed service offerings in a way that balances exceptional developer experience with the governance and compliance requirements of a regulated financial services firm.
The Platform Architect role involves guiding the team towards the top priority platform initiatives at FactSet, utilizing a broad understanding of the internal technology landscape, developer needs, and current industry practices, as well as contributing to those projects directly.
The successful candidate will ensure productive collaboration with a broad set of internal stakeholders across the SBUs to keep projects on track with the top priority needs and opportunities to deliver value.
Leading architecture decisions for the Internal Developer Platform and overseeing the broad‑impact projects of the team.
Working on enterprise‑wide initiatives to address platform architecture problems and opportunities — from developer experience through to production operations.
Evaluating and selecting third‑party products and open‑source technologies (platform orchestrators, developer portals, infrastructure‑as‑code tooling) that contribute to the overall platform landscape.
Defining, maturing, and promoting platform engineering best practices, reference architectures, and golden paths across the organization.
Engaging in architecture reviews and consulting with teams across the organization to advise on platform adoption, infrastructure patterns, and service design — informing the projects of the Platform Architecture team to meet open needs that should be centrally delivered.
Working with cloud engineering, SRE, and security teams to align architectural goals with reliability, cost efficiency, and compliance initiatives.
Driving architectural governance through ADRs, design reviews, and federated review boards that scale decision‑making without creating bottlenecks.
Platform Architecture Lead employer: FactSet
At FactSet, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that fosters a collaborative and innovative work culture. As a Platform Architecture Lead, you will have the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technologies in a dynamic environment, while benefiting from extensive professional development opportunities and a commitment to employee growth. Our focus on creating a unified Internal Developer Platform not only enhances developer productivity but also ensures that you are part of a team that is shaping the future of financial solutions.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Platform Architecture Lead
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Attend industry meetups, conferences, or even online webinars. Chat with folks in the field, share your experiences, and don’t be shy about asking for advice or insights. You never know who might have a lead on your dream job!
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio or GitHub repository showcasing your projects, especially those related to platform engineering and DevOps. This gives potential employers a tangible look at what you can do and sets you apart from the crowd.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by practising common technical questions and scenarios relevant to platform architecture. Use mock interviews with friends or online platforms to get comfortable discussing your experience with Kubernetes, cloud providers, and CI/CD practices.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! We’re always on the lookout for talented individuals who can contribute to our platform architecture team. Keep an eye on our job postings and make sure your application stands out by highlighting your relevant experience.
We think you need these skills to ace Platform Architecture Lead
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experiences that match the job description. Highlight your extensive development and platform engineering experience, especially with Kubernetes and cloud providers like AWS or Azure.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Use your cover letter to tell us why you're passionate about platform architecture. Share specific examples of how you've improved developer productivity or operational reliability in past roles.
Showcase Your Technical Skills:Don’t just list your skills; demonstrate them! Mention any relevant projects or experiences with CI/CD, infrastructure as code, or observability tools that align with what we’re looking for.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role without any hiccups!
How to prepare for a job interview at FactSet
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
Make sure you have a solid grasp of platform engineering concepts, especially around Kubernetes and cloud providers like AWS or Azure. Brush up on your knowledge of CI/CD practices and infrastructure as code, as these are likely to come up in conversation.
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills
Be prepared to discuss specific challenges you've faced in previous roles and how you tackled them. Highlight your ability to dive into new systems and provide meaningful evaluations, as this will demonstrate your analytical skills and adaptability.
✨Communicate Effectively
Since the role involves working with various stakeholders, practice articulating complex technical concepts in simple terms. This will show that you can bridge the gap between technical and non-technical teams, which is crucial for collaboration.
✨Prepare Questions That Matter
Think of insightful questions to ask about the company's platform architecture and future initiatives. This not only shows your interest in the role but also gives you a chance to assess if the company aligns with your career goals.
