At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and optimise platform engineering solutions for diverse clients and industries.
- Company: Focused, a dynamic tech company with a collaborative culture.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible work arrangements, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Work in a fast-paced environment with excellent career advancement opportunities.
- Why this job: Join us to innovate and make a real impact in the tech world.
- Qualifications: 7+ years in Platform Engineering, strong skills in IaC and cloud services.
The predicted salary is between 95000 - 130000 £ per year.
At Focused, we move quickly to deliver quality software that achieves client outcomes and meets their customer’s needs. We strategically partner with our clients to leverage our expertise in design and software, while our clients bring their own domain expertise. We work with a variety of clients from different industries, collaborating as we get new products to market, modernizing legacy systems, or helping teams learn the skills they need to be successful.
Our values:
- Listen first: We are experts in product practices but lifelong learners in the domain of our customers. We research, collaborate, and understand.
- Learn why: We ask questions and talk to users to understand problem spaces, objectives, and goals, which allows us to deeply invest and drive towards the outcomes of our clients.
- Love your craft: We love diving into a variety of domains and solving problems. We take pride in delivering value, in communicating progress, and guiding our clients to success.
We are seeking an experienced Staff Platform Engineer with deep expertise leading clients and teams, and strong Platform Engineering capabilities to help organizations implement, optimize, and scale their infrastructure.
Key Responsibilities:
- Augment existing infrastructure with integrated observability solutions
- Implement Infrastructure as Code (IaC) solutions using Terraform, Pulumi, CloudFormation, etc.
- Architect and manage Kubernetes clusters with comprehensive monitoring and logging
- Build CI/CD pipelines with embedded observability and automated testing
- Site Reliability Engineering (SRE)
- Establish and maintain Service Level Indicators (SLIs), Objectives (SLOs), and Agreements (SLAs)
- Implement error budgets, toil reduction strategies, and capacity planning
- Support incident response procedures and post-mortem processes
- Deploy and manage observability infrastructure across AWS, GCP, and Azure
- Establish security, compliance, and governance frameworks for telemetry data
- Experience automating Agent Evaluations in CI/CD pipelines and observability backends
- OpenTelemetry & Observability
- Design and implement end-to-end OpenTelemetry solutions across diverse technology stacks
- Configure and deploy OpenTelemetry Collectors for efficient data collection, processing, sampling, and routing
- Establish telemetry pipelines for metrics, traces, and logs across microservices architectures
- Optimize collector configurations for performance, reliability, and cost-effectiveness
Required Qualifications:
- 7+ years of Platform Engineering or DevOps experience with focus on site reliability, observability, and incident response
- Proficiency with Infrastructure as Code tools (Terraform, Pulumi, CloudFormation, CDK)
- Strong experience with CI/CD platforms (GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Jenkins, ArgoCD)
- Hands-on experience with major cloud providers (AWS, GCP, Azure) and their observability services
- Experience with container technologies (Docker, Podman) and container registries
- Knowledge of networking, security, load balancing, and distributed systems concepts
- Site Reliability Engineering
- Experience implementing SRE practices including error budgets and toil metrics
- Proficiency in incident management, on-call procedures, and post-mortem culture
- Experience with capacity planning, performance optimization, and scalability design
- Programming & Automation
- Proficiency in multiple programming languages preferred (Go, Python, Java, Node.js, Rust)
- Strong scripting and automation skills (Bash, Python, PowerShell)
- Understanding of software engineering best practices and testing methodologies
- Core Observability & OpenTelemetry
- 3-7 years of experience in observability, monitoring, and distributed systems
- Deep hands-on experience with OpenTelemetry ecosystem, including SDKs, APIs, and specifications
- Proficiency with OpenTelemetry Collector configuration, processors, exporters, and receivers
- Strong understanding of telemetry data models, semantic conventions, and instrumentation best practices
Preferred Qualifications (Exceptional Candidates)
- AI & Agentic Frameworks
- Understanding of Large Language Models (LLMs) and their application in DevOps
- Knowledge of vector databases, embeddings, and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG)
- Experience with AI/ML model deployment and monitoring in production environments
- Leadership & Communication
- Experience leading teams, managing client relationships and expectations
- Strong technical writing and documentation skills
- Ability to present complex technical concepts to diverse stakeholders
- A passion for knowledge sharing
- Systems thinking and ability to design holistic observability solutions
- Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills for complex distributed systems
- Curiosity about emerging technologies, particularly AI applications in operations
- Adaptability to rapidly evolving cloud-native and observability technologies
- Collaborative mindset with focus on enabling developer productivity and system reliability
What Sets Exceptional Candidates Apart:
- Experience with Honeycomb
- Contributions to open-source observability or AI framework projects
- Track record of implementing platform engineering solutions that significantly improved developer experience
- Experience scaling observability infrastructure to handle high event volume
What to know before you apply:
- You will be expected to work for up to four days a week in person, be it from our office in London or from client sites.
- The London base salary range for this role is £95,000 - £130,000 GBP.
Staff Platform Engineer in London employer: Focused
At Focused, we pride ourselves on fostering a dynamic work culture that encourages collaboration, continuous learning, and a passion for excellence. As a Staff Platform Engineer, you will have the opportunity to work with diverse clients across various industries, enhancing your skills while contributing to impactful projects. Our London office offers a vibrant environment with flexible working arrangements, competitive salaries, and a commitment to employee growth, making it an ideal place for those seeking meaningful and rewarding employment.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Staff Platform Engineer in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry, attend meetups, and engage in online forums. The more people you know, the better your chances of landing that Staff Platform Engineer role.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio or GitHub repository showcasing your projects, especially those involving Infrastructure as Code and observability solutions. This gives potential employers a taste of what you can do.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by brushing up on your technical knowledge and soft skills. Practice explaining complex concepts clearly, as communication is key in this role. We want to see how you can convey your expertise!
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, it shows you're genuinely interested in joining our team at Focused, where we value collaboration and client success.
We think you need these skills to ace Staff Platform Engineer in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experiences that match the job description. Highlight your Platform Engineering expertise and any relevant projects you've worked on. We want to see how you can bring value to our team!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about the role and how your background aligns with our values. Show us that you’re not just looking for a job, but that you genuinely want to be part of our mission.
Showcase Your Technical Skills:Don’t hold back on your technical prowess! Be specific about your experience with Infrastructure as Code, CI/CD pipelines, and observability tools. We love seeing concrete examples of how you've tackled challenges in the past.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets into the right hands. Plus, it shows us you’re proactive and keen to join our team at Focused!
How to prepare for a job interview at Focused
✨Know Your Tech Stack
Make sure you’re well-versed in the technologies mentioned in the job description, especially Infrastructure as Code tools like Terraform and CI/CD platforms. Brush up on your knowledge of Kubernetes and cloud providers like AWS, GCP, and Azure, as these will likely come up during technical discussions.
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills
Prepare to discuss specific challenges you've faced in previous roles, particularly around observability and incident response. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers and highlight how you’ve successfully navigated complex issues.
✨Demonstrate Your Collaborative Spirit
Since Focused values collaboration, be ready to share examples of how you’ve worked with clients or cross-functional teams. Emphasise your ability to listen, learn, and adapt based on client needs, showcasing your commitment to delivering value.
✨Ask Insightful Questions
Prepare thoughtful questions that reflect your understanding of the role and the company’s goals. Inquire about their current projects, challenges they face in observability, or how they measure success in their engineering practices. This shows your genuine interest and helps you assess if it’s the right fit for you.
