At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead clients and teams in optimising and scaling infrastructure with innovative solutions.
- Company: Focused, a dynamic tech company that values collaboration and client success.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible work options, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Work in a collaborative environment with a focus on emerging technologies.
- Why this job: Join us to make a real impact in diverse industries and enhance your skills.
- Qualifications: 7+ years in Platform Engineering or DevOps with strong observability and incident response skills.
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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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):
- 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
- 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 employer: Focused
At Focused, we pride ourselves on fostering a dynamic work culture that encourages collaboration, continuous learning, and a passion for innovation. As a Staff Platform Engineer, you will have the opportunity to work with diverse clients across various industries, enhancing your skills while contributing to meaningful projects. Our London office offers a vibrant environment where employee growth is supported through mentorship and hands-on experience, making it an excellent place for those looking to advance their careers in technology.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Staff Platform Engineer
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in your industry on LinkedIn or at meetups. We all know that sometimes it’s not just what you know, but who you know that can help you land 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 and how you love your craft.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by practising common technical questions related to Platform Engineering and SRE practices. We recommend doing mock interviews with friends or using online platforms to get comfortable with the format.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive about their job search!
We think you need these skills to ace Staff Platform Engineer
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 your enthusiasm for problem-solving and collaboration.
Showcase Your Technical Skills:Don’t hold back on detailing your technical skills, especially in areas like Infrastructure as Code and observability. We love seeing specific examples of how you've implemented these in past roles, so be sure to include them!
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. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining our team!
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 around Infrastructure as Code tools like Terraform and CloudFormation. Brush up on your Kubernetes knowledge and be ready to discuss how you've implemented CI/CD pipelines in the past.
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills
Prepare examples of how you've tackled complex problems in previous roles. Focus on your experience with observability solutions and incident response. Be ready to explain your thought process and the outcomes of your actions.
✨Demonstrate Your Collaborative Spirit
Since the role involves working closely with clients and teams, highlight your experience in collaboration. Share stories that showcase your ability to listen, learn, and adapt to different domains while driving towards client outcomes.
✨Ask Insightful Questions
Prepare thoughtful questions about the company’s approach to platform engineering and their current challenges. This shows your genuine interest in the role and helps you understand if it’s the right fit for you.
