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- Tasks: Lead the architecture and evolution of our enterprise API Platform using Azure, Kubernetes, and Terraform.
- Company: Join a forward-thinking tech company in London or Edinburgh with a hybrid work model.
- Benefits: Competitive contract rate, flexible working hours, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Why this job: Be at the forefront of cloud technology and make a significant impact on our API platform.
- Qualifications: 12+ years in cloud engineering, with strong expertise in Azure and Kubernetes.
- Other info: Dynamic team environment with a focus on innovation and collaboration.
The predicted salary is between 72000 - 108000 £ per year.
Location: London/ Edinburgh (Hybrid)
Job Type: Contract
Overview
We are seeking an experienced and highly technical API Platform Architect to lead the architecture, engineering, and continuous evolution of our enterprise API Platform. This role is fully hands-on, combining deep expertise in Azure cloud services, Kubernetes, Terraform, API security, and distributed systems with the ability to guide, review, and contribute to .NET Core API development practices. The architect will define and maintain the vision and standards for the platform while actively engaging in coding, troubleshooting, design reviews, and production support.
Key Responsibilities & Requirements
- Own the architecture, design, standards, patterns, and roadmap of the enterprise API Platform across Azure, AKS, APIM, networking, security, observability, and DevOps layers.
- Translate business, security, and domain requirements into scalable, secure, highly available platform architectures.
- Provide authoritative architectural guidance while remaining hands-on with implementation, debugging, optimisation, and reviews.
- Define and govern API standards, APIOps pipelines, lifecycle processes, platform SLAs/SLOs, and security enforcement.
- Extensive expert-level, hands-on experience with Azure services, including: AKS, APIM, Application Gateway, Front Door, Load Balancers, Event Hub, Azure SQL, Storage Account, ACR, Key Vault, VNets, Private Endpoints, Application Insights, Azure Monitor, Notification Hub, DNS, VMSS, App Configuration, and more.
- Architect multi-region active-active, blue/green, and zero-downtime deployments.
- Deep understanding of Azure networking, identity, private connectivity, and cost optimisation.
- Terraform & Infrastructure-as-Code
- Design, implement, and govern complex Terraform modules for Azure and Kubernetes using providers such as azurerm, azapi, kubernetes, helm.
- Ensure Terraform best practices, module versioning, automated validations, state management, and environment consistency.
- Drive platform provisioning automation and self-service capabilities.
- Kubernetes (AKS) Architecture & Operations
- Expert-level knowledge and hands-on experience with: AKS cluster architecture, node pools, workload identity, pod security, network policies, Ingress controllers, API gateways, service mesh, and traffic policy enforcement.
- Observability (Prometheus, Grafana), log pipelines, distributed tracing.
- High availability, cluster upgrades, autoscaling strategy, performance tuning.
- Lead advanced troubleshooting (pods, networking, DNS, controllers, storage, ingress).
- Deep hands-on expertise in APIM features including advanced policy writing, transformations, caching, throttling, JWT validation, OAuth2/OIDC, mTLS, IP filtering, client certificate handling.
- Design the end-to-end API lifecycle, including APIOps automation, environment promotion, deployment versioning, api backend health check frameworks, and rollback strategies.
- Implement API analytics, distributed tracing, alerts, performance tuning, and troubleshooting.
- Reliability Engineering & Platform Operations
- Lead root-cause analysis, high-severity incident resolution, and resilience improvements.
- Ensure uptime, performance, and reliability of APIs deployed in AKS and exposed via APIM.
- Define SLOs, latency budgets, retry strategies, and resilience patterns (circuit breaker, timeout patterns, queue-based ingestion).
- Implement auto-remediation, self-healing patterns, and fault-tolerant architecture.
- DevOps & Automation
- Own APIOps pipeline definition for APIM deployments, testing, API versioning, and documentation automation.
- Establish CI/CD pipelines for Terraform, .NET API builds, image scanning, SAST/DAST, compliance enforcement.
- Hands-On .NET Core API Integration & Code Reviews
- Review .NET Core API implementations to ensure correct API design, platform alignment, and cloud-native best practices.
- Provide architectural guidance for .NET API integrations with APIM, AKS, event-driven components, caching, and security layers.
- Analyse and optimise API performance, scalability, dependency injection usage, resiliency patterns, and distributed system design.
- Work with backend teams to ensure APIs are structured for observability, traceability, platform compatibility, and API governance.
- Occasionally step into the codebase to triage issues, debug complex integration problems, and provide code-level recommendations.
- Lead platform engineering discussions, architectural reviews, and technical deep dives.
- Mentor engineers in cloud-native architecture, Kubernetes, Terraform, API design, DevOps, and .NET integration patterns.
- Influence stakeholders across engineering, security, product, and operational teams.
- Take full ownership of delivery outcomes with a high sense of urgency and quality.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, Engineering, or related field with 12+ years of industry experience.
- Strongly preferred: Azure certifications (AZ-305/400), Kubernetes (CKA/CKAD/CKS), Terraform certifications.
- 7+ years in cloud engineering/architecture roles, including platform ownership and hands-on development/troubleshooting.
API Platform Architect (Azure, Kubernetes, Terraform, APIM, Infra background) employer: Insight International (UK) Ltd
Contact Detail:
Insight International (UK) Ltd Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land API Platform Architect (Azure, Kubernetes, Terraform, APIM, Infra background)
✨Tip Number 1
Network, network, network! Get out there and connect with people in the industry. Attend meetups, webinars, or even just grab a coffee with someone who’s already in the role you want. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings!
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio or GitHub repository showcasing your projects, especially those related to Azure, Kubernetes, and Terraform. This gives potential employers a taste of what you can do and sets you apart from the crowd.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by practising common technical questions and scenarios related to API architecture and cloud services. Don’t forget to brush up on your problem-solving skills, as hands-on coding challenges are often part of the process.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! We’re always on the lookout for talented individuals like you. Make sure to tailor your application to highlight your experience with Azure, Kubernetes, and API management to catch our eye.
We think you need these skills to ace API Platform Architect (Azure, Kubernetes, Terraform, APIM, Infra background)
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the API Platform Architect role. Highlight your experience with Azure, Kubernetes, and Terraform, and don’t forget to mention any relevant projects that showcase your hands-on skills.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you’re the perfect fit for this role. Talk about your passion for API architecture and how your background aligns with our needs at StudySmarter.
Showcase Your Technical Skills: In your application, be sure to highlight your technical expertise. Mention specific tools and technologies you’ve worked with, especially those listed in the job description, like APIM and .NET Core.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother process. It helps us keep track of your application and ensures you don’t miss out on any important updates from us!
How to prepare for a job interview at Insight International (UK) Ltd
✨Know Your Tech Stack Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in Azure, Kubernetes, and Terraform. Brush up on the specific services mentioned in the job description, like AKS and APIM. Being able to discuss your hands-on experience with these technologies will show that you’re not just familiar but truly capable.
✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that ask you to solve real-world problems related to API architecture and cloud services. Think about past projects where you’ve had to troubleshoot or optimise systems. Be ready to explain your thought process and the decisions you made.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As an architect, you’ll need to guide teams and influence stakeholders. Prepare examples of how you’ve led discussions, mentored engineers, or driven architectural changes in previous roles. Highlight your ability to communicate complex ideas clearly.
✨Demonstrate a Hands-On Approach
This role is all about being hands-on, so be prepared to discuss your coding practices and how you stay involved in implementation. Bring examples of code reviews or troubleshooting sessions you’ve led, and be ready to dive into technical details during the interview.
