At a Glance
- Tasks: Ensure platform stability and security while collaborating with cross-functional teams.
- Company: Join Barbour, a global leader in business platforms with a focus on innovation.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, healthcare plan, staff discounts, and generous holiday allowance.
- Other info: Dynamic work environment with opportunities for professional growth and development.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by enhancing critical business processes and driving operational excellence.
- Qualifications: Degree in Computer Science or equivalent experience; expertise in Microsoft platforms required.
The predicted salary is between 45000 - 55000 € per year.
The Platform Engineer is responsible for the stability, security, resilience, and operational integrity of Barbour's core business platforms. These platforms underpin critical business processes, data flows, reporting, and operational decision‑making across the global organisation. The role focuses on platform reliability, controlled change, and service continuity, ensuring systems are supportable, recoverable, and scalable in line with business needs.
Responsibilities
- Location: Based at head office in South Shields, with an expectation of 4 days in the office and 1 day of home-working.
- Platform Reliability & Operations: Proactively identify and address performance, capacity, and availability risks while leading incident investigations and root cause analysis.
- Engineering Standards: Design, implement, and maintain secure, resilient platform configurations in line with vendor best practices and internal policies.
- Change & Quality Control: Ensure platform changes are safely reviewed, tested, and deployed, including rollback and recovery approaches.
- Security & Governance: Implement secure access controls using least‑privilege principles and support compliance with standards such as GDPR and PCI‑DSS.
- Environment Management: Promote consistency between development, test, and production environments using source control and structured deployment methods.
- Monitoring & Recovery: Ensure effective logging and alerting is in place; define and test backup and recovery processes and contribute to disaster recovery planning.
- Collaboration: Work closely with application, data, and BI teams to ensure platforms meet business needs and maintain documentation to reduce single‑person dependency.
Qualifications
- Degree in Computer Science (or equivalent experience) and relevant certifications in Microsoft platform administration (Azure, SQL Server) or infrastructure technologies.
- Platform Expertise: Demonstrable experience supporting business‑critical platforms, specifically the administration and optimization of Microsoft SQL Server environments.
- Data Integration: Experience building and maintaining data integration pipelines using SSIS and a working knowledge of SSRS and Power BI.
- Technical Proficiency: Experience with scripting and automation (PowerShell, SQL, Python) and familiarity with SQL code quality tools like SQL Prompt.
- Operational Excellence: Proven ability to diagnose complex incidents, manage controlled change processes, and implement technical security controls.
- Communication: Ability to explain technical risks to non‑technical stakeholders and work effectively within cross‑functional teams.
Benefits
- Discretionary Company bonus scheme
- Staff discount
- Staff shop
- Healthcare cash plan
- 25 days holiday as standard increasing with length of service
Platform Engineer employer: J Barbour & Sons Ltd
Barbour is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment in South Shields where innovation meets collaboration. With a strong focus on employee growth, we provide opportunities for professional development alongside a comprehensive benefits package that includes a discretionary bonus scheme, healthcare cash plan, and generous holiday allowance. Our culture promotes work-life balance with flexible working arrangements, ensuring that our team members thrive both personally and professionally.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Platform Engineer
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in the industry, attend meetups, and connect with people on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can refer you directly.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio or GitHub repository showcasing your projects, especially those related to platform reliability and data integration. This gives potential employers a taste of what you can do beyond your CV.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by brushing up on common technical questions and scenarios related to platform engineering. Practice explaining complex concepts in simple terms, as you'll need to communicate effectively with non-technical stakeholders.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive about their job search!
We think you need these skills to ace Platform Engineer
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV speaks directly to the role of Platform Engineer. Highlight your experience with Microsoft SQL Server and any relevant certifications. We want to see how your skills align with our needs!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about platform reliability and how your background makes you a perfect fit for us. Keep it concise but impactful!
Showcase Your Technical Skills:Don’t forget to mention your experience with scripting and automation tools like PowerShell and Python. We love seeing candidates who can demonstrate their technical proficiency in real-world scenarios.
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 J Barbour & Sons Ltd
✨Know Your Platforms
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of Microsoft SQL Server and Azure. Be ready to discuss your experience with these platforms, especially how you've ensured their reliability and security in past roles. This will show that you understand the core responsibilities of the Platform Engineer position.
✨Demonstrate Problem-Solving Skills
Prepare to share specific examples of how you've tackled performance or availability issues in previous jobs. Highlight your approach to incident investigations and root cause analysis, as this is crucial for the role. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers.
✨Showcase Your Collaboration Skills
Since the role involves working closely with various teams, be ready to discuss how you've collaborated with application, data, and BI teams in the past. Share examples of how you maintained documentation and reduced dependencies, which will demonstrate your ability to work effectively in a cross-functional environment.
✨Understand Security and Compliance
Familiarise yourself with GDPR and PCI-DSS standards, as well as secure access controls. Be prepared to explain how you've implemented security measures in your previous roles. This will show that you take security seriously and understand its importance in platform management.
