Junior Platform Engineer

This is an exciting opportunity for a Junior Platform Engineer with 1–3 years of experience and a strong academic background in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, Artificial Intelligence, or another technology-focused discipline. You will join our Platform Engineering team, supporting the design, build, and operation of cloud-based platforms that underpin modern digital services.

This role is ideal for someone who:

• Enjoys solving technical problems and learning new technologies.
• Understands how technology can support business outcomes.
• Thrives in a fast-paced environment and is eager to develop new skills.
• Has a strong interest in cloud technologies, automation, AI, and modern engineering practices.

You will work alongside experienced engineers and consultants, gaining practical experience across cloud computing, DevOps, automation, observability, and security.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the design, deployment, and maintenance of scalable and secure cloud infrastructure.
• Assist in developing and maintaining CI/CD pipelines, automation scripts, and infrastructure-as-code solutions.
• Contribute to platform engineering initiatives, including developer tooling and internal developer platforms (IDP).
• Help monitor and improve system performance, reliability, and observability.
• Support security, compliance, identity, and access management activities.
• Collaborate with developers and consultants to integrate technical solutions into client environments.
• Assist with troubleshooting, incident response, and operational support tasks.
• Participate in innovation initiatives involving AI, automation, FinOps, and emerging technologies.
• Document technical processes and contribute to internal knowledge sharing.

Reliability & Ownership

• Takes responsibility for assigned tasks and demonstrates a proactive approach to learning and delivery.

Curiosity & Continuous Learning

• Enthusiastic about learning new tools, frameworks, and technologies.

Problem-Solving Mindset

• Analytical and logical approach to troubleshooting and technical challenges.

Business Awareness

• Understands that technology decisions impact cost, scalability, performance, and customer value.

Adaptability

• Comfortable working across a variety of technologies and changing priorities.

Process-Oriented Thinking

• Able to develop scalable frameworks and repeatable success models.

Exceptional Communication

• Clear, concise communication with stakeholders at all levels.

Drive for Excellence

• High standards for self and others, with a strong sense of purpose.

Emotional Intelligence

• Understands people, able to work within a team environment, collaborates well and navigates difficult conversations effectively.

Balancing Dual Priorities

• Comfortable working at pace, managing competing demands with discipline and focus.

Typical Career Pathways

This role provides an exceptional foundation for careers in:

• Platform or Cloud Engineering – Designing and managing high-performance cloud systems.
• DevOps or Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) – Building automation pipelines and improving operational reliability.
• Cybersecurity Engineering – Securing systems and networks through advanced tooling and policy design.
• AI & Automation Consulting – Leveraging AI and ML in platform optimisation and workflow automation.
• Technology Consulting – Advising clients on digital transformation strategies and technology investments.

At Lean Tree we aim to set a solid foundation for your career within 3-months of joining us, get you involved in client work within 6-months from which you will build your responsibilities and autonomy within the year. Structured pathways and relevant certifications to support career development. Typical projects are broad and varied with opportunities to get involved in cutting edge engineering with hands on experience in areas such as large-scale AI implementations in a real-world situation.

Experience

• Academic background in a relevant discipline.
• 1–3 years’ experience operating in one or more of the following areas: DevOps teams, cloud engineering, or cybersecurity within a commercial or industry environment.
• Commercial experience working with at least one major cloud platform such as AWS, Azure, or GCP.
• Hands-on experience supporting, deploying, or improving cloud infrastructure in live or pre-production environments.
• Working knowledge of Linux administration and familiarity with Windows-based environments where relevant.
• Practical scripting or programming experience using tools such as Python, Bash, PowerShell, or Go.
• Experience contributing to CI/CD pipelines, automation, or infrastructure as code.
• Working knowledge of observability and monitoring tools such as Prometheus, Grafana, ELK, or similar.
• Understanding of core security principles, including identity and access management, secrets handling, and secure configuration.
• Understanding of networking fundamentals, APIs, and service-to-service communication.
• Experience working collaboratively with engineers or cross-functional teams to troubleshoot issues, improve reliability, and support delivery.
• A clear interest in modern platform engineering practices, including automation, cloud-native tooling, and AI-enabled engineering productivity.
• Experience with tools such as Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, Git, Jenkins, or GitHub Actions.
• Exposure to microservices, containerised workloads, or serverless architectures.
• Experience supporting incident resolution, root cause analysis, or operational improvements.
• Contributions to internal platform tooling, developer experience, reusable components, or shared engineering standards.
• Participation in open-source, lab-based, or personal technical projects that demonstrate continued learning and hands-on capability.
• Exposure to regulated, security-conscious, or client-facing delivery environments.
• Practical use of AI tools or automation to improve engineering workflows, delivery speed, or operational efficiency.

Values Alignment

The successful candidate must consistently demonstrate behaviours that align with the company's core values:

• Teamwork – Works collaboratively, builds trust, and fosters an inclusive, high-performance culture.
• Adaptability – Navigates uncertainty, embraces change, and continuously seeks improvement.
• Drive – Takes ownership, delivers results, and thrives in a fast-paced, ambitious environment.
• Integrity – Acts with honesty, transparency, and ethical responsibility in all decisions.
• Commitment – Dedicated to the business vision, takes responsibility, and sees challenges through to completion and on time.

Reporting & Key Relationships

Reports to: Head of Practice and Engineering Lead

Key Internal Stakeholders: All teams within the organisation.

External Stakeholders: Assigned client reps

25 days holiday allowance (plus bank holidays)