At a Glance
- Tasks: Design and develop scalable platforms using AI, data, and cloud technologies.
- Company: Join M&S, a dynamic and inclusive leader in retail innovation.
- Benefits: Enjoy 20% discount, competitive holidays, bonuses, and wellbeing support.
- Other info: Be part of a diverse team driving change in the retail industry.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a cutting-edge tech environment while growing your skills.
- Qualifications: Strong experience with Azure, Databricks, and platform engineering.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
The Staff Platform Engineer role focuses on designing and developing scalable enterprise platforms with expertise in data, AI, and cloud technologies. This position collaborates across teams to deliver secure, efficient, and reusable solutions aligned with organizational standards. Requires strong experience with Microsoft Azure, Databricks, AI services, and infrastructure as code.
Responsibilities include:
- Design and build scalable platform capabilities spanning Azure infrastructure, Databricks, Data Lakes, data integration, AI services, APIs, and model hosting solutions aligned to enterprise architecture standards.
- Produce clear, high-quality technical designs and guide implementation, ensuring robustness, maintainability, and alignment to best practices.
- Develop and document reusable, platform-first components and services to enable consistency and accelerate delivery across teams.
- Drive optimisation across performance, scalability, and cost, leveraging automation and codified engineering practices.
- Collaborate across engineering, architecture, and product teams, clearly communicating technical concepts and continuously improving platform capabilities and ways of working.
Your skills and experience will include:
- You are a highly analytical and detail-oriented engineer, able to break down complex business and technical challenges into robust, scalable platform solutions, always thinking beyond individual use cases towards strategic platform capabilities.
- You have strong platform engineering experience across Microsoft technologies including Azure Data Services, Databricks Azure AI Foundry, Azure OpenAI, APIM, Event Hubs, Storage, Key Vault, Private Networking, Identity, Security, Monitoring, and Infrastructure as Code.
- You are a strong technical leader and solution designer, producing clear, well-structured designs, influencing technical direction, and establishing high standards for engineering excellence, reliability, and operational supportability.
- You are an excellent communicator, translating complex technical concepts into clear, compelling narratives for both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- You take ownership end-to-end, delivering high-quality, reliable solutions while driving reusability, optimisation, and automation through codified engineering practices.
What's in it for you:
- After completing your probationary period, you'll receive 20% colleague discount across all M&S products and many of our third-party brands for you and a member of your household.
- Competitive holiday entitlement with the potential to buy extra holiday days!
- Discretionary bonus schemes awarded based on how you achieve your personal objectives and our performance as a business.
- A generous Defined Contribution Pension Scheme and Life Assurance.
- A dedicated welcome to our teams with a tailored induction and a wide range of training programmes to develop your skills.
- Amazing perks and discounts via our M&S Choices portal to maximise your financial and personal wellbeing.
- Industry-leading parental, adoption and neonatal policies, providing support and flexibility for your family.
- Access to a fantastic range of wellbeing support for all colleagues including access to our 24/7 Virtual GP and PAM Assist to support you and your family.
- A charity volunteer day to support a charity or cause you're passionate about through a dedicated day away from work.
Everyone's welcome:
We are ambitious about the future of retail. We're disrupting, innovating and leading the industry into a more conscientious, inspiring digital era. We're transforming how we work together and offering our most exciting opportunities yet. Marks & Spencer strives to be an inclusive organisation, trusted and admired by our colleagues, customers and suppliers. Join us and make change happen. We are committed to building diverse and representative teams, where everyone can bring their whole selves to work and be at their best. We support each other and work together to win together. If you feel you'd benefit from any support or reasonable adjustments during any stage of the recruitment process, please don't hesitate to let us know when completing your application. This information will be picked up by our team, so we can try and put steps in place to help you be at your best through this process.
AI Platform Tech Lead employer: Marks and Spencer
Marks and Spencer is an exceptional employer that fosters a culture of innovation and collaboration, particularly within the Corporate HR technology team. Employees benefit from a supportive environment that prioritises professional growth and development, alongside competitive remuneration and benefits. Working in a dynamic location, you will have the opportunity to lead impactful projects that enhance the colleague experience throughout their journey with the company.
