At a Glance
- Tasks: Design and run AWS-native infrastructure, mentor engineers, and shape platform engineering.
- Company: Fast-growing Data and AI company trusted by major financial institutions.
- Benefits: Work from home, competitive salary, and opportunities for leadership growth.
- Other info: Be part of an early-stage environment with real impact and career advancement.
- Why this job: Join a dynamic team and influence the future of platform engineering.
- Qualifications: Hands-on experience with AWS, Kubernetes, Terraform, and event-driven systems.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
A Series B-backed Data and AI company building a real-time intelligence platform, already trusted by major financial institutions and moving into public sector work. Growth is real and immediate: a live proof of value with a major financial services provider targeting a January go-live, and a government contract in the pipeline. This is early-stage, well-funded, and scaling fast.
This is a senior, hands-on Platform Engineer hire with a genuine path to Head of Platform as the business grows. You'd join as one of the first dedicated platform hires, taking full ownership of a contractor-run function and bringing it in-house, while helping shape what platform engineering looks like here for the next 18 months and beyond. You'd sit close to the founding team, with real influence over architecture and direction rather than a backlog to work through.
What you'll be doing:
- Designing and running AWS-native, event-driven infrastructure (think SQS, Kafka or similar), with Kubernetes, Terraform and modern CI/CD as your toolkit.
- Treating latency and scale as first principles: this platform needs to surface new data within minutes, ideally seconds, of it landing.
- Owning security and governance in practice: RBAC, secrets management, auditability and access control, working closely with engineering leadership.
- Building self-service tooling and golden paths that make life easier for the wider engineering team.
- Mentoring engineers and helping define what a platform function looks like as it grows.
What we're looking for:
- Strong hands-on experience with AWS, Kubernetes, Terraform (or equivalent IaC) and CI/CD pipelines.
- Real experience with event-driven or distributed systems, ideally Kafka, SQS or similar.
- A solid grasp of security and governance fundamentals: IAM, secrets management, least privilege.
- Comfortable operating with ambiguity in an early-stage environment, happy to define things as you go rather than wait for a fully scoped brief.
- More important than years of experience: you're hungry, ownership-minded, and want to grow into a leadership seat, not someone looking to coast on what they've already built elsewhere.
Nice to have:
- Experience in regulated environments (financial services, government, or similar).
- Previous experience leading or mentoring a team.
- Eligibility for UK security clearance.
How to apply:
This search is being run exclusively through Ocho. Get in touch directly with Andrew Harrison for a confidential conversation.
Skills: AWS, Kubernetes, Terraform, Kafka, CI/CD, Platform, DevOps
Benefits: Work From Home
Principal Platform Engineer in Belfast employer: Ocho
Join a dynamic and innovative digital consultancy that champions a remote-first work culture, offering exceptional benefits such as a competitive salary, generous annual leave, and a commitment to professional development. With a focus on quality and collaboration, you'll thrive in an environment that values your expertise and provides the autonomy to shape QA processes while working on complex, multi-component systems alongside a talented team in Northern Ireland.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal Platform Engineer in Belfast
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at Ocho or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to Ocho.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like Ocho.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like Ocho that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Principal Platform Engineer in Belfast
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at Ocho.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Ocho and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at Ocho
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If Ocho uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
