At a Glance
- Tasks: Design and build secure cloud platforms while mentoring engineers and influencing engineering standards.
- Company: Join a leading tech firm driving national-scale digital services.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, hybrid working, and clear career progression opportunities.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with a vibrant Platform Engineering community.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on complex cloud challenges and shape the future of platform engineering.
- Qualifications: Strong experience in AWS, Kubernetes, and CI/CD automation required.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
Salary: £90,000 - £110,000 + benefits
Location: UK Wide Hybrid Working
Offices: Bristol, Woking, Worthing, St Paul's London
Security Clearance: SC cleared or SC eligible required. Up to 6 days per month in office.
We are supporting a major Platform Engineering growth programme delivering secure, cloud-native platforms across some of the UK's largest and most complex technology environments. These platforms underpin critical digital services used at a national scale, supporting modern engineering teams working across cloud, data, security, automation and public sector transformation.
This opportunity is aimed at experienced Platform Engineers, Technical Leads, Principal Engineers and strong Platform SMEs who have operated at scale and wish to influence how large organisations build, deploy and operate software. You will remain hands-on while having genuine influence over platform direction, engineering standards, governance, reliability and developer experience.
What you'll be doing:
- Design, build and improve secure cloud platforms, internal developer platforms and reusable engineering capabilities across complex client environments.
- Design secure multi-account AWS landing zones and cloud platforms.
- Build internal developer platforms and self-service capabilities.
- Design and operate production-grade Kubernetes platforms, including EKS, AKS or OpenShift.
- Define engineering standards, golden paths, reusable modules and platform patterns.
- Build observability strategies using Prometheus, Grafana, OpenTelemetry and modern APM tooling.
- Improve reliability through SLOs, incident reviews and Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) practices.
- Embed DevSecOps, supply-chain security and secure CI/CD practices.
- Drive cloud-native modernisation and legacy transformation.
- Support FinOps and cloud optimisation across large estates.
- Lead design reviews, technical workshops and mentor engineers.
- Collaborate closely with architects, engineering teams and senior stakeholders to solve complex platform challenges.
What we're looking for:
- Strong experience across several of the following areas:
- AWS cloud platforms.
- Kubernetes, ideally EKS, AKS or OpenShift.
- Terraform or Infrastructure as Code (IaC).
- CI/CD automation.
- GitOps tools such as ArgoCD or Flux.
- Internal Developer Platforms or self-service engineering.
- Observability tools including Prometheus, Grafana, OpenTelemetry, ELK, Datadog, Dynatrace or New Relic.
- DevSecOps and supply-chain security.
- SRE practices, SLOs, SLIs and incident management.
- Platform governance, cloud standards or landing zones.
- FinOps and cost optimisation.
We are particularly interested in candidates who have worked in large-scale enterprise, financial services, telecoms, retail, defence, public sector, travel, media or other highly regulated environments. This role could suit a technical lead, a hands-on architect, a senior platform engineer ready to progress, or a deep SME in Kubernetes, AWS, observability, cloud platforms or developer enablement.
Why this role?
- Work on genuinely national-scale digital services.
- Join a strong Platform Engineering community.
- Solve complex cloud and reliability challenges.
- Influence engineering direction rather than simply delivering requirements.
- Remain hands-on while operating at a senior level.
- Clear progression into Lead, Principal or Architecture career pathways.
Locations
Principal Platform Engineer in Bath, Somerset employer: SF Partners Admin
As a Principal Platform Engineer, you will join a dynamic and innovative team dedicated to delivering secure, cloud-native platforms that support critical digital services across the UK. With a strong emphasis on employee growth, our hybrid working model allows for flexibility while fostering collaboration in our vibrant offices located in Bristol, Woking, Worthing, and St Paul's London. We prioritise a culture of mentorship and influence, providing opportunities to shape engineering standards and drive modernisation in a supportive environment that values your expertise.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal Platform Engineer in Bath, Somerset
✨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 SF Partners Admin 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 SF Partners Admin.
✨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 SF Partners Admin.
✨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 SF Partners Admin 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 Bath, Somerset
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 SF Partners Admin.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at SF Partners Admin 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 SF Partners Admin
✨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 SF Partners Admin 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.
