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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the design and evolution of a cutting-edge cloud platform for education.
- Company: Join a forward-thinking tech company focused on transforming education through technology.
- Benefits: Attractive salary, flexible working options, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Why this job: Be at the forefront of AI-driven cloud solutions that make a real difference.
- Qualifications: Extensive experience in platform engineering and deep knowledge of Kubernetes and cloud architecture.
- Other info: Dynamic role with significant impact on developer experience and operational excellence.
The predicted salary is between 72000 - 108000 £ per year.
The Principal Platform Engineer is the technical and architectural leader for a large-scale, education-focused cloud platform. This role defines and evolves an AI-first, cloud-native Internal Developer Platform (“Golden Path”) that enables global product teams to deliver secure, reliable SaaS solutions at speed. The platform is treated as a product, optimised for developer experience, automation, security, and operational excellence.
Key Objectives
- Platform as a Product: Design and govern a standardised, self-service Internal Developer Platform that abstracts infrastructure complexity.
- Architecture & Delivery: Establish enterprise Infrastructure-as-Code and CI/CD standards across a complex cloud environment.
- Security by Design: Embed automated, non-bypassable security and compliance controls into platforms and pipelines.
- Observability: Own global observability standards to enable proactive monitoring, incident response, and service visibility.
Technical Environment
- Cloud: Azure (primary), with AWS and hybrid/on-prem exposure
- IaC: Terraform, Bicep
- Containers: Kubernetes / managed Kubernetes
- CI/CD: Azure DevOps, TeamCity, Octopus Deploy
- Observability: Datadog and native cloud tooling
- Data: SQL Server, MySQL
Responsibilities
- Own the architectural roadmap for platform tooling, CI/CD, and observability.
- Design self-healing systems and standardised Golden Paths that eliminate manual operations.
- Act as the senior authority for platform and cloud architecture decisions.
- Lead cloud migrations and infrastructure modernisation initiatives.
- Embed security, compliance, resilience, and FinOps practices by default.
- Advise Engineering Leads and Managers on platform standards and strategy.
- Continuously improve developer experience, delivery velocity, and platform reliability.
- Research and introduce emerging technologies, including AI-driven operations.
Success Measures
- 3 months: Unified observability standards, architectural discovery, and risk assessment.
- 6 months: Flagship product migrated to target architecture; reusable IaC patterns delivered.
- 12 months: Fully self-service developer platform with measurable DORA and stability improvements.
Experience & Skills
- Essential: Senior leadership experience in platform engineering within large-scale SaaS environments.
- Deep Kubernetes and cloud-native architecture expertise.
- Mastery of Terraform and Bicep.
- Proven delivery of complex cloud migrations.
- Strong security, compliance, and vulnerability management background.
- Experience applying AI-assisted automation across the SDLC.
- Desirable: AI/ML applied to observability or operations.
- DORA metrics and developer experience optimisation.
- FinOps and cloud cost optimisation.
- Designing resilient, highly available data platforms.
Principal Platform Engineer in Birmingham employer: Shaw Daniels Solutions
Contact Detail:
Shaw Daniels Solutions Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal Platform Engineer in Birmingham
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in your industry on LinkedIn or at meetups. We all know that sometimes it’s not just what you know, but who you know that can get you in the door.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio or GitHub repo showcasing your projects and contributions. We want to see your work in action, especially when it comes to cloud-native architecture and CI/CD.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for those interviews! Research common questions for Principal Platform Engineers and practice your answers. We recommend focusing on your experience with Terraform, Kubernetes, and security practices.
✨Tip Number 4
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 genuinely interested in joining our mission.
We think you need these skills to ace Principal Platform Engineer in Birmingham
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV speaks directly to the role of Principal Platform Engineer. Highlight your experience with cloud platforms, Kubernetes, and any relevant projects that showcase your leadership in platform engineering.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about education technology and how your skills align with our mission at StudySmarter. Be genuine and let your personality come through.
Showcase Your Technical Skills: Don’t just list your skills; demonstrate them! Include specific examples of how you've used Terraform, Bicep, or CI/CD tools in past roles. This will help us see your hands-on experience and problem-solving abilities.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Shaw Daniels Solutions
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in the technologies mentioned in the job description, especially Azure, Kubernetes, Terraform, and Bicep. Brush up on your knowledge of cloud-native architecture and be ready to discuss how you've applied these in past projects.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a Principal Platform Engineer, you'll need to demonstrate senior leadership experience. Prepare examples of how you've led teams or projects, particularly in large-scale SaaS environments. Highlight your ability to advise and influence engineering leads and managers.
✨Emphasise Security and Compliance
Security is a big deal in this role, so be prepared to discuss how you've embedded security practices into platforms and pipelines. Share specific instances where you've managed vulnerabilities or ensured compliance in your previous work.
✨Talk About Developer Experience
The role focuses on optimising developer experience, so think about how you've improved delivery velocity and platform reliability in the past. Be ready to share metrics or outcomes that demonstrate your impact on developer satisfaction and efficiency.
