The Company
The Key is the country's most trusted provider of knowledge and know-how to education leaders determined to make a difference. We provide authoritative, up-to-the-minute sector intelligence, tools, services and resources that give leaders the knowledge to act.
The role
The Platform Engineer designs, operates, and continuously optimises the organisation's cloud-based platform to guarantee high reliability, scalability, and performance. Acting as an operational anchor and developer experience champion, the role automates critical engineering processes, drives system security, and embeds cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) agentic coding workflows. By managing core cloud infrastructure and proactive observability, the position enables seamless software delivery and minimises operational downtime across test and production environments.
Cloud Infrastructure & Architecture
Engineer, plan, and deliver scalable cloud infrastructure upgrades and optimisations using Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools
Continuously optimise the Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) and wider cloud environment to boost efficiency, performance, and overall system resilience
Incident Management & Observability
Own monitoring, alerting, and observability frameworks across production and test environments to proactively identify system defects
Lead incident response investigations, execute technical resolutions, and implement post-incident fixes to permanently prevent issue recurrence
Developer Experience & CI/CD Support
Build, maintain, and optimise software delivery and CI/CD pipelines to streamline deployment workflows
Troubleshoot and resolve complex operational issues for developers, actively seeking ways to enhance overall developer experience and efficiency
Automation & AI Tooling Integration
Automate manual, repetitive operational tasks to reduce technical debt and maximise organisational efficiency
Leverage AI agentic coding tools daily for incident investigation and operational automation, extending internal agent capabilities to benefit the broader engineering department
Platform Security & Compliance
Enforce robust security practices across the platform to safeguard infrastructure in line with industry standards
Foster a proactive culture of security awareness and risk mitigation within the engineering team
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Communicate platform changes, technical concepts, and updates clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
Coordinate complex operational projects across local and remote teams with high conscientiousness and structured self-organisation
Requirements
Key success indicators
Infrastructure availability and uptime across Google Cloud Platform services
Reduction in Mean Time to Detect (MTTD) and Mean Time to Resolve (MTTR) system incidents
Percentage of operational tasks automated and successfully integrated into AI agentic workflows
Measurable improvement in software delivery deployment frequency and CI/CD pipeline execution times
Developer satisfaction scores regarding internal platform reliability and developer tooling
Required Experience And Profile
Demonstrated proficiency with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tooling, preferably Terraform
Practical experience designing, operating, and managing Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) environments
Minimum of 2 years of hands‑on experience in designing and managing robust CI/CD platforms
Minimum of 2 years of experience using GitHub or equivalent version control systems
Genuine enthusiasm for working with AI coding agents and leveraging advanced automation tooling
Strong written and verbal communication skills tailored for technical and non‑technical audiences
High level of conscientiousness, self‑organisation, and ability to coordinate multi‑stakeholder projects locally and remotely
Desirable
Working knowledge of and exposure to the ISO27001 information security standard
Hands‑on knowledge of database platforms such as MongoDB and PostgreSQL
Deep technical understanding of containerisation technologies
Benefits
We place huge importance on caring for and developing our people. If you join us you can expect a good work‑life balance and the training and support you need to succeed in your role and continue to progress. We are a socially conscious company, but one that also likes to have fun. We offer a generous holiday allowance, flexible hours, buying and selling holiday, enhanced maternity pay, free breakfast, fruit, and drinks, regular socials and much more.
Platform Engineer in London employer: The Key Support Services
The Key is an exceptional employer in the Ed-tech sector, prioritising the well-being and development of its employees. With a strong focus on work-life balance, generous benefits including flexible hours and enhanced maternity pay, and a vibrant, socially conscious culture, The Key fosters an environment where innovation thrives and team members can grow both personally and professionally. Joining our team means being part of a mission-driven organisation that values collaboration and fun while making a significant impact in education.
