Principal Platform Engineer (AWS DevOps) in Liverpool

Principal Platform Engineer (AWS DevOps) in Liverpool

Liverpool Full-Time 72000 - 88000 £ / year (est.) No working from home possible
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At a Glance

  • Tasks: Shape and evolve cloud infrastructure, improve CI/CD pipelines, and solve complex platform challenges.
  • Company: Join the innovative team at Very, dedicated to helping families get more out of life.
  • Benefits: Enjoy flexible working, 30 days holiday, and a £1,000 benefits allowance.
  • Other info: Inclusive culture with excellent career growth opportunities and support for diverse backgrounds.
  • Why this job: Make a real impact on engineering practices and enhance developer experience.
  • Qualifications: Experience in cloud infrastructure, automation, and strong troubleshooting skills.

The predicted salary is between 72000 - 88000 £ per year.

We're the team behind digital retailer Very. Our purpose, helping families get more out of life, powers everything we do.

About the role

At Very, great engineering doesn't happen by accident. It's built on strong foundations, smart tooling and platforms that make it easier to move fast and do things right. As a Principal Platform Engineer, you'll shape the platforms that hundreds of engineers rely on every day. You'll be designing and evolving the core platform that underpins our engineering ecosystem. You'll have the space to experiment, the backing to introduce better ways of working and the influence to raise the bar for engineering across the business.

What you will work on:

  • Shape and evolve our cloud infrastructure so it's secure, scalable and built for reuse.
  • Make it easier for engineers to build and release by improving CI/CD pipelines and automation.
  • Reduce friction and manual effort by introducing smarter tooling and eliminating toil.
  • Solve complex platform challenges and guide teams through them with practical, hands-on support.
  • Connect systems, platforms and services so they work seamlessly together.
  • Spot opportunities to improve performance, reliability and developer experience and make them happen.
  • Champion modern engineering practices and help teams adopt them with confidence.

About You

You're someone who enjoys getting underneath the surface of complex systems and figuring out how to make them work better. You're comfortable balancing hands-on engineering with bigger-picture thinking, and you naturally look for ways to improve how things are done.

  • Strong troubleshooting skills and a curiosity for how systems behave in the real world.
  • Experience working with cloud infrastructure, automation and configuration management.
  • A solid background in scripting or programming, whether that's Java, Python, Bash or similar.
  • Confidence working across Linux environments, networking fundamentals and integrated systems.
  • An understanding of CI/CD and version control, and how they come together to support great delivery.
  • Experience working in complex environments where scale, reliability and dependencies really matter.

Some of our benefits:

  • Flexible, hybrid working model.
  • Inclusive culture and environment.
  • 1,000 flexible benefits allowance to suit your needs.
  • 30 days holiday + bank holidays.
  • Up to 25% discount on Very.co.uk.
  • Matched pension up to 6%.

How to apply

Please note that the talent acquisition team are managing this vacancy directly, and if successful in securing this role, you will be required to undertake a credit, CIFAS, Right to Work checks and if a specific requirement of your role a DBS (criminal records) check. Our Talent Acquisition team will be in touch if you're successful so keep an eye on your emails! For this role after meeting our Talent Acquisition Team you can expect a 2 stage process.

  • First Stage - A Technical Interview - likely to be on Teams.
  • Second Stage - Behavioural Interview, this interview focuses more on your softer skills, how you like to work as part of a Software Engineering Team (60 minutes onsite).

If you'd like to know more about our interviews, you can find out here.

Diversity, inclusion and equal opportunities

We're building a culture of everyday inclusion, and welcome applications from anyone who believes they can do the job. We don't discriminate based on age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. We're proud to be a Disability Confident Committed Employer and have nine brilliant colleague networks - including DAWN (Disability Awareness at Very) and Think (Neurodiversity at Very) - that are helping us make Very an even more inclusive place to work.

Principal Platform Engineer (AWS DevOps) in Liverpool employer: The Very Group

The Very Group is an exceptional employer that fosters a collaborative and innovative work culture, perfect for aspiring finance professionals. Located in the vibrant East Midlands, we offer comprehensive employee growth opportunities, including training and development programmes, alongside competitive benefits that support work-life balance. Join us to be part of a dynamic team where your contributions directly impact our financial success and operational excellence.

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Contact Details:

The Very Group Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land Principal Platform Engineer (AWS DevOps) in Liverpool

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 The Very Group 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 The Very Group.

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 The Very Group.

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 The Very Group 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 (AWS DevOps) in Liverpool

Cloud Infrastructure
CI/CD Pipelines
Automation
Configuration Management
Scripting
Java
Python

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 The Very Group.

Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at The Very Group 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 The Very Group

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 The Very Group 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.