Platform Engineer - Azure Kubernetes Service

About the Role

This role is a 12-month fixed-term contract based in London, requiring hybrid work with 2 days per week onsite. The employer is a distinguished organisation engaged in delivering an advanced cloud-native platform that supports AI, automation, and integration services in a large-scale enterprise.

The position offers a salary up to £61,000, an exceptional pension plan, and a generous holiday allowance. It represents a unique chance to join a greenfield engineering initiative, playing an essential role in designing a Kubernetes platform on Microsoft Azure, employing contemporary DevOps and platform engineering methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and upgrade the Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) platform used by diverse teams including application, AI, and integration engineers.
• Oversee cloud infrastructure through Terraform and Infrastructure as Code techniques.
• Create and manage GitOps continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines.
• Handle Kubernetes networking components, service meshes, and gateway technologies.
• Support system observability using tools such as Grafana, Prometheus, and OpenTelemetry.
• Ensure platform security, dependability, and drive automation improvements.
• Engage in incident response and foster continuous enhancement of platform capabilities.
• Work closely with architects and engineering teams to promote and implement platform best practices.

Candidate Profile

• Proven expertise with Kubernetes and cloud-native platform engineering.
• Hands-on experience with Microsoft Azure, particularly Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS).
• Competence in Terraform and managing infrastructure as code.
• Familiarity with Docker, GitOps, and constructing CI/CD pipelines.
• Proficient in Linux environments and Bash scripting.
• Knowledge of observability tools such as Grafana, Prometheus, and OpenTelemetry.
• Experience with Kubernetes networking and service mesh technologies.
• Capability in production platform operations and troubleshooting.

Desirable additional skills include:

• Cilium and Istio for service mesh and networking.
• Experience with ArgoCD or Flux for GitOps.
• Working knowledge of Kafka or Redpanda messaging platforms.
• Familiarity with Helm and Kustomize for Kubernetes packaging.
• Python scripting for automation purposes.
• Understanding of Policy as Code frameworks such as OPA/Gatekeeper or Kyverno.

Benefits and Working Conditions

• Competitive salary up to £61,000.
• Highly generous pension scheme.
• Excellent vacation entitlement.
• Hybrid work model with two days per week in London office.
• Opportunity to influence the design and development of a new cloud-native platform.
• Work with modern technologies in Azure and Kubernetes environments.
• Collaborative and high-performance engineering culture.
• Engagement in a long-term transformative strategic program with career growth prospects.