Principal Platform Engineer
London, UK (Hybrid)
Permanent | Full-time
Build platforms that power products used by millions
This is a senior, hands-on Principal Platform Engineer role at the heart of a global engineering organisation. You'll define platform strategy, influence technical direction at scale, and enable engineering teams to deliver faster, safer, and more reliably.
The mission is simple but ambitious: remove complexity for development teams by building world-class platform infrastructure that "just works".
You'll collaborate with senior engineers, architects, and technology leaders across multiple countries, shaping the future of a global platform used by high-traffic consumer products.
What You'll Do
* Define and drive platform strategy, architecture, and technical standards across teams
* Design and deliver end-to-end platform solutions that create real value for developers and SRE teams
* Champion innovation and modern engineering practices, influencing change at scale
* Partner closely with architects and external engineering teams to ensure alignment and delivery
* Build and strengthen the Principal Engineer community, providing technical leadership and mentorship
* Guide engineers in both technical excellence and career development
* Ensure security, reliability, data integrity, and governance across platform services
* Lead early-stage technical analysis and requirements definition before delivery begins
What You'll Bring
* Proven experience working with product-led, agile delivery teams
* Strong backend and platform engineering background, including:
* Kubernetes
* Cloud platforms (AWS preferred)
* Hands-on development experience with Golang and/or TypeScript
* Deep understanding of building highly available, highly reliable systems at scale
* Excellent communication skills — able to translate complex technical concepts for non-technical stakeholders
* Experience shaping requirements, documenting solutions, and influencing technical decisions
* Strong delivery experience, including:
* Writing user stories and acceptance criteria (BDD)
* Facilitating backlog refinement, planning, and estimation
* Maintaining technical documentation, APIs, and audit trails
* Prior experience in a Principal, Staff, or senior technical leadership role
* A collaborative mindset with the confidence to challenge, persuade, and lead through influence
Team & Environment
You'll join a globally distributed platform engineering organisation spanning London and multiple international locations. The platform you help build enables teams to deploy applications securely, operate them reliably, and scale efficiently.
London plays a key role in:
* Platform architecture and strategy
* Kubernetes-based PaaS development
* CI/CD automation
* Developer tooling and observability platforms
Ways of Working
* Hybrid working model: a balance of office collaboration and remote flexibility
* Inclusive, supportive culture with a strong focus on engineering-led delivery
* Emphasis on quality, innovation, and continuous improvement
What's On Offer
* Competitive salary and benefits package
* Generous pension contribution
* Private healthcare
* Employee discounts and reward programmes
* Clear progression and influence at senior technical level
Inclusion
Applications are encouraged from candidates of all backgrounds. Reasonable adjustments are available throughout the hiring process to ensure a fair and accessible experience.