Job Description

Platform Engineer - DevOps Specialist

Rate: £558 per day (Inside IR35)

Location: Portsmouth (Hybrid - 2 days every other week on site, remainder remote)

Contract: 6 months+

Clearance: Active SC Security Clearance required

Overview

We are seeking a Platform Engineer / DevOps Specialist to join a highly secure and complex engineering environment, supporting the modernisation and maturity uplift of critical platforms operating across both AWS and Azure. This role sits at the intersection of hands-on DevOps engineering and technical leadership (approx. 60/40 split) - where you will guide direction, lead on platform evolution, and still actively contribute to delivery.

Key Responsibilities

Design, build and maintain CI/CD pipelines in a DevSecOps environment

Drive automation across infrastructure, deployment, and platform operations

Work hands-on with Kubernetes, Docker, and containerised workloads

Support and evolve platforms across AWS and Azure environments

Implement secure development practices, including security scanning and compliance controls

Contribute to platform modernisation and maturity uplift across two environments at different stages

Operate within air-gapped and restricted access environments (including ITAR and special access considerations)

Integrate and support AI/ML models within platform architecture (core requirement)

Provide technical leadership while remaining hands-on with delivery

Essential Skills & Experience

Strong experience in DevOps / Platform Engineering roles within enterprise or secure environments

Proven expertise in:

CI/CD pipeline development and automation

Kubernetes and Docker

Bash / Linux / Python scripting

Infrastructure automation and containerisation

Experience working within DevSecOps practices including security scanning and compliance tooling

Experience with AWS and/or Azure cloud platforms

Strong understanding of DevOps culture and modern engineering practices

Experience supporting platform modernisation or legacy-to-modern migrations

Desirable Experience

Apache Kafka

AI/ML model integration within platform environments

Exposure to ITAR / defence / highly regulated systems

Experience operating in environments with multiple maturity levels across platforms

Role Focus

This is a hybrid engineering/leadership position (SFIA level ~6) where you will:

Lead technical direction and platform evolution

Support and guide engineering teams

Remain actively involved in hands-on engineering delivery