Senior Platform Engineer

About Our Client Our client is seeking an experienced Senior Platform Engineer to join their Professional Services team. This is a senior, client-facing position that offers the opportunity to lead the design and delivery of enterprise cloud platforms while acting as a trusted technical advisor to customers. The successful candidate will provide architectural leadership, drive technical decision-making, and mentor engineers throughout the delivery lifecycle. This role requires someone who can navigate complex technical challenges, translate business objectives into scalable cloud solutions, and build strong relationships with stakeholders across all levels of an organization. The client operates under a flexible work model but expects regular onsite collaboration at either their office or client locations for workshops, customer engagements, and internal collaboration sessions. Key Responsibilities Cloud Architecture & Platform Delivery Lead the design and implementation of scalable, secure, resilient, and cost-effective cloud platforms, primarily on Google Cloud Platform (GCP) - though there will be an initial project on Azure. Develop target-state architectures and provide technical leadership throughout project delivery. Translate business requirements into practical cloud solutions while balancing scalability, security, reliability, and cost. Infrastructure Automation & Cloud Operations Build and manage cloud infrastructure using Infrastructure as Code (IaC), primarily with Terraform and Cloud Deployment Manager. Automate the deployment, provisioning, and lifecycle management of cloud environments. Design platforms with high availability, fault tolerance, and disaster recovery capabilities. Optimize cloud environments through resource utilization analysis, rightsizing, and cost management initiatives. Engineering Excellence Establish and promote best practices across Infrastructure as Code, CI/CD, platform security, observability, and operational reliability. Lead post-incident reviews and implement long-term improvements to strengthen platform resilience. Drive continuous improvement and technical excellence across client engagements. Client Engagement & Consulting Facilitate discovery workshops and architecture discussions with both technical teams and executive stakeholders. Serve as a trusted advisor by providing strategic recommendations and guiding architectural decisions. Support pre-sales initiatives, including solution design, project scoping, effort estimation, and proposal development. Security & Compliance Implement security controls that protect cloud infrastructure and client data. Respond to security incidents, manage vulnerability remediation, and conduct ongoing risk assessments. Ensure cloud environments align with industry compliance standards such as GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI DSS where applicable. Production Support & Reliability Monitor cloud infrastructure using platforms such as Google Cloud Operations Suite and Prometheus. Lead root cause analysis for complex production issues and implement preventive measures to improve platform stability and reliability. Leadership & Mentorship Mentor and coach junior and mid-level engineers through technical guidance, code reviews, and design reviews. Contribute to recruitment activities through technical interviews. Foster a culture of continuous learning by encouraging certifications, knowledge sharing, and technical community participation. Qualifications Required Experience Minimum of 5 years' experience designing, building, and operating production cloud infrastructure. At least 3 years of hands-on experience with Google Cloud Platform, AWS, or Azure, with GCP strongly preferred . Proven experience delivering multiple enterprise cloud projects within consulting, professional services, or platform engineering environments. Technical Expertise Strong experience with cloud services including compute, networking, identity and access management (IAM), Kubernetes, and CI/CD technologies. Advanced proficiency with Terraform for Infrastructure as Code. Exposure to additional IaC technologies such as AWS CDK, Azure ARM/Bicep, Pulumi, OpenTofu, or CDKTF is advantageous. Production experience with Docker and Kubernetes (GKE, EKS, or AKS). Familiarity with Helm and Kustomize is considered a plus. Proficiency in Python, Go, Bash, or similar scripting languages. Strong understanding of Linux administration, cloud networking, infrastructure security, and enterprise platform operations. Experience conducting root cause analysis across distributed production environments. Experience administering enterprise operating systems including Ubuntu, RHEL, and Windows Server. Familiarity with configuration management tools such as Ansible, Chef, or Puppet. Google Cloud Professional certification, or active pursuit of one, is highly desirable. What the Client Is Looking For The ideal candidate will demonstrate: End-to-end ownership of cloud platform architecture and technical delivery. Strong consulting and stakeholder management skills with the ability to engage both technical and executive audiences. Sound technical judgment and the ability to make informed decisions in complex, fast-paced environments. Experience leading solution design, project estimation, and pre-sales activities. A passion for mentoring engineers and promoting engineering best practices. Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to simplify complex technical concepts for diverse audiences. Preferred Experience The client would be particularly interested in candidates with: Experience within highly regulated industries such as financial services, healthcare, or the public sector. Contributions to technical communities through speaking engagements, technical writing, open-source projects, or thought leadership. Experience supporting hiring initiatives, capability development, or engineering practice leadership. A current Google Cloud Professional certification.