Head of Platform Engineering

Key Responsibilities

Platform Strategy & Leadership:

• Collaborate closely with the CTO and key stakeholders to co-create and align on a unified technical vision for a shared platform that empowers diverse product engineering teams
• Evangelise platform best practices and ensure adoption across the Technology department
• Lead and empower your team to be collectively recognised as the go-to experts in front-end (mobile and web), network, infrastructure, developer experience tools and security, both within the organisation and across cross-functional infrastructure guilds

Design & Implementation:

• Own the shared platform vision implementation strategy.
• Architect and build a common platform integrating our mobile and web digital channels, public cloud infrastructure, third-party services, and proprietary in-house tools
• Lead the design and evolution of public cloud networks to securely deliver banking services
• Identify opportunities to introduce new shared services by evaluating external solutions and/or building custom in-house services
• Champion, protect and evolve shared engineering culture
• Maintain and evolve engineering principles and practises in line with Product engineering

Security & Compliance:

• Oversee the implementation and continuous improvement of secure development tools and processes in line with the InfoSec roadmap
• Ensure that the platform meets all relevant security and compliance standards, integrating industry best practices and automated security tooling (e.g., IAM, RBAC, SIEM, IaC scanning, IDS/IPS)

Operational Excellence:

• Own the maintenance and evolution of existing shared services, ensuring robust observability, reliability, and performance
• Champion the automation and abstraction of infrastructure dependencies to streamline product delivery
• Play a technical leadership role in the most complex and demanding projects, balancing strategic oversight with hands-on engineering involvement

Team Leadership & Stakeholder Management:

• Recruit, mentor, and grow a high-performing organisation of platform and security engineers
• Engage with senior stakeholders to manage demand, prioritise initiatives, and communicate technical architectures and roadmaps effectively to Executive and Director-level audiences
• Drive cross-functional collaboration, ensuring that platform engineering efforts are aligned with broader organisational goals

Qualification & Requirements

Strategic & Technical Leadership:

• Proven track record in designing, implementing, and operating cloud-based platforms at scale
• Ability to define and communicate complex technical architectures and processes in a clear, accessible manner
• Experience in both hands-on engineering and high-level strategic leadership, especially in environments with a “cloud-first” mindset

Cloud & Infrastructure Expertise:

• Deep hands-on experience with AWS and GCP cloud services and a strong practical understanding of cloud-based infrastructure
• Expertise in Infrastructure as Code (preferably Terraform), CI/CD pipelines, test-driven development, and automation tools
• Familiarity with modern process automation, including event-driven and RESTful architectures

Security & Compliance skills:

• Solid background in cloud security architecture, with practical experience deploying and automating security tools and processes
• Ability to lead the implementation of secure development practices that align with organisational compliance requirements
• Relevant network or security certifications (e.g., CSSP, AWS CSA, CSOA) are a plus

Communication & Stakeholder Management:

• Demonstrated ability to manage senior stakeholders and build consensus across diverse teams
• Skilled in presenting technical roadmaps and strategic initiatives to Executive and Director-level audiences
• Strong problem-solving skills and a commitment to developing efficient, repeatable solutions to complex challenges

Benefits

• 35 total days holiday (25 annual leave, 8 bank holidays, 1 Kroo bank holiday [June 24th], and 1 day off during the week of your birthday)
• 3 personal health days
• An employer-sponsored volunteer programme (up to 4 hours per month supported by our partner Matchable)
• All equipment you need to work remotely effectively, with a MacBook Pro as standard
• Access to our modern, bustling office in Farringdon, Central London
• Access to our Cycle to Work scheme
• Access to our Electric Car scheme
• An enhanced parental leave policy
• Room to grow and excel within a fast-paced, high growth start-up