Platform Engineer (Kubernetes)

Darktrace; Town Of Cambridge; Hybrid; AUD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Job summary

Darktrace, a global leader in AI-driven cybersecurity, seeks a Platform Engineer in R&D to design, build, and maintain the Kubernetes-based infrastructure that powers our software teams. This hands-on role focuses on tooling, automation, reliability, and scalable cloud-native platforms.

The position is hybrid with 2 days per week in the Cambridge office; you will collaborate with development teams, implement CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure as code, and embed security into platform design while

Qualifications

• Strong Kubernetes experience with 2+ years in production
• Familiarity with Terraform and CloudFormation
• Good understanding of networking and security principles
• Ability to analyze logs and detect patterns in behaviour

Responsibilities

• Run and evolve Kubernetes platform across environments for reliable, scalable deployments
• Support dev teams in optimising public cloud usage
• Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines to accelerate delivery
• Embed security controls into platform design and promote best practices
• Coordinate changes across components with cross-team collaboration

Skills

Troubleshooting

Problem solving

Communication

English proficiency

Tools

Kubernetes

Terraform

CloudFormation

GitHub Actions

GitLab CI

Jenkins

Prometheus

Grafana

OpenTelemetry

GitOps

Job description

Darktrace is a global leader in AI-driven cybersecurity, helping organizations stay ahead of evolving threats every day.

Darktrace was built on a genuinely differentiated idea: that Adaptive AI could detect and respond to novel, real-time cyber threats. That approach matters more than ever in the era of AI. Today, our customers depend on us to stay ahead.

At Darktrace, we are energized by that responsibility. We work across teams and rally around a shared goal. We own outcomes end to end - step in, step up and see things through without waiting to be asked. We make decisions with urgency, say the hard thing, and hold each other to high standards with care and directness. We move first and learn fast anticipating where our customers are going next, continuously challenging ourselves.

We invest in the skills, learning and opportunities that help people deliver at the level their roles demand, and reward the aptitude and curiosity to grow beyond them.

Our Values: Own It | Win as One | Raise Our Bar | Move First. Learn Fast

Job Description

As a Platform Engineer in R&D, you'll join the Platform Team to design, build, and maintain the foundational infrastructure, tooling, and automation that product teams rely on to develop and deliver software efficiently. This is a hands‑on role, if you enjoy making developers' lives easier through great tooling, automation, and rock‑solid Kubernetes‑based infrastructure, we'd love to hear from you.

Please note this is a hybrid positions, and would require 2 days per week in the Cambridge office.

What will I be doing

You will be responsible for running and evolving our Kubernetes platform across multiple environments, ensuring applications are deployed reliably at scale. Your deep experience with container orchestration and cloud‑native tooling will be central to everything you do. You will support development teams in optimising their use of public cloud resources and assist with the transition of new applications to production. Additionally, you will be responsible for:

• Collaborating with development teams to ensure infrastructure meets their requirements while promoting scalable, cloud‑native application practices,
• Operating and improving Kubernetes clusters day‑to‑day, with a focus on reliability, observability, and performance,
• Building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines to accelerate software delivery,
• Driving infrastructure‑as‑code practices using tools like Terraform or CloudFormation,
• Staying current with the cloud‑native ecosystem, introducing pragmatic solutions to the team, and addressing operational challenges through automation,
• Embedding security into platform design and coaching other teams on best practices,
• Designing solutions and services with security controls engineered to mitigate threats,
• Managing service components to ensure they meet business needs and key performance indicators,
• Liaising with other team members to coordinate changes across components

What experience do I need

You should have strong Kubernetes experience, at least two years operating, troubleshooting, and scaling clusters in production environments. You should be comfortable with networking, storage, RBAC, and workload scheduling. Familiarity with infrastructure provisioning tools such as Terraform and CloudFormation, along with Infrastructure as Code methodologies, is important. A good understanding of networking and security principles is crucial, as is the ability to solve problems and analyse patterns in behaviour and logs.

Additional qualifications include:

• Experience with continuous integration systems such as GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, and Jenkins,
• Proficiency in working with source control systems,
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with fluency in English both in written and verbal forms.

Nice to have

• Scripting or programming ability (Python, Bash, Go, or similar) — useful for building tooling and automation but not a prerequisite,
• Experience with observability stacks (Prometheus, Grafana, OpenTelemetry),
• Familiarity with service mesh, GitOps workflows, or platform‑as‑a‑product thinking.

As a growing business strengthening its governance and controls, this role plays a part in supporting high standards of integrity and accountability.

Darktrace is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran or military status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Darktrace is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with applicable laws. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in the application or interview process, please contact your Talent Partner.