Principal Platform Engineering

Manulife; Southwestern Ontario; Hybrid; CAD 126,000 - 236,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial services provider in Ontario is seeking a Principal Platform Engineer to define technical strategy and lead the evolution of core platform services. The ideal candidate will possess over 12 years of software engineering experience, with expertise in cloud-native architectures and strong skills in Kubernetes and Docker. This role entails mentoring teams and driving innovation across financial applications. The position offers a hybrid working arrangement with a competitive salary ranging from $126,600 to $235,300 CAD, alongside comprehensive benefits.

Benefits

Health and dental insurance

Wellness benefits

Retirement savings plans

Generous paid time off program

Qualifications

• 12+ years in software engineering with a focus on platform/infrastructure.
• Strong skills in Kubernetes, Docker, CI/CD, and automation frameworks.
• Deep knowledge of backend technologies and experience with data-intensive systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead the evolution of core platform services and developer experience.
• Drive innovation and mentor engineering teams.
• Define technical strategy for high-performance solutions.

Skills

Cloud-native architectures (AWS, Azure, or GCP)

Kubernetes

Docker

CI/CD

Automation frameworks

Backend technologies

Python

Scala

DevOps principles

Infrastructure as Code

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or similar

Tools

Open-source technologies

Distributed cloud platforms

Job description

We’re looking for a Principal Platform Engineer ing to lead the evolution of our core platform services and shape the future of developer experience. In this role, you’ll define technical strategy, drive innovation, and mentor engineering teams to deliver scalable, secure, and high‑performing solutions across financial and insurance applications.

Position Responsibilities

• Build and maintain high-performance, fault-tolerant, secure, and scalable platforms.
• Design, build, and maintain platform features and infrastructure, including hardware, software, and network components.
• Build and complete consolidation cluster strategy for the segment.
• Monitor and evaluate platforms to identify potential issues and implement proactive solutions.
• Resolve persistent platform issues such as bottlenecks, connectivity problems, and system failures.
• Ensure compliance and regulatory requirements throughout the platform lifecycle; implement security measures including access controls and vulnerability assessments.
• Partner with architects and business leaders to design robust platforms across data, orchestration, and presentation layers.
• Drive storage layer and API roadmap; think through long-term impacts of design decisions and failure scenarios.
• Investigate new platform solutions to enhance service delivery experience.
• Perform peer reviews of code and work for continuous learning and improvement.

Required Qualifications

• 12+ years in software engineering with a focus on platform/infrastructure.
• Expertise in cloud-native architectures (AWS, Azure, or GCP).
• Strong skills in Kubernetes, Docker, CI/CD, and automation frameworks.
• Understanding of financial and insurance applications.
• Deep knowledge of backend technologies and experience with data‑intensive systems.
• Programming experience in Python, Scala, or similar languages.
• Proficient in DevOps principles, Infrastructure as Code, and containerization technologies.
• Experience with open-source technologies and distributed cloud platforms.
• Lead highly visible multi‑disciplinary projects and provide thought leadership.
• Influence business direction and strategy for platform engineering.
• Establish implementation strategies and operational standards.

Preferred Qualifications

• Cloud Computing
• Application Security & Authentication
• Automated Testing & Automation
• Cluster Management, Networking Concepts, Performance Optimization
• Configuration Management
• Infrastructure as Code
• DevOps

When you join our team

• We’ll empower you to learn and grow the career you want.
• We’ll recognize and support you in a flexible environment where well‑being and inclusion are more than just words.
• As part of our distributed team, we’ll support you in shaping the future you want to see.

About Manulife and John Hancock

Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, helping people make their decisions easier and lives better. To learn more about us, visit https://www.manulife.com/en/about/our-story.html.

Manulife is an Equal Opportunity Employer

At Manulife/John Hancock, we embrace our diversity. We strive to attract, develop and retain a workforce that is as diverse as the customers we serve and to foster an inclusive work environment that embraces the strength of cultures and individuals. We are committed to fair recruitment, retention, advancement and compensation, and we administer all of our practices and programs without discrimination on the basis of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, religion or religious beliefs, creed, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy‑related conditions), sexual orientation, genetic characteristics, veteran status, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status, disability, or any other ground protected by applicable law.

It is our priority to remove barriers to provide equal access to employment. A Human Resources representative will work with applicants who request a reasonable accommodation during the application process. All information shared during the accommodation request process will be stored and used in a manner that is consistent with applicable laws and Manulife/John Hancock policies. To request a reasonable accommodation in the application process, contact [e-mail].

Referenced Salary Location

Waterloo, Ontario

Working Arrangement

Hybrid

Salary range is expected to be between

$126,600.00 CAD - $235,300.00 CAD

If you are applying for this role outside of the primary location, please contact [e-mail] for the salary range for your location. The actual salary will vary depending on local market conditions, geography and relevant job‑related factors such as knowledge, skills, qualifications, experience, and education/training. Employees also have the opportunity to participate in incentive programs and earn incentive compensation tied to business and individual performance.

Manulife offers eligible employees a wide array of customizable benefits, including health, dental, mental health, vision, short- and long-term disability, life and AD&D insurance coverage, adoption/surrogacy and wellness benefits, and employee/family assistance plans. We also offer eligible employees various retirement savings plans (including pension and a global share ownership plan with employer matching contributions) and financial education and counseling resources. Our generous paid time off program in Canada includes holidays, vacation, personal, and sick days, and we offer the full range of statutory leaves of absence. If you are applying for this role in the U.S., please contact [e-mail] for more information about U.S.-specific paid time off provisions.