Head of Platform Engineering

Digital Waffle; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

A technology-led organisation is seeking a strategic Head of Platform Engineering in Birmingham. You'll lead the Azure cloud strategy and manage a high-performing team, focusing on scalable, secure cloud solutions. Ideal candidates will have proven leadership in cloud engineering, deep expertise in Azure, and strong DevOps experience. The role offers a hybrid work model, appealing to professionals ready to drive innovation in platform engineering.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading cloud or platform engineering teams.
• Deep expertise in Microsoft Azure (enterprise-scale environments).
• Strong knowledge of Azure networking, identity (Entra ID), governance and security.
• Experience with AKS and cloud-native architecture.
• Strong DevOps background with CI/CD pipeline ownership.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute the Azure cloud strategy aligned to business growth.
• Build and lead a high-performing Platform / DevOps / SRE function.
• Own Azure architecture, governance, security and cost optimisation.
• Lead Kubernetes strategy (AKS) and containerisation standards.
• Oversee CI/CD pipelines (Azure DevOps / GitHub Actions).

Skills

Microsoft Azure expertise

Cloud governance

DevOps background

Kubernetes strategy

Infrastructure as Code

Commercial awareness

Tools

Terraform

Azure DevOps

GitHub Actions

Job description

Role: Head of Platform Engineering (Azure)

Location: Birmingham (Hybrid)

The Opportunity

A technology-led organisation in Birmingham is investing heavily in its Microsoft Azure cloud platform and is looking for a strategic Head of Platform Engineering to lead, scale and mature its cloud capability.

This is a senior leadership role focused on building a secure, scalable, Azure-first platform that enables engineering teams to deliver high-quality software at speed. You’ll own the Azure strategy, DevOps maturity, cloud governance and platform roadmap.

The Role

As Head of Platform Engineering, you will:

• Define and execute the Azure cloud strategy aligned to business growth
• Build and lead a high-performing Platform / DevOps / SRE function
• Own Azure architecture, governance, security and cost optimisation
• Lead Kubernetes strategy (AKS) and containerisation standards
• Oversee CI/CD pipelines (Azure DevOps / GitHub Actions)
• Embed DevSecOps principles and modern cloud security controls
• Implement observability, monitoring and resilience best practices
• Improve developer experience through platform tooling and automation

What We’re Looking For

• Proven experience leading cloud or platform engineering teams
• Deep expertise in Microsoft Azure (enterprise-scale environments)
• Strong knowledge of Azure networking, identity (Entra ID), governance and security
• Experience with AKS and cloud-native architecture
• Infrastructure as Code experience (Terraform or Bicep preferred)
• Strong DevOps background with CI/CD pipeline ownership
• Experience operating within SaaS or digital-first organisations
• Commercial awareness around cloud cost management