Lead Platform Engineer

Elanco; Hook; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A global leader in animal health is seeking a Lead Platform Engineer based in Hook, UK, to join their new enterprise platform engineering team. The role involves driving secure and efficient practices, developing cloud automation solutions, and collaborating with stakeholders to innovate. Ideal candidates will have strong programming skills in TypeScript and Python, experience in a DevOps environment, and a passion for AI. This position offers a hybrid work environment and focuses on improving engineering processes.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in TypeScript and Python, with a track record of delivering software products.
• Experience in a DevOps or agile team with CI/CD, TDD, and the full SDLC.
• Strong desire to stay current on AI research and technologies.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate to define platform direction and capabilities.
• Engage in coding, governance, and maintenance of solutions.
• Manage the product backlog for engineering execution.
• Mentor junior engineers and support their growth.
• Stay current with IT trends to drive improvements.

Skills

Programming languages (TypeScript, Python)

DevOps methodology

Agile practices

Communication skills

Organisational abilities

Tools

Next.js

React

Terraform

Azure

Google Cloud

Job description

At Elanco (NYSE: ELAN) – it all starts with animals!

As a global leader in animal health, we are dedicated to innovation and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets. At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life and our purpose – all to Go Beyond for Animals, Customers, Society and Our People.

At Elanco, we pride ourselves on fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. We believe that diversity is the driving force behind innovation, creativity, and overall business success. Here, you’ll be part of a company that values and champions new ways of thinking, work with dynamic individuals, and acquire new skills and experiences that will propel your career to new heights.

Making animals’ lives better makes life better – join our team today!

You role: Lead Platform Engineer

Position Description

This role is part of our new enterprise platform engineering team focused on driving secure, reliable, efficient practice across our business and IT teams. This role will engage in the build, and iteration of our advanced cloud automation patterns, as well as developing solutions to automate manual process across business and IT. This is an incredibly exciting opportunity to not only work with the latest toolsets but to contribute to the continued growth of a new highly skilled engineering organisation. The role is great for the engineer who is looking at improvements on the wide scale, affecting multiple engineering products.

To be successful in an engineering role in Elanco requires a highly motivated individual, who thrives working with stakeholders and regulated processes. Innovative mindset and a willingness to drive tangible outcomes would be beneficial.

Your Responsibilities

• Collaborate with Principal Engineers and Product Managers to define the direction of platform and automation capabilities, shape team ways of working, and contribute to innovation and adoption. Communicate progress, results, and insights to stakeholders, and guide regulatory processes for engineering systems.
• Engage in coding, building, governance, and maintenance of solutions; deliver high-quality outputs within a scrum team; design and implement automation to replace manual IT and business processes; and use CI/CD techniques to modernize software development.
• Manage and support the product backlog, ensuring technical feasibility and readiness for engineering execution. Support internal and external application teams by removing barriers to building, deploying, and utilizing engineering products.
• Mentor and guide junior engineers and participants in student programs; cultivate continuous growth and development within the engineering organisation; and foster a culture of collaboration and shared success.
• Work closely with distributed teams across the business to facilitate adoption of core platform capabilities and integrate perspectives from both application and operational engineering teams.
• Stay current with IT trends and emerging technologies to drive continuous improvement and innovation within the team; identify opportunities to enhance developer and application team experience.
• Contribute to the engineering culture by promoting teamwork, knowledge sharing, and collaboration across diverse initiatives; encourage the adoption of best practices and support overall engineering success.
• Ensure security, reliability, and efficiency in all engineering initiatives; provide governance oversight and support the smooth operation of systems and products.

What You Need to Succeed (minimum qualifications)

• Proven experience in programming languages such as TypeScript, with a strong background in Python and/or TypeScript, and a track record of delivering software products. Experience defining and implementing large-scale, transformative digital solutions.
• Experience working within a DevOps or agile team, familiar with modern software development practices including CI/CD, TDD, and the full SDLC. Operational experience ensuring internal products are well-maintained, supported, and continuously iterated on.
• A passion for AI, with eagerness to stay current on AI research, trends, and technologies, combined with a strong willingness and agility to learn new tools and approaches.
• Ability to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders to support adoption of new software versions or products. Demonstrated influence and communication skills across all levels of IT and third parties.
• Strong organisational abilities and proven experience conveying complex technical topics clearly, resulting in decisive direction and alignment across teams.

What will give you a competitive edge (preferred qualifications)

• Familiarity with cloud platforms (e.g., Azure, Google Cloud) and AI tools.
• Hands‑on technical experience with core technologies such as Next.js, TypeScript, React, Terraform.
• Familiarity with authentication and authorization protocols/patterns.
• Experience supporting digital platforms, including integrations, release management, regression testing, integrations, and data obfuscation.

Additional Information

• Travel: 0-10%
• Location: Hook, UK - Hybrid Work Environment

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown underrepresented groups are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Elanco we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive work environment. If you think you might be a good fit for a role but don't necessarily meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply. You may be the right candidate for this role or other roles!

Elanco is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status