Principal Platform Engineer

ZipRecruiter; Belfast; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A scaling tech company seeks a Principal Platform Engineer in Belfast to lead Developer Experience (DevEx). This role focuses on improving internal tooling and streamlining workflows, making a significant impact on engineering efficiency and culture. The candidate will possess 8+ years in software engineering and a strong leadership background in platform engineering.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in software engineering, ideally with recent platform or DevEx leadership.
• Strong experience with Go and TypeScript.
• Hands-on expertise with AWS and Kubernetes in production environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead DevEx strategy and vision, improving usability, velocity, and autonomy for engineers.
• Build internal tools using Go and TypeScript.
• Architect scalable, cloud-based systems across AWS and Kubernetes.

Skills

Software Engineering

Go

TypeScript

CI/CD

Infrastructure as Code

AWS

Kubernetes

User-centric mindset

Mentoring

Job description

Job Description

Principal Platform Engineer

Location: Belfast – Hybrid (2 days onsite)

Salary: Up to £90,000 + Bonus & Benefits

Type: Permanent | Exclusive Opportunity

We’re hiring exclusively for a scaling tech company with a clear mission: to empower engineers by investing heavily in Developer Experience (DevEx). They’re now seeking a Principal Platform Engineer to lead that mission — designing the tools, environments, and infrastructure that make engineering smoother, faster, and more reliable across the entire organisation.

This is a standout role for an engineer who understands that great platforms don’t just run code — they elevate the people writing it. If you're passionate about internal tooling, streamlined workflows, and removing friction for developers, this is your chance to make DevEx a first-class product.

The Impact You’ll Make

• Lead DevEx strategy and vision, improving usability, velocity, and autonomy for engineers.
• Build internal tools using Go and TypeScript to streamline infrastructure, automation, and CI/CD.
• Architect scalable, cloud- systems across AWS, Kubernetes, and Infrastructure as Code (Terraform/CDK).
• Drive improvements to CI/CD pipelines and deployment processes to enable faster, safer delivery.
• Collaborate cross-functionally and mentor engineers while shaping platform and engineering culture.
• Improve system reliability, observability, and incident response through proactive platform design.
• Continuously identify and eliminate inefficiencies in the developer workflow.

What You Bring

• 8+ years of experience in software engineering, ideally with recent platform or DevEx leadership.
• Strong experience with Go, TypeScript, or similar .
• Deep understanding of CI/CD practices and Infrastructure as Code (Terraform ).
• Hands-on expertise with AWS and Kubernetes in production environments.
• A user-centric mindset focused on delivering excellent internal developer experiences.
• Clear communication and a passion for mentoring and technical leadership.
• Proven ability to balance technical trade-offs and influence platform direction.

Bonus Points

• Experience with developer portals such as Backstage.
• Familiarity with event-driven systems and event catalogue tooling.
• Contributions to open-source projects, especially within the CNCF ecosystem.
• Relevant certifications in AWS and/or Kubernetes.

This is a career-defining opportunity for a senior engineer who wants to lead DevEx at scale, creating a fast, intuitive, and reliable developer environment that drives impact across the business.

To find out more or apply in confidence, get in touch today.