Senior Platform Engineer - Automation and Security

NPL Management Limited; Teddington; Vor Ort; GBP 70.000 - 90.000; Vollzeit

Zusammenfassung

The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is seeking a Senior Platform Engineer specialising in Linux, tooling and security to design, deliver and support secure infrastructure across enterprise environments. The role emphasizes automation, DevOps practices and robust, scalable platforms.

You will work with Linux servers, VMware, PKI and certificate services, and orchestration with Kubernetes, delivering upgrades, patches and lifecycle management while ensuring resilience and security across

Qualifikationen

• Strong experience administering Linux Server environments within enterprise organisations.
• Experience administering, maintaining, and supporting VMware environments.
• Strong automation and scripting experience using Bash, Ansible, Terraform, Python, and other enterprise automation frameworks.
• Experience designing, implementing, maintaining, and supporting secure, resilient, and highly available systems.
• Experience producing technical documentation, operational procedures/runbooks, and implementation plans.
• Strong stakeholder management, communication, and engagement skills.
• Demonstrable experience in a senior infrastructure, platform engineering, systems administration, or technical consultancy role.
• Relevant Linux, security, infrastructure, or automation certifications are desirable.

Aufgaben

• Design, deliver, and support secure infrastructure services across complex enterprise and customer environments, with a strong focus on automation and DevOps practices.
• Working as part of a specialist team, you will implement, harden, automate, and support core identity, security, messaging, and infrastructure platforms, including orchestration services (Kubernetes) running on virtual platforms.
• Administering, maintaining, and securing Linux environments, including Linux/DevOps tooling and open-source Linux databases.
• Assisting with the administration, maintenance, and optimisation of VMware vCenter and vSAN environments.
• Supporting the management and utilisation of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and certificate services.
• Designing, implementing, and supporting resilient, highly available infrastructure solutions, while troubleshooting complex infrastructure, platform, and network issues.
• Delivering upgrades, migrations, patching, and lifecycle management activities.
• Developing and maintaining automation and orchestration capabilities using scripting and Infrastructure as Code (IaC).
• Supporting enterprise security initiatives, including privileged access management, monitoring, logging, and data protection solutions.
• Producing technical documentation, operational procedures, and support runbooks.
• Contributing to disaster recovery, business continuity, and redundancy planning.
• Travelling to sites as required to support deployment, implementation, and operational activities.

Kenntnisse

Linux server administration

VMware administration

Automation scripting

Bash

Ansible

Terraform

Python

Stakeholder management

Senior infrastructure experience

Tools

Kubernetes

Container platforms

Jobbeschreibung

About the Role

Senior Platform Engineer – Linux/Tooling/Security

Our world-leading Time & Frequency department are seeking a SeniorPlatformEngineer specialising in Microsoft infrastructure and Linux system administration.

This is an exceptional opportunity to join the global authority in precision timing at a defining moment for UK digital infrastructure.

Backed by a government investment of £180 million in the National Timing Centre (NTC) programme, we are developing a world-first resilient time distribution capability that will provide industry with a robust complement to satellite systems (such as GPS) – which are increasingly vulnerable to disruption from solar storms, jamming and spoofing. This will underpin essential services, including

• Telecommunications,
• Online banking,
• Emergency response,
• Transport networks,and
• Wider digitaland data-drivenoperations.

Together, these services form the backbone of modern society – and your leadership will help ensure they remain secure, reliable and robust even if global navigation satellite systems fail.

Key Responsibilities

As a Senior Platform Engineer specialising in Linux, Tooling, and Security, you will help design, deliver, and support secure infrastructure services across complex enterprise and customer environments, with a strong focus on automation and DevOps practices.

Working as part of a specialist team, you will implement, harden, automate, and support core identity, security, messaging, and infrastructure platforms, including orchestration services (Kubernetes) running on virtual platforms.

• Administering, maintaining, and securing Linux environments, including Linux/DevOps tooling and open-source Linux databases.
• Assisting with the administration, maintenance, and optimisation of VMware vCenter and vSAN environments.
• Supporting the management and utilisation of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and certificate services.
• Designing, implementing, and supporting resilient, highly available infrastructure solutions, while troubleshooting complex infrastructure, platform, and network issues.
• Delivering upgrades, migrations, patching, and lifecycle management activities.
• Developing and maintaining automation and orchestration capabilities using scripting and Infrastructure as Code (IaC).
• Supporting enterprise security initiatives, including privileged access management, monitoring, logging, and data protection solutions.
• Producing technical documentation, operational procedures, and support runbooks.
• Contributing to disaster recovery, business continuity, and redundancy planning.
• Travelling to sites as required to support deployment, implementation, and operational activities.

About You

Essential Criteria

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• Strong experience administering Linux Server environments within enterprise organisations, including the design, implementation, and support of Linux services.
• Experience administering, maintaining, and supporting VMware environments.
• Strong automation and scripting experience using tools such as Bash, Ansible, Terraform, Python, and other enterprise automation frameworks.
• Experience designing, implementing, maintaining, and supporting secure, resilient, and highly available systems.
• Experience producing technical documentation, operational procedures/runbooks, and implementation plans.
• Strong stakeholder management, communication, and engagement skills.
• Demonstrable experience in a senior infrastructure, platform engineering, systems administration, or technical consultancy role.
• Relevant Linux, security, infrastructure, or automation certifications are desirable.

Desirable Criteria

• Knowledge of MS Windows operating systems, with a willingness to further develop MS Windows skills and MS Tooling.
• Experience with Kubernetes and containerised platforms
• Experience supporting infrastructure in regulated, public sector, financial, or security-conscious environments.

We actively recruit citizens of all backgrounds, but the nature of our work in specific departments means that nationality, residency and security requirements can be more tightly defined than others. You will be asked about this throughout the recruitment process. To work at NPL, you will need to obtain BPSS security clearance.

However, to work in this role in the Time & Frequency department, you will need to have an SC clearance with no restrictions, or you must have the ability to obtain an SC clearance.

Please note: Applications will be reviewed, and interviews conducted throughout the duration of this advert therefore we may at any time bring the closing date forward. We encourage all interested applicants to apply as soon as possible.

This role will be known internally as Senior Platform Engineer

About Us

The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is a world-leading centre of excellence that provides cutting-edge measurement science, engineering and technology to underpin prosperity and quality of life in the UK. Find out more about what it is like working here - The measure of us - Overview

NPL and DSIT have strong commitments to diversity and equality of opportunity, and welcome applications from candidatesirrespective of their background, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion,or age, providing they meet the required criteria. Applications from women,disabled and black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates in particular areencouraged. All disabled candidates (as defined by the Equality Act 2010) whosatisfy the minimum criteria for the role will be guaranteed an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme.
At NPL, we believe our success is a result of the diversity and talent of ourpeople. We strive to nurture and respect individuals to ensure everyone feelsvalued by treating everyone on the basis of their own individual merits andabilities regardless of their own or perceived identity, as part of ourcommitment to diversity & inclusion, we ensure we’re creating anenvironment where all our colleagues feel supported and welcome. More aboutthis on our Diversity & Inclusion page.

We are committed to the health and well-being of our employees. Flexible working and social activities are embedded in our culture to create a positive work-life balance, along with abroad range of rewards, benefits and recognition. Our values are at the heart of what we do, and they shape the way we interact, develop our people and celebrate success.

To ensure everyone has an equal chance we’re always willing to make reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process. If you would like to discuss, please contact us.