Manager Platform Ops Engineering

Versant Media; Remote; USD 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading media company in the United States is seeking a Manager of Platform Engineering to lead a team focused on building cloud solutions across various brands. This role combines technical leadership and mentorship, driving innovative platform capabilities while managing project demands. Ideal candidates will have significant experience in engineering, strong AWS proficiency, and a passion for developing talent. This position is fully remote, offering flexibility in location and work-life balance.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in infrastructure/platform/operations engineering.
• 2+ years in a leadership or team lead role.
• Strong knowledge of relational databases.
• Demonstrated experience managing and developing engineers.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of platform engineers.
• Drive and participate in solution architecture and delivery.
• Enhance platform capabilities including CI/CD pipelines.
• Evaluate existing standards and implement improvements.
• Collaborate with leadership on strategic initiatives.

Skills

AWS

Python

Terraform

GitOps

CI/CD pipelines

Postgres

MySQL

communication skills

cross-functional collaboration

Job description

Company Description

VERSANT is a leading force in news, sports and entertainment – home to iconic and trusted brands that inspire, inform, and delight audiences. Our unique combination of content, technology and services enriches the cultural fabric, igniting passions, sparking conversations, and connecting people to what they love most. As an independent, publicly traded company, VERSANT brings together powerhouse cable networks – including USA Network, CNBC, MS NOW (formerly MSNBC), Oxygen, E!, SYFY, and Golf Channel – with dynamic digital and direct‑to‑consumer brands such as Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow, GolfPass, and SportsEngine. Together, these businesses reflect our commitment to delivering exceptional experiences across every screen and service. VERSANT is an industry‑changing media company fueled by innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit. With a strong foundation and a forward‑looking vision, VERSANT empowers creativity, embraces change, and drives connection in an ever‑evolving world.

Job Description

SportsEngine is looking for a MANAGER, PLATFORM ENGINEERING to build our next big thing in platform growth across Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, Fandango at Home, SportsEngine, and SportsEngine Play.

We are looking for a Manager of Platform Engineering to lead a team of platform engineers while maintaining strong technical involvement. This is a player‑coach role: you will provide technical guidance, mentor and develop your team members, and contribute hands‑on to the design and implementation of our cloud and platform services. If you enjoy solving complex problems, building for scale, developing talent, and making a measurable impact – we'd love to meet you.

What You'll Do

• Lead and develop a team of platform engineers, providing mentorship, career guidance, and growth opportunities while fostering a collaborative and high‑performing team culture
• Drive and participate in solution architecture and delivery across diverse domains, offering expertise in AWS cloud infrastructure and resources, containers (ECS/Kubernetes) and cloud‑native architectures
• Develop, enhance, and operate platform capabilities including CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure as code, reusable patterns, and automation solutions that enable rapid, reliable, and secure deployments
• Design and implement standardized, reusable cloud infrastructure patterns and templates that help teams adopt best practices while maintaining security and compliance requirements
• Enable the platform team in delivering consistent adoption of software delivery practices and solutions that optimize for fast feedback, observability, and operational excellence
• Evaluate existing standards and practices, identify gaps, and implement improvements to strengthen Development, Security, and Operational practices across the organization
• Demonstrate excellent communication skills through proactive status updates, clear documentation, knowledge sharing, and effective collaboration when facing technical challenge
• Partner closely with engineering teams to understand their needs, refine requirements, and deliver solutions that enhance developer productivity while meeting project objectives
• Manage team priorities and workload, balancing project demands with team capacity and individual development goals
• Collaborate with leadership on roadmap planning, resource allocation, and strategic initiatives for the platform organization
• Work with emerging technologies around AI, MCP, and RAG to drive innovation within the platform space

Qualifications

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

• 7+ years of experience in infrastructure/platform/operations engineering, with 2+ years in a leadership or team lead role
• Strong hands‑on expertise in AWS, Python, Terraform, and GitOps (ArgoCD)
• Experience building CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions or equivalent)
• Strong knowledge of relational databases (Postgres, MySQL)
• Demonstrated experience managing, mentoring, and developing engineers
• Excellent communication and cross‑functional collaboration skills
• Track record of balancing technical contribution with team leadership responsibilities

Bonus Points For

• AWS Certifications: Relevant certifications such as AWS Certified Solutions Architect
• Kubernetes and container orchestration experience
• Familiarity with SRE practices and cloud cost optimization
• Familiarity with Configuration Management (Ansible & Puppet), k9s, Database Engines (Mongo, Postgres, MySQL)
• Background in building or maintaining systems that support highly scalable application environments and event‑driven architectures
• Fundamentals of running AI‑related services
• Experience with performance management and team development frameworks

Fully Remote

This role has been designated as fully remote, meaning it is expected to be performed from a non‑VERSANT worksite, typically an employee's residence.

Additional Information

As part of our selection process, external candidates may be required to attend an in‑person interview with a VERSANT Media employee at one of our locations prior to a hiring decision.

VERSANT Media's policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, membership in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law.

For LA County and City Residents Only: VERSANT Media will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories, or arrest or conviction records, in a manner consistent with relevant legal requirements, including the City of Los Angeles' Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, and the California Fair Chance Act, where applicable.

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran and require support throughout the application and/or recruitment process as a result of your disability, you have the right to request a reasonable accommodation. You can submit your request to [e-mail].

VERSANT Media is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. We include a good faith pay range for each position to comply with applicable state and local pay transparency laws and to promote equity across our organization. Actual compensation will be based on factors such as the candidate's skills, qualifications, experience, and location and may include additional forms of compensation and benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, etc.

VERSANT Media is not accepting unsolicited assistance from search firms for this employment opportunity. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at VERSANT via email, the Internet, or in any form and/or method without a valid written Statement of Work in place for this position from VERSANT's Talent Acquisition team will be deemed the sole property of VERSANT. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by VERSANT as a result of the referral or through other means.