Platform Engineering Lead / Hybrid

Kelly Services; Waltham (MA); On-site; USD 163,000 - 220,000; Full time

Job summary

Kelly Services is recruiting a Staff Platform Engineer / Developer Experience Lead to shape software development across the organization. The role focuses on building internal developer platforms, modernizing CI/CD, and advancing AI-powered engineering practices.

Ideal candidates bring 7+ years in software engineering with Java/Kotlin, cloud-native architecture, and strong DevEx leadership. This hands-on leader will mentor engineers and drive architectural decisions at scale.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of software engineering experience with strong expertise in Java and Kotlin.
• Hands-on experience building developer platforms or developer productivity initiatives.
• Experience improving Developer Experience (DevEx) across engineering teams.

Responsibilities

• Design and build internal developer platforms and tooling for the organization.
• Lead Java/Kotlin application development and DevEx improvements.
• Modernize cloud infrastructure, CI/CD, and automation practices.
• Drive AI-powered development tools and workflows adoption.
• Provide technical leadership, guidance, and architectural decisions.

Skills

Java

Kotlin

DevEx

Platform Engineering

CI/CD

IaC

Cloud-native

Leadership

Agile

Mentorship

Tools

Terraform

CloudFormation

Kubernetes

GitHub Actions

Jenkins

Azure DevOps

Job description

$163000 - $220000

A leading technology-driven small business insurance provider is seeking a Staff Platform Engineer / Developer Experience Lead to help shape the future of software development across the organization. Since 2016, the employer has helped hundreds of thousands of customers access customized and affordable insurance coverage and is continuing to invest heavily in cloud infrastructure, developer productivity, and AI-powered engineering solutions. This role is ideal for a hands-on technical leader with strong expertise in Java, Kotlin, platform engineering, and developer experience (DevEx) who is passionate about building tools and systems that enable engineers to move faster and more effectively.

Second Paragraph:

This is an opportunity to drive meaningful engineering transformation at scale. The successful candidate will help design and build internal developer platforms, modernize CI/CD and cloud infrastructure, and lead the adoption of AI-assisted software development practices. While influencing technical strategy and architectural decisions, this individual will remain deeply engaged in engineering execution, collaborating closely with development teams to create seamless engineering workflows and exceptional developer experiences.

Required Skills & Experience

• 7+ years of software engineering experience with strong expertise in Java and Kotlin
• Experience building and supporting developer platforms, internal tooling, or developer productivity initiatives
• Hands-on experience improving Developer Experience (DevEx) across engineering organizations
• Strong background in cloud-native architecture and modern infrastructure platforms
• Experience with CI/CD pipeline design, automation, and deployment best practices
• Knowledge of Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, CloudFormation, or similar)
• Experience implementing or integrating AI-powered development tools and workflows
• Strong software engineering fundamentals, including architecture, testing, security, and observability
• Experience working in agile development environments
• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills
• Ability to mentor engineers and influence technical direction through leadership and execution

Desired Skills & Experience

• Experience with AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform
• Kubernetes and container orchestration experience
• Experience building Internal Developer Platforms (IDPs)
• Knowledge of developer portals, self-service infrastructure, and platform products
• Familiarity with GitHub Actions, Jenkins, Azure DevOps, or similar CI/CD platforms
• Experience leveraging Generative AI, LLMs, AI coding assistants, or AI-enabled software delivery tools
• Background in insurance, fintech, or highly regulated industries
• Experience leading platform engineering or developer productivity initiatives across distributed teams

What You Will Be Doing Tech Breakdown

• 40% Platform Engineering & Developer Experience
• 25% Java/Kotlin Application Development
• 20% Cloud Infrastructure & CI/CD Automation
• 15% AI-Powered Software Development Initiatives

Daily Responsibilities

• 35% Designing and building internal developer platforms and tooling
• 25% Hands-on software development using Java and Kotlin
• 15% Driving cloud infrastructure improvements and automation initiatives
• 10% Evaluating and implementing AI-assisted engineering solutions
• 10% Technical leadership, mentorship, and architecture guidance
• 5% Cross-functional collaboration with engineering and product stakeholders

Motion Recruitment Partners (MRP) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants must be currently authorized to work on a full-time basis in the country for which they are applying, and no sponsorship is currently available. Employment is subject to the successful completion of a pre-employment screening. Accommodation will be provided in all parts of the hiring process as required under MRP’s Employment Accommodation policy. Applicants need to make their needs known in advance.