Platform Engineer - Opensource/ Kubernetes

Job Title: Platform Engineer - Redhat Openshift and Kubernetes
Location: London or Manchester
Rate: up to £580 a day Inside IR35
Start Date: Beginning of Aug
Job Type: Contract 6 months - 2 days onsite (ideally on a Tuesday as one of the days)

We're looking for an experienced Senior Platform Engineer with strong Red Hat OpenShift and Kubernetes expertise to join a major infrastructure transformation programme.

This is a fantastic opportunity to play a key role in building a new internal hosting platform, helping to modernise and consolidate enterprise infrastructure onto a common, next-generation technology stack.

The team is already delivering an ambitious transformation, but with a small and busy specialist function, additional experienced engineers are needed to hit the ground running, accelerate delivery and increase team capacity.

The Role

You'll be a hands-on technical contributor supporting the build and deployment of a new on-premises private cloud platform, working with bare-metal Red Hat OpenShift.

You'll collaborate closely with architects, engineers and delivery teams, helping turn the platform vision into a scalable, modern infrastructure service.

This is not a legacy-focused role - the existing team is already responsible for supporting the current environment. Instead, your experience will be focused on the exciting challenge of delivering the new platform and supporting a significant infrastructure transformation.

What We're Looking For

We're particularly interested in engineers who have:

Strong hands-on Red Hat OpenShift experience
Excellent Kubernetes expertise
Proven experience in platform engineering or infrastructure build
Experience working on enterprise-scale infrastructure environments
The ability to contribute quickly with minimal ramp-up
Experience working in fast-paced, evolving technology environments

Desirable Experience

Ansible and infrastructure automation
Networking knowledge, particularly in relation to platform infrastructure and future upgrades
Broader infrastructure and platform engineering experience
Experience delivering infrastructure transformation or modernisation programmesOpenShift and Kubernetes expertise are the key priorities. If you have strong experience in these areas, you're likely to have much of the wider platform engineering knowledge required.

Certifications and formal degrees are not essential - we're more interested in your hands-on experience and ability to deliver.

Why Join?

This is an opportunity to work on a high-impact infrastructure transformation programme, helping to shape and deliver a modern enterprise hosting platform from the ground up.

You'll be joining a team where your experience will make an immediate difference, helping to accelerate delivery while working alongside experienced architects and engineers.

Key Highlights

Major enterprise infrastructure transformation
Build and deployment of a new OpenShift-based internal hosting platform
Hands-on work with Kubernetes and Red Hat OpenShift
Opportunity to influence a modern technology platform
High-impact role within a busy transformation programme
Collaborative team environment
Hybrid working with flexibility
Fast interview and decision process

Location & Working Pattern

Manchester - hybrid

The team is primarily based in Manchester, with links to the Knowsley site.

The expected working pattern is approximately 2 days onsite and 3 days remote, with flexibility for the right candidate. There are no fixed onsite days, although Tuesday is preferred for team collaboration.

Interview Process

The process is designed to be quick and straightforward:

Single-stage interview
Initial technical discussion with a specialist
Team fit and experience discussion
Interview panel including senior team members and potentially an additional technical specialistFast decisions are expected.

The Ideal Candidate

You'll be a hands-on platform engineer who can step into a complex enterprise environment and make an immediate impact.

You'll be comfortable working on large-scale infrastructure transformation, have deep practical experience with OpenShift and Kubernetes, and be confident operating in a team where delivery speed and technical expertise are critical.

If you're looking for a role where your OpenShift and Kubernetes expertise can directly contribute to a major technology transformation, we'd love to hear from you.

Disclaimer
Notwithstanding any guidelines given to level of experience sought, we will consider candidates from outside this range if they can demonstrate the necessary competencies.
Square One is acting as both an employment agency and an employment business, and is an equal opportunities recruitment business. Square One embraces diversity and will treat everyone equally. Please see our website for our full diversity statement
Only candidates based in UK and eligible to work in UK are allowed