📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Platform Engineer
Company: Gradial
Location: Seattle, Washington, United States
Job Type: On-site
Category: DevOps & Infrastructure
Date Posted: 2025-07-01
Experience Level: 5-10 years

🚀 Role Summary

Gradial is a Seattle-based startup revolutionizing digital experiences with AI-driven content operations. As a Platform Engineer, you'll architect and evolve the systems powering our AI platform, ensuring reliability, security, and scalability. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in startup-to-scale-up environments and brings deep infrastructure expertise.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role requires a strong background in infrastructure management, with a focus on Kubernetes, cloud-native architecture, and container orchestration. Experience in high-growth environments and a collaborative, ownership-driven mindset are essential.

💻 Primary Responsibilities

Infrastructure Design & Maintenance: Design and maintain scalable, secure, and resilient infrastructure to support Gradial’s AI platform.
Kubernetes Cluster Management: Lead Kubernetes cluster management, CI/CD pipelines, observability tooling, and infrastructure-as-code efforts.
Scaling & Growth Planning: Anticipate scaling needs and proactively evolve infrastructure architecture to support growth and reliability.
Service Deployment & Maintenance: Take full ownership of real-time, compute-intensive services: designing, deploying, and maintaining to meet high performance standards with minimal oversight.
Best Practices & Tooling: Establish and enforce best practices for system reliability, performance monitoring, and disaster recovery. Evaluate and implement infrastructure automation tools to improve deployment velocity and reduce operational burden.
Strategic Infrastructure Investment: Act as a strategic voice on infrastructure investment, technical debt management, and long-term scalability planning.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role involves a high degree of ownership and requires strong communication skills to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams. Prior experience supporting cloud or multi-cloud architectures would be beneficial.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: A bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field. Relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.

Experience: 5+ years of experience in DevOps, SRE, or platform engineering roles, with a proven track record in designing and operating large-scale, production-grade infrastructure.

Required Skills:

Deep expertise in Kubernetes, cloud-native architecture, and container orchestration.
Proficiency with infrastructure-as-code (e.g., Terraform, GitOps), CI/CD tooling, and monitoring stacks (e.g., Prometheus, Grafana).
Experience in high-growth environments, especially scaling infrastructure from early product-market fit to maturity.
Strong communication skills and a collaborative, ownership-driven mindset.

Preferred Skills:

Familiarity with AI/ML infrastructure, including GPU provisioning and model deployment.
Comfort with TypeScript or Python to support tooling and operational scripts.

📝 Enhancement Note: While not required, experience with AI/ML infrastructure and programming languages like TypeScript or Python would be advantageous in this role.

📊 Web Portfolio & Project Requirements

As this role focuses on infrastructure engineering, a portfolio is not explicitly required. However, demonstrating relevant projects, case studies, or GitHub repositories showcasing your infrastructure management skills, Kubernetes expertise, and CI/CD pipeline experience would be beneficial.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $140,000 - $180,000 per year (based on regional market data and company size)

Benefits:

Competitive salary and meaningful equity
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage
Fast-paced environment with flexibility and ownership
Real impact, zero bureaucracy
A front-row seat to building category-defining AI infrastructure

Working Hours: Full-time (40 hours/week) with flexible work hours and a focus on results and impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is an estimate based on market data for similar roles in the Seattle area and the company's size. Actual compensation may vary based on experience and qualifications.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: AI-driven content operations and digital experience platforms.

Company Size: Early-stage startup with a Series A raise, poised for rapid growth.

Founded: 2022

Team Structure:

Small, agile teams focused on specific product areas.
Flat hierarchy with a strong emphasis on ownership and autonomy.
Cross-functional collaboration with marketing, design, and product teams.

Development Methodology:

Agile development processes with bi-weekly sprints.
Code reviews, testing, and quality assurance practices.
CI/CD pipelines and automated deployment strategies.

Company Website: www.gradial.ai

📝 Enhancement Note: Gradial's company culture emphasizes extreme ownership, bias towards action, and critical path planning. They tackle problems from first principles and question assumptions to find creative solutions.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Web Technology Career Level: Senior Platform Engineer, responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining the infrastructure that supports Gradial's AI platform.

Reporting Structure: This role reports directly to the CTO and collaborates closely with the engineering, product, and design teams.

Technical Impact: As a senior member of the engineering team, your work will directly impact the scalability, reliability, and performance of Gradial's AI platform, enabling marketers and creatives to implement their ideas directly.

Growth Opportunities:

Technical Growth: Deepen your expertise in AI/ML infrastructure, Kubernetes, and cloud-native architectures. Explore emerging technologies and contribute to open-source projects.
Leadership Growth: Mentor junior engineers and contribute to the development of best practices and processes. Grow into a technical leadership role as the team expands.
Product & Business Growth: Gain exposure to product and business decisions, and contribute to the strategic direction of the company.

📝 Enhancement Note: Gradial's rapid growth presents numerous opportunities for career progression and skill development. As the company scales, there will be ample opportunities for technical leadership and mentorship roles.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Modern, collaborative workspace designed to facilitate cross-functional teamwork and innovation.

Office Location(s): Seattle, Washington, United States

Workspace Context:

Collaboration: Open workspaces with dedicated areas for team meetings and brainstorming sessions.
Equipment: High-end workstations, multiple monitors, and testing devices to ensure optimal productivity.
Flexibility: Flexible work arrangements with a focus on results and impact.

Work Schedule: Full-time (40 hours/week) with flexible hours and a focus on results and impact. Some on-call responsibilities may be required.

📝 Enhancement Note: Gradial's work environment emphasizes collaboration, flexibility, and ownership. Employees are encouraged to take risks, work on groundbreaking technology, and see the direct impact of their work.

📄 Application & Technical Interview Process

Interview Process:

Phone Screen (30 minutes): A brief conversation to understand your background, experience, and career goals.
Technical Deep Dive (60 minutes): A detailed discussion of your technical skills, experience, and approach to infrastructure management. Be prepared to discuss your experience with Kubernetes, cloud-native architectures, and infrastructure-as-code.
Behavioral & Cultural Fit (30 minutes): An assessment of your problem-solving skills, communication style, and cultural fit with Gradial's values and work environment.
Final Interview & Offer (60 minutes): A meeting with the CTO to discuss your fit for the role, answer any remaining questions, and extend an offer if appropriate.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

For this role, a portfolio is not explicitly required. However, if you have relevant projects or case studies demonstrating your infrastructure management skills, be prepared to discuss them briefly during the interview process.

Technical Challenge Preparation:

Familiarize yourself with the latest trends and best practices in Kubernetes, cloud-native architectures, and infrastructure-as-code.
Brush up on your problem-solving skills and be prepared to discuss complex infrastructure challenges and your approach to solving them.

ATS Keywords:

Infrastructure Management, Kubernetes, Cloud-Native Architecture, Container Orchestration, Infrastructure-as-Code, CI/CD, Monitoring, AI/ML Infrastructure, TypeScript, Python, DevOps, SRE, Platform Engineering

📝 Enhancement Note: Gradial's interview process is designed to assess your technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit. Be prepared to discuss your experience with Kubernetes, cloud-native architectures, and infrastructure management in detail.

🛠 Technology Stack & Web Infrastructure

Infrastructure Technologies:

Kubernetes (EKS)
Cloud-native architecture (AWS, GCP)
Infrastructure-as-code (Terraform, GitOps)
CI/CD (GitHub Actions, Jenkins)
Monitoring (Prometheus, Grafana)
Containerization (Docker)

Programming Languages:

TypeScript
Python

AI/ML Infrastructure (Preferred):

GPU provisioning and model deployment tools (e.g., Kubeflow, MLflow)

📝 Enhancement Note: While not required, experience with AI/ML infrastructure and relevant tools would be beneficial in this role, as Gradial's platform is AI-driven.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Platform Engineering Values:

Reliability: Prioritize system reliability, performance monitoring, and disaster recovery to ensure the platform is always available and performant.
Automation: Leverage infrastructure-as-code and automation tools to improve deployment velocity, reduce operational burden, and ensure consistency.
Collaboration: Work closely with cross-functional teams, including product, design, and marketing, to ensure the platform meets business needs and user expectations.
Innovation: Stay up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices in infrastructure management, and continuously improve the platform's architecture and design.

Collaboration Style:

Cross-functional Integration: Work closely with product, design, and marketing teams to ensure the platform meets business needs and user expectations.
Code Review Culture: Conduct regular code reviews to ensure code quality, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement.
Knowledge Sharing: Actively contribute to the development of best practices, processes, and documentation to facilitate knowledge sharing and onboarding.

📝 Enhancement Note: Gradial's platform engineering team values collaboration, innovation, and a strong focus on system reliability and performance. They work closely with cross-functional teams to ensure the platform meets business needs and user expectations.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Technical Challenges:

Scaling & Performance: Design and implement scalable, high-performance infrastructure to support Gradial's rapidly growing user base and content operations.
AI/ML Infrastructure: Develop and maintain infrastructure to support AI/ML workloads, including GPU provisioning and model deployment.
Cloud Migration: Migrate legacy infrastructure to cloud-native architectures, ensuring reliability, security, and scalability.
Continuous Integration & Deployment: Implement and maintain CI/CD pipelines to support rapid product iteration and ensure consistent, reliable deployments.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

Technical Skill Development: Deepen your expertise in Kubernetes, cloud-native architectures, and AI/ML infrastructure. Explore emerging technologies and contribute to open-source projects.
Leadership Development: Mentor junior engineers and contribute to the development of best practices and processes. Grow into a technical leadership role as the team expands.
Product & Business Acumen: Gain exposure to product and business decisions, and contribute to the strategic direction of the company.

📝 Enhancement Note: Gradial's technical challenges and growth opportunities present an exciting and dynamic environment for a platform engineer. As the company scales, there will be ample opportunities for technical leadership and mentorship roles.

💡 Interview Preparation

Technical Questions:

Kubernetes & Containerization: Be prepared to discuss your experience with Kubernetes, container orchestration, and infrastructure-as-code. Describe your approach to designing, deploying, and maintaining scalable, high-performance infrastructure.
Cloud-Native Architecture: Demonstrate your understanding of cloud-native architecture, and discuss your experience with AWS, GCP, or other cloud platforms. Explain how you approach cloud migration and infrastructure optimization.
AI/ML Infrastructure (Preferred): If you have experience with AI/ML infrastructure, be prepared to discuss your approach to GPU provisioning, model deployment, and AI workload management.

Company & Culture Questions:

Company Culture: Research Gradial's company culture, values, and mission. Be prepared to discuss how your personal values and work style align with the company's culture.
Work Environment: Familiarize yourself with Gradial's work environment, including their flexible work arrangements, collaboration style, and focus on results and impact.
Growth Opportunities: Demonstrate your understanding of Gradial's growth trajectory and the opportunities for career progression within the platform engineering team.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

While not required for this role, if you have relevant projects or case studies demonstrating your infrastructure management skills, be prepared to discuss them briefly during the interview process.

📝 Enhancement Note: Gradial's interview process is designed to assess your technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit. Be prepared to discuss your experience with Kubernetes, cloud-native architectures, and infrastructure management in detail.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Platform Engineer position at Gradial:

Submit Your Application: Click the 'Apply Now' button on the job listing to submit your resume and cover letter.
Prepare Your Portfolio (Optional): If you have relevant projects or case studies demonstrating your infrastructure management skills, ensure they are up-to-date and easily accessible for review during the interview process.
Research Gradial: Familiarize yourself with Gradial's company culture, values, and mission. Understand their work environment, collaboration style, and focus on results and impact.
Prepare for Technical Interviews: Brush up on your technical skills, especially your experience with Kubernetes, cloud-native architectures, and infrastructure management. Be prepared to discuss complex infrastructure challenges and your approach to solving them.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and web development/server administration industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

Platform Engineer