Platform Engineer

📍 Job Overview

• Job Title: Platform Engineer
• Company: Instem
• Location: Pune, Mahārāshtra, India
• Job Type: Hybrid
• Category: DevOps Engineer
• Date Posted: 2025-06-27
• Experience Level: Mid-Senior level (2-5 years)
• Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Key Responsibilities: Design, develop, and maintain scalable, reliable, and high-performance platforms that power applications and services. Ensure platform availability, performance, and security while collaborating with cross-functional teams.
• Key Skills: Azure, containerization, infrastructure automation, CI/CD, monitoring tools, scripting, microservices architecture, cloud-native applications, security best practices, configuration management, networking, and VPNs.

💻 Primary Responsibilities

🔧 Platform Development & Maintenance

• Work with developers to ensure smooth integration and deployment pipelines.
• Develop and maintain automation and infrastructure as code (IaC) solutions to enhance operational efficiency.
• Design, build, and maintain infrastructure, tools, and platforms to support internal and external applications and services.
• Monitor, troubleshoot, and resolve issues related to platform performance, security, and scalability.

🛠️ Platform Optimization & Improvement

• Continuously evaluate and improve the architecture, tools, and processes to optimize performance and reliability.
• Implement best practices for system design, security, monitoring, and incident response.
• Collaborate with other engineering teams to provide infrastructure and platform support, ensuring systems are aligned with business needs.
• Build and maintain deployment pipelines using CI/CD tools to streamline application deployment.

📝 Documentation & Knowledge Sharing

• Ensure solutions are well-documented.
• Participate in on-call rotation and incident management processes.
• Adhere to the Company’s Quality Management System to ensure work is handled securely, professionally, and diligently.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

📚 Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field, or equivalent experience.
• Proven experience as a Platform Engineer, DevOps Engineer, or Systems Engineer.

🛠️ Required Skills

• Strong proficiency in Azure and associated services.
• Hands-on experience with containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Proficiency in infrastructure automation and configuration management tools (ARM, Bicep, Terraform, Ansible, Puppet, Chef, etc.).
• Solid knowledge of networking, security, and system administration principles.
• Strong experience with CI/CD tools (Azure DevOps).
• Experience with monitoring tools (DataDog, Azure Monitor, Prometheus, Grafana, New Relic, etc.).
• Familiarity with scripting and programming languages such as Powershell, Python, Bash, etc.
• Strong troubleshooting, problem-solving, and analytical skills.

🌟 Preferred Skills

• Experience with microservices architecture and managing cloud-native applications.
• Familiarity with databases and data pipelines (Oracle, Postgres, SQL, NoSQL, etc.).
• Understanding of security best practices and compliance standards (GDPR, SOC 2, etc.).
• Knowledge of configuration management frameworks like Helm and Kubernetes Operators.
• Experience moving from a managed data center into public cloud.
• Working knowledge of Citrix would be advantageous.
• Strong knowledge of networking and VPNs.

📊 Web Portfolio & Project Requirements

• Portfolio Essentials:
  • Demonstrate your experience with Azure, containerization, and infrastructure automation through relevant projects.
  • Showcase your ability to design, build, and maintain scalable platforms by highlighting past projects and their architectures.
  • Highlight your problem-solving skills and incident management experience through case studies or blog posts.
• Technical Documentation:
  • Provide well-commented code samples and documentation for your past projects.
  • Include any relevant diagrams, flowcharts, or architecture decisions to demonstrate your thought process.
  • Showcase your understanding of best practices for system design, security, and monitoring by including relevant documentation in your portfolio.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Competitive salary based on experience and market standards in Pune, India. Research shows that the average salary for a mid-level DevOps Engineer in Pune is around ₹7-9 LPA (₹58,333-₹75,000 per month). However, this range can vary based on the candidate's skills, experience, and the company's compensation structure.

Benefits:

• 5-day working week
• Remote/home working with one-off allowance
• Flexible working
• Development and opportunity (personal and technical)
• Group medical policy, group OPD cover, personal accident cover, term life cover
• 26 days leave + 9 public holidays + buy & sell scheme
• Referral scheme

Working Hours: Full-time position with standard working hours, including flexibility for deployment windows, maintenance, and project deadlines.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Instem is a global provider of bespoke industry-leading software solutions and services, facilitating the pre-clinical and clinical phases of the drug discovery process. They have over fifteen products in their portfolio, used by over 700 pharmaceutical clients, including all the top 20.

Company Size: Medium-sized organization with around 300 staff, providing a family-like, communal, solution-based, and flexible environment where you'll feel empowered, valued, and accountable.

Founded: Instem was founded in 1990 and has since grown through new business, product enhancement, and acquisition.

Team Structure:

• The Platform Engineer will work closely with cross-functional teams, including developers, to ensure smooth integration and deployment pipelines.
• The role will involve collaboration with other engineering teams to provide infrastructure and platform support, ensuring systems are aligned with business needs.
• The team follows a solution-based approach, with a focus on flexibility, empowerment, and accountability.

Development Methodology:

• Instem invests in employee growth and encourages participation in company-wide workshops for wellbeing, mental health, critical conversations, and strengths.
• The team follows best practices for system design, security, monitoring, and incident response.

Company Website: www.instem.com

📝 Enhancement Note: Instem's culture emphasizes personal and technical development, with a focus on employee wellbeing and growth. The company provides a flexible, solution-based environment that empowers employees to take accountability for their work.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Web Technology Career Level: The Platform Engineer role is at the mid-senior level, with responsibilities including designing, developing, and maintaining scalable platforms. The role requires strong proficiency in Azure, containerization, and infrastructure automation, as well as solid knowledge of networking, security, and system administration principles.

Reporting Structure: The Platform Engineer will report directly to the Head of IT and work closely with cross-functional teams, including developers and other engineering teams.

Technical Impact: The Platform Engineer will have a significant impact on the availability, performance, and security of Instem's platforms, ensuring they are well-maintained, reliable, and scalable to support the company's applications and services.

Growth Opportunities:

• Technical Growth: Instem encourages continuous learning and provides opportunities for employees to develop their technical skills through workshops, training, and hands-on experience.
• Leadership Potential: As the company grows, there may be opportunities for the Platform Engineer to take on more senior roles, such as a Technical Lead or Engineering Manager.
• Career Progression: Instem offers opportunities for career progression within the organization, with potential paths including specializing in specific technologies, moving into management, or taking on more strategic roles.

📝 Enhancement Note: Instem's growth plan is progressive, with opportunities for technical growth, leadership potential, and career progression within the organization. The company encourages continuous learning and provides a supportive environment for employees to develop their skills and advance their careers.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Instem's office is located in Pune, Maharashtra, India, with a hybrid work arrangement that combines on-site and remote work.

Office Location(s): The primary office is located at Adisa Icon, First Floor, GAT 301/2, Pune, Maharashtra, India 411021.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid work arrangement encourages collaboration and knowledge sharing between on-site and remote team members.
• Development Tools: Instem provides the necessary tools and resources for employees to perform their jobs effectively, including access to relevant software, hardware, and cloud services.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: The Platform Engineer will work closely with cross-functional teams, including developers, to ensure smooth integration and deployment pipelines and to provide infrastructure and platform support.

Work Schedule: The work schedule is flexible, with standard working hours and the ability to work from home with an allowance. The role may require flexibility for deployment windows, maintenance, and project deadlines.

📝 Enhancement Note: Instem's hybrid work environment combines the benefits of on-site collaboration and remote flexibility, providing employees with the best of both worlds. The company encourages knowledge sharing and cross-functional collaboration to ensure that its platforms are well-maintained, reliable, and scalable.

📄 Application & Technical Interview Process

Interview Process:

1. Technical Assessment (60-90 minutes): The technical assessment will focus on your proficiency in Azure, containerization, infrastructure automation, and CI/CD tools. You may be asked to complete a hands-on task or case study to demonstrate your problem-solving skills and technical expertise.
2. Behavioral Interview (30-45 minutes): The behavioral interview will focus on your soft skills, cultural fit, and problem-solving abilities. You may be asked to provide examples of your past experiences and how you've handled specific situations.
3. Final Evaluation (30-45 minutes): The final evaluation will focus on your understanding of Instem's business, your long-term career goals, and your fit within the organization. You may be asked to discuss your portfolio, technical challenges you've faced in the past, and how you've overcome them.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight your experience with Azure, containerization, and infrastructure automation through relevant projects.
• Showcase your ability to design, build, and maintain scalable platforms by including architecture diagrams, flowcharts, or case studies.
• Include any relevant documentation, code samples, or blog posts that demonstrate your technical expertise and problem-solving skills.

Technical Challenge Preparation:

• Brush up on your Azure, containerization, and infrastructure automation skills, focusing on the specific technologies and tools mentioned in the job description.
• Practice problem-solving and incident management scenarios to demonstrate your analytical and troubleshooting skills.
• Familiarize yourself with Instem's products and services to show your understanding of the business and how the Platform Engineer role contributes to its success.

ATS Keywords:

• Programming Languages: Azure, Powershell, Python, Bash
• Web Frameworks: N/A
• Server Technologies: Docker, Kubernetes, Azure DevOps
• Databases: Oracle, Postgres, SQL, NoSQL
• Tools: Terraform, Ansible, Puppet, Chef, ARM, Bicep, Helm, Kubernetes Operators, DataDog, Azure Monitor, Prometheus, Grafana, New Relic
• Methodologies: Agile, Scrum, CI/CD, IaC, IaC, Infrastructure as Code
• Soft Skills: Problem-solving, analytical, troubleshooting, collaboration, communication, teamwork
• Industry Terms: Platform Engineering, DevOps, Azure, containerization, infrastructure automation, CI/CD, monitoring tools, scripting, microservices architecture, cloud-native applications, security best practices, configuration management, networking, VPNs

📝 Enhancement Note: Instem's interview process focuses on assessing your technical expertise, problem-solving skills, and cultural fit. The company values candidates who can demonstrate their proficiency in Azure, containerization, and infrastructure automation, as well as their ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams.

🛠️ Technology Stack & Web Infrastructure

Frontend Technologies: N/A

Backend & Server Technologies:

• Azure: Strong proficiency in Azure and associated services is required for this role.
• Containerization: Hands-on experience with containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes) is essential.
• Infrastructure Automation: Proficiency in infrastructure automation and configuration management tools (ARM, Bicep, Terraform, Ansible, Puppet, Chef, etc.) is required.

Development & DevOps Tools:

• CI/CD Tools: Strong experience with CI/CD tools (Azure DevOps) is required.
• Monitoring Tools: Experience with monitoring tools (DataDog, Azure Monitor, Prometheus, Grafana, New Relic, etc.) is required.
• Scripting Languages: Familiarity with scripting and programming languages such as Powershell, Python, Bash, etc. is required.

📝 Enhancement Note: Instem's technology stack focuses on Azure, containerization, and infrastructure automation. The company requires strong proficiency in these areas, as well as experience with relevant tools and technologies.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Web Development Values:

• User-Centric: Instem's products and services are designed to improve the lives of millions of people worldwide. The Platform Engineer role plays a crucial part in ensuring that Instem's platforms are reliable, scalable, and well-maintained to support the company's applications and services.
• Quality & Security: Instem places a strong emphasis on quality and security, ensuring that its platforms are secure, reliable, and compliant with relevant standards and regulations.
• Continuous Learning: Instem encourages continuous learning and provides opportunities for employees to develop their technical skills and advance their careers.
• Collaboration & Communication: Instem values collaboration and communication, with a focus on working together to achieve common goals and deliver exceptional results.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: The Platform Engineer will work closely with cross-functional teams, including developers, to ensure smooth integration and deployment pipelines and to provide infrastructure and platform support.
• Code Review Culture: Instem encourages a code review culture, with a focus on peer programming, knowledge sharing, and continuous learning.
• Knowledge Sharing: Instem encourages knowledge sharing and provides opportunities for employees to learn from one another and grow both personally and professionally.

📝 Enhancement Note: Instem's culture emphasizes user-centric design, quality, security, continuous learning, collaboration, and communication. The company values employees who are passionate about their work, committed to delivering exceptional results, and dedicated to the continuous improvement of their skills and knowledge.

⚡️ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Technical Challenges:

• Platform Scalability: As Instem's business grows, the Platform Engineer will face challenges in scaling the company's platforms to support increased traffic, user demand, and new features.
• Security & Compliance: The Platform Engineer will need to ensure that Instem's platforms are secure, compliant with relevant standards and regulations, and able to withstand potential threats and attacks.
• Incident Management: The Platform Engineer will be responsible for monitoring, troubleshooting, and resolving issues related to platform performance, security, and scalability. This may involve working on-call and responding to incidents in a timely and effective manner.
• Emerging Technologies: As new technologies and tools emerge, the Platform Engineer will need to stay up-to-date with industry best practices and evaluate how these innovations can be integrated into Instem's platforms to improve performance, security, and user experience.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Technical Skill Development: Instem encourages continuous learning and provides opportunities for employees to develop their technical skills through workshops, training, and hands-on experience.
• Leadership Development: As the company grows, there may be opportunities for the Platform Engineer to take on more senior roles, such as a Technical Lead or Engineering Manager. These roles would require strong leadership skills, technical expertise, and the ability to manage and mentor team members.
• Architecture Decision-Making: The Platform Engineer will have the opportunity to make critical architecture decisions that impact the scalability, performance, and security of Instem's platforms. This will require a deep understanding of the company's business, technical constraints, and industry best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: Instem's technical challenges and growth opportunities are closely tied to the company's mission to improve the lives of millions of people worldwide. The Platform Engineer role plays a crucial part in ensuring that Instem's platforms are reliable, scalable, secure, and compliant with relevant standards and regulations. The company provides opportunities for technical skill development, leadership growth, and architecture decision-making, with a focus on continuous learning and improvement.

💡 Interview Preparation

Technical Questions:

• Azure Proficiency: Describe your experience with Azure and its associated services. Provide examples of how you've used Azure to design, build, and maintain scalable, reliable, and high-performance platforms.
• Containerization & Infrastructure Automation: Explain your experience with containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes) and infrastructure automation tools (Terraform, Ansible, Puppet, Chef, etc.). Describe how you've used these tools to automate deployment pipelines, ensure infrastructure consistency, and improve operational efficiency.
• CI/CD & Monitoring Tools: Discuss your experience with CI/CD tools (Azure DevOps) and monitoring tools (DataDog, Azure Monitor, Prometheus, Grafana, New Relic, etc.). Explain how you've used these tools to streamline application deployment, monitor platform performance, and ensure system reliability.

Company & Culture Questions:

• Instem's Mission: Explain how Instem's mission to improve the lives of millions of people worldwide resonates with you personally and how you would contribute to this mission as a Platform Engineer.
• Company Culture: Describe what aspects of Instem's company culture appeal to you and how you would contribute to a positive, collaborative, and innovative work environment.
• Problem-Solving: Provide an example of a complex technical challenge you've faced in the past and how you overcame it. Explain how you would approach a similar challenge at Instem, leveraging your technical expertise and problem-solving skills.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Architecture Diagrams & Flowcharts: Include architecture diagrams and flowcharts in your portfolio to demonstrate your understanding of system design, security, and monitoring best practices.
• Code Samples & Documentation: Provide well-commented code samples and documentation to showcase your technical expertise and problem-solving skills.
• Case Studies & Blog Posts: Include case studies and blog posts that highlight your experience with Azure, containerization, infrastructure automation, and incident management.

📝 Enhancement Note: Instem's interview process focuses on assessing your technical expertise, problem-solving skills, and cultural fit. The company values candidates who can demonstrate their proficiency in Azure, containerization, and infrastructure automation, as well as their ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams. By preparing thoroughly and showcasing your technical skills and problem-solving abilities in your portfolio, you'll increase your chances of success in the interview process.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Platform Engineer position at Instem:

1. Customize Your Portfolio: Highlight your experience with Azure, containerization, and infrastructure automation through relevant projects. Include architecture diagrams, flowcharts, and case studies to demonstrate your technical expertise and problem-solving skills.
2. Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to emphasize your technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and relevant experience with Azure, containerization, and infrastructure automation. Include any relevant keywords and phrases to improve your resume's visibility in applicant tracking systems.
3. Technical Interview Preparation: Brush up on your Azure, containerization, and infrastructure automation skills, focusing on the specific technologies and tools mentioned in the job description. Practice problem-solving and incident management scenarios to demonstrate your analytical and troubleshooting skills. Familiarize yourself with Instem's products and services to show your understanding of the business and how the Platform Engineer role contributes to its success.
4. Company Research: Research Instem's company culture, values, and mission to ensure a strong fit between your personal and professional goals and the company's objectives. Prepare thoughtful questions to ask during the interview process, demonstrating your interest in the role and the company.

📝 Enhancement Note: Instem's application process focuses on assessing your technical expertise, problem-solving skills, and cultural fit. By customizing your portfolio, optimizing your resume, and preparing thoroughly for the technical interview, you'll increase your chances of success in the application process.