Principal Platform Engineer

📍 Job Overview

• Job Title: Principal Platform Engineer
• Company: Commonwealth Bank
• Location: Eveleigh, NSW - 1 Locomotive Street, Sydney CBD Area
• Job Type: Full-Time
• Category: DevOps Engineer
• Date Posted: 2025-06-20
• Experience Level: 5-10 years
• Remote Status: On-site/Hybrid (2 days in office per month)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the implementation and advocacy for reliability and platform engineering principles to improve the reliability and availability of our applications.
• Oversee the monitoring of system performance and reliability, proactively identifying and addressing potential issues.
• Collaborate with development and operations teams to design and build scalable, reliable systems.
• Develop and maintain advanced automation scripts and tools to streamline operations and reduce manual intervention.
• Participate in and lead on-call rotations to provide 24/7 support for critical systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role requires a strong technical leader with extensive experience in platform engineering, who can drive reliability and availability improvements across multiple applications.

💻 Primary Responsibilities

• Reliability & Availability Leadership: Lead the implementation of reliability principles and practices to ensure optimal performance and minimal downtime for our applications.
• System Performance Monitoring: Oversee system performance and reliability, proactively identifying and addressing potential issues to prevent service degradation.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with development and operations teams to design and build scalable, robust, and reliable systems that meet business requirements.
• Automation & Tool Development: Develop and maintain advanced automation scripts and tools to streamline operations, reduce manual intervention, and improve overall system efficiency.
• On-Call Support & Incident Management: Participate in and lead on-call rotations to provide 24/7 support for critical systems, ensuring quick resolution of incidents and minimizing service impact.
• Incident Response & Post-Mortem Analysis: Perform root cause analysis of critical incidents, implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence, and conduct post-incident reviews to enhance system reliability.
• Documentation & Knowledge Sharing: Develop and maintain comprehensive documentation for system configurations, processes, and procedures, fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
• Mentoring & Team Development: Mentor and guide junior platform engineers, fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement, and driving high standards for the team.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in computer science, Engineering, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.

Experience: Extensive experience as a Platform Engineer or in a similar role, with a proven track record of leadership in ensuring system reliability and availability.

Required Skills:

• Strong understanding of Platform (on prem, cloud, virtual, containers) principles and practices.
• Proficiency in troubleshooting complex issues and exceptional problem-solving skills.
• Deep knowledge of a wide array of software applications and infrastructure.
• Experience with monitoring and observability tools (e.g., Prometheus, Grafana, AppDynamics, Splunk, PagerDuty).
• Proficiency in scripting and automation (e.g., Python, Bash, Ansible).
• Familiarity with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure) and containerization technologies (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes).

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with .NET and Java application debugging and troubleshooting.
• Proficiency in building observability solutions with Grafana and Prometheus.
• Experience with Splunk for log management and analysis.
• Familiarity with CI/CD tools and practices.

📊 Web Portfolio & Project Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate a strong track record of improving system reliability and availability through automation and process improvement.
• Showcase your experience with monitoring and observability tools, highlighting your ability to proactively identify and address performance issues.
• Highlight your leadership skills and experience driving reliability improvements across multiple applications and teams.

Technical Documentation:

• Provide detailed documentation of your approach to system reliability, including your use of automation, monitoring, and incident response processes.
• Include case studies of significant incidents you've managed, outlining your root cause analysis, corrective actions, and lessons learned.
• Demonstrate your understanding of platform engineering principles and practices, and how you've applied them to improve system reliability and performance.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: The salary range for this role is estimated to be AU$150,000 - AU$180,000 per year, based on industry standards for experienced DevOps Engineers in Sydney. This range takes into account the high level of responsibility and leadership required for this position.

Benefits:

• Flexible work arrangements, including the option to work from home for part of the week.
• Competitive benefits package, including health insurance, superannuation, and leave entitlements.
• Opportunities for professional development and career progression within the organization.
• A supportive and inclusive work environment that values diversity and encourages work-life balance.

Working Hours: Full-time position with standard business hours, Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Occasional on-call duties may be required to provide 24/7 support for critical systems.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services

Company Size: Large (over 50,000 employees)

Founded: 1911

Team Structure:

• The Platform Engineering team is part of the DevSecOps under Retail Technology, managing the reliability of multiple applications across all portfolios to host their services and deliver outcomes.
• The team provides operational delivery management and guard rails within each application's requirement to function optimally at scale.
• The team works closely with development and operations teams to implement reliability principles and practices, troubleshoot complex issues, and build robust system engineering solutions.

Development Methodology:

• Agile methodologies are used to drive continuous improvement and rapid iteration.
• Code reviews, testing, and quality assurance practices are employed to ensure high standards and minimal defects.
• Deployment strategies, CI/CD pipelines, and server management are critical aspects of the role, with a focus on automation and streamlined processes.

Company Website: https://www.commbank.com.au/

📝 Enhancement Note: Commonwealth Bank is a large, established financial institution with a strong focus on digital transformation and innovation. The company values customer-centricity, process excellence, and continuous improvement, providing a supportive environment for technical professionals to grow and make a significant impact.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Web Technology Career Level: Principal Platform Engineer - This role is a senior-level position, requiring extensive experience and expertise in platform engineering, system reliability, and incident management. The principal engineer is responsible for driving reliability improvements across multiple applications and teams, providing technical leadership and mentoring to junior engineers.

Reporting Structure: This role reports directly to the Head of Platform Engineering within the DevSecOps team under Retail Technology. The principal engineer is expected to collaborate with development and operations teams, providing guidance and expertise in system reliability and performance.

Technical Impact: The principal engineer plays a critical role in ensuring the reliability, availability, and performance of applications supporting online channels. They work closely with cross-functional teams to implement reliability principles and practices, troubleshoot complex issues, and build robust system engineering solutions.

Growth Opportunities:

• Technical Leadership: With experience and proven performance, there is potential to progress into a senior leadership role, such as a Principal Engineer or Engineering Manager, driving strategic decision-making and technical direction for the team.
• Architecture & Design: As a senior technical expert, there may be opportunities to specialize in specific areas, such as cloud architecture, infrastructure as code, or site reliability engineering, driving innovation and best practices within the organization.
• Mentoring & Coaching: By demonstrating strong leadership and technical skills, there may be opportunities to mentor and coach junior engineers, fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Modern, collaborative workspace with a focus on agile working and cross-functional team interaction.

Office Location(s): Eveleigh, NSW - 1 Locomotive Street, Sydney CBD Area

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Workspace: The office features open-plan workspaces, encouraging collaboration and communication between team members.
• Development Tools & Equipment: The workspace is equipped with multiple monitors, testing devices, and development tools to support efficient and effective work.
• Cross-Functional Interaction: The office is designed to facilitate interaction with other teams, such as design, marketing, and business teams, fostering a collaborative and integrated work environment.

Work Schedule: Full-time position with standard business hours, Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Occasional on-call duties may be required to provide 24/7 support for critical systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: Commonwealth Bank offers a modern, collaborative work environment that supports agile working and cross-functional team interaction. The company values diversity, inclusion, and work-life balance, providing a supportive and engaging workplace for technical professionals.

📄 Application & Technical Interview Process

Interview Process:

1. Online Assessment: A technical assessment focusing on platform engineering principles, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills.
2. Technical Deep Dive: A detailed discussion of your approach to system reliability, automation, and incident management, with a focus on your experience and achievements in these areas.
3. Behavioral & Cultural Fit: An assessment of your leadership skills, teamwork, and cultural fit within the organization, focusing on your ability to drive reliability improvements across multiple applications and teams.
4. Final Interview: A discussion of your career aspirations, growth potential, and alignment with the company's goals and values.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight your experience with monitoring and observability tools, demonstrating your ability to proactively identify and address performance issues.
• Showcase your leadership skills and experience driving reliability improvements across multiple applications and teams.
• Include case studies of significant incidents you've managed, outlining your root cause analysis, corrective actions, and lessons learned.
• Demonstrate your understanding of platform engineering principles and practices, and how you've applied them to improve system reliability and performance.

Technical Challenge Preparation:

• Brush up on your platform engineering principles and practices, focusing on system reliability, automation, and incident management.
• Review your experience with monitoring and observability tools, ensuring you're comfortable with their features and capabilities.
• Prepare for behavioral and cultural fit assessments by reflecting on your leadership skills, teamwork, and alignment with the company's values and goals.

ATS Keywords: [Provided in the "Technology Stack & Web Infrastructure" section]

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process for this role is designed to assess your technical expertise in platform engineering, system reliability, and incident management, as well as your leadership skills, teamwork, and cultural fit within the organization. By preparing thoroughly and showcasing your relevant experience and achievements, you'll be well-positioned to succeed in the interview process.

🛠 Technology Stack & Web Infrastructure

Frontend Technologies: Not applicable for this role.

Backend & Server Technologies:

• Application Servers: Tomcat, JBoss, WebLogic
• Databases: Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL
• Messaging: Apache Kafka, RabbitMQ, ActiveMQ

Development & DevOps Tools:

• Version Control: Git, Bitbucket, GitHub
• CI/CD: Jenkins, Bamboo, Azure DevOps
• Monitoring: Prometheus, Grafana, AppDynamics, Splunk, PagerDuty
• Infrastructure as Code: Terraform, Ansible, Puppet
• Containerization: Docker, Kubernetes
• Cloud Platforms: AWS, Azure, Google Cloud Platform

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack for this role is extensive and diverse, reflecting the wide range of applications and infrastructure managed by the Platform Engineering team. Familiarity with a broad range of tools and technologies is essential for success in this role.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Web Development Values:

• Reliability & Availability: Prioritize system reliability and availability, ensuring minimal downtime and optimal performance for our applications.
• Continuous Improvement: Drive continuous improvement in system reliability, automation, and incident management processes.
• Collaboration & Knowledge Sharing: Foster a culture of collaboration and knowledge sharing, working closely with development and operations teams to build robust, reliable systems.
• Customer Focus: Understand and address the needs of our customers, ensuring our systems meet their expectations and deliver value.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Work closely with development and operations teams to design and build scalable, reliable systems that meet business requirements.
• Code Review Culture: Participate in code reviews and pair programming to ensure high standards and minimal defects.
• Knowledge Sharing: Facilitate knowledge sharing and mentoring opportunities, fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The team culture for this role is collaborative, customer-focused, and driven by continuous improvement. The team values knowledge sharing, mentoring, and working closely with other teams to build robust, reliable systems that meet business requirements.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Modern, collaborative workspace with a focus on agile working and cross-functional team interaction.

Office Location(s): Eveleigh, NSW - 1 Locomotive Street, Sydney CBD Area

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Workspace: The office features open-plan workspaces, encouraging collaboration and communication between team members.
• Development Tools & Equipment: The workspace is equipped with multiple monitors, testing devices, and development tools to support efficient and effective work.
• Cross-Functional Interaction: The office is designed to facilitate interaction with other teams, such as design, marketing, and business teams, fostering a collaborative and integrated work environment.

Work Schedule: Full-time position with standard business hours, Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Occasional on-call duties may be required to provide 24/7 support for critical systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: Commonwealth Bank offers a modern, collaborative work environment that supports agile working and cross-functional team interaction. The company values diversity, inclusion, and work-life balance, providing a supportive and engaging workplace for technical professionals.

💡 Interview Preparation

Technical Questions:

1. System Reliability & Performance: Describe your approach to system reliability and performance, including your use of monitoring, automation, and incident management processes.
2. Incident Management: Walkthrough a significant incident you've managed, outlining your root cause analysis, corrective actions, and lessons learned.
3. Platform Engineering Principles: Explain your understanding of platform engineering principles and practices, and how you've applied them to improve system reliability and performance.
4. Leadership & Teamwork: Discuss your leadership skills and experience driving reliability improvements across multiple applications and teams, highlighting your ability to collaborate effectively with other teams.

Company & Culture Questions:

1. Company Culture: How do you see yourself contributing to the company's culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, and customer focus?
2. Agile Methodologies: Describe your experience with Agile methodologies and how you've used them to drive continuous improvement and rapid iteration.
3. Customer Impact: How do you ensure that your work aligns with the company's goals and values, delivering value to our customers?

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Highlight your experience with monitoring and observability tools, demonstrating your ability to proactively identify and address performance issues.
• Showcase your leadership skills and experience driving reliability improvements across multiple applications and teams.
• Include case studies of significant incidents you've managed, outlining your root cause analysis, corrective actions, and lessons learned.
• Demonstrate your understanding of platform engineering principles and practices, and how you've applied them to improve system reliability and performance.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process for this role is designed to assess your technical expertise in platform engineering, system reliability, and incident management, as well as your leadership skills, teamwork, and cultural fit within the organization. By preparing thoroughly and showcasing your relevant experience and achievements, you'll be well-positioned to succeed in the interview process.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Principal Platform Engineer position:

1. Submit Your Application: Click on the "Apply Now" button on the job listing and follow the instructions to submit your application through the Workday platform.
2. Tailor Your Resume: Highlight your relevant experience and achievements in platform engineering, system reliability, and incident management, ensuring your resume is tailored to the requirements of this role.
3. Prepare Your Portfolio: Showcase your experience with monitoring and observability tools, leadership skills, and case studies of significant incidents you've managed, demonstrating your ability to drive reliability improvements across multiple applications and teams.
4. Research the Company: Familiarize yourself with Commonwealth Bank's culture, values, and goals, ensuring your application and interview responses align with the company's expectations and priorities.

⚠️ 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.