Principal Platform Engineer at SGS

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Principal Platform Engineer
Company: SGS
Location: Madrid, Madrid Community, Spain
Job Type: Full-time
Category: DevOps Engineer
Date Posted: 2025-08-01
Experience Level: 10+ years
Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

Build and run a lean, secure, and highly automated cloud platform to enable engineering teams to ship code effortlessly.
Act as a lead, hands-on architect for the team's flagship products, ensuring they are scalable, resilient, and built with practical, reusable patterns.
Champion reusability and velocity by identifying, generalizing, and building high-quality, reusable components and architectural patterns.
Implement a practical DevSecOps culture by embedding automated security, testing, and observability directly into the development workflow.
Be a force multiplier by acting as a key technical mentor and partner to other engineering teams, helping them leverage the platform and adopt best practices to increase their own velocity.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role requires a strong background in platform engineering, with a focus on cloud infrastructure, containers, and CI/CD pipelines. The ideal candidate will have experience building and operating resilient applications at scale.

💻 Primary Responsibilities

Build the Paved Road: Engineer core infrastructure from the ground up using Infrastructure as Code (Terraform), Kubernetes, and a fully automated CI/CD pipeline. Your goal is to make the right way the easy way.
Lead by Building: Act as the lead full-stack or backend engineer on critical projects, architecting through code and demonstrating best practices as you help deliver the first generation of data and AI products.
Champion Reusability & Velocity: Identify, generalize, and build high-quality, reusable components and architectural patterns that emerge from the team's work and the work of other teams.
Automate for Speed & Safety: Implement a practical DevSecOps culture by embedding automated security, testing, and observability directly into the development workflow.
Be a Force Multiplier: Act as a key technical mentor and partner to other engineering teams, helping them leverage the platform and adopt best practices to increase their own velocity.

🎓 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: 8+ years of experience in SRE, Platform Engineering, or senior Software Engineering roles, with a strong focus on building distributed, cloud-native applications.

Required Skills:

Cloud & IaC: Expert-level, hands-on proficiency with a major cloud provider (GCP, AWS) and Terraform. You don't just use it; you architect with it.
Containers & Orchestration: Mastery of Docker and deep, practical knowledge of Kubernetes for building and operating resilient applications.
CI/CD & Automation: Extensive experience building high-velocity CI/CD pipelines from scratch (e.g., GitHub Actions, GitLab CI) with a focus on speed and developer feedback.
Software & Systems Design: Proven experience as a senior software engineer building distributed, cloud-native applications. Strong skills in a language like Go, Python, or TypeScript.
Observability: A practical, hands-on approach to building an observability stack (e.g., Prometheus, Grafana, Jaeger) that provides actionable insights, not just dashboards.

Preferred Skills:

Experience with data and AI products.
Familiarity with SGS's industry and business domains.
Strong communication and leadership skills.

📝 Enhancement Note: The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of building and operating large-scale, distributed systems in a cloud environment. Experience with data and AI products is a plus, as is familiarity with SGS's industry and business domains.

📊 Web Portfolio & Project Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

A portfolio showcasing your experience with cloud infrastructure, containers, and CI/CD pipelines.
Case studies demonstrating your ability to build and operate resilient applications at scale.
Examples of your leadership and mentoring skills, highlighting your impact on other engineering teams.

Technical Documentation:

Code comments and documentation that clearly explain your design decisions and thought processes.
Version control and deployment processes that ensure code quality, stability, and traceability.
Testing methodologies and performance metrics that demonstrate your commitment to quality and continuous improvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: Your portfolio should demonstrate your ability to build and operate large-scale, distributed systems in a cloud environment. Case studies that highlight your leadership and mentoring skills will be particularly valuable in this role.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: €80,000 - €120,000 per year (based on experience and qualifications)

Benefits:

Top-of-market compensation package for Madrid, designed to attract and retain premier talent for this strategic role.
A clear growth path to technical leadership and the opportunity to build and mentor a team around your architectural vision.
A compelling mission to build the platform that will run the AI and Data products that have a real-world impact on global safety, sustainability, and supply chains.
Foundational impact by being the first Principal Platform Engineer in the new Digital Hub, setting the standards for how a global leader builds and ships software.
Greenfield ownership and autonomy, with a mandate to build the entire cloud-native platform from scratch, backed by C-level sponsorship.

Working Hours: 40 hours per week, with flexibility for deployment windows, maintenance, and project deadlines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range for this role is based on market research for Madrid, considering the experience and qualifications required for this strategic position. The benefits package is designed to attract and retain top talent in the platform engineering field.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: SGS is the world's leading testing, inspection, and certification company, with a focus on data and technology to drive its mission. This role is part of the new Digital Hub being launched in Madrid to build world-class digital products.

Company Size: SGS has 99,500 employees across 2,500 locations globally, providing a large and diverse team environment for the Principal Platform Engineer to work within and influence.

Founded: SGS was founded in 1878, with a rich history and established reputation in its industry.

Team Structure:

The Principal Platform Engineer will work closely with the engineering leadership team to define and implement the platform strategy.
The role will collaborate with other engineering teams to ensure the platform meets their needs and enables them to ship code efficiently.
The Principal Platform Engineer will also work with stakeholders across the business to understand their requirements and ensure the platform supports their objectives.

Development Methodology:

SGS is committed to building a new, product-focused engineering culture from the ground up.
The Principal Platform Engineer will play a crucial role in defining and implementing the development methodology, with a focus on speed, agility, and continuous improvement.
The role will champion best practices in software development, ensuring the platform is built with practical, reusable patterns that enable teams to deliver high-quality products quickly.

Company Website: SGS Website

📝 Enhancement Note: SGS's industry focus on data and technology provides an exciting opportunity for the Principal Platform Engineer to build a platform that has a real-world impact on global safety, sustainability, and supply chains. The company's large and diverse team environment offers ample opportunities for collaboration and influence.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Web Technology Career Level: The Principal Platform Engineer role is a senior-level position, requiring extensive experience in platform engineering, with a focus on cloud infrastructure, containers, and CI/CD pipelines. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of building and operating large-scale, distributed systems in a cloud environment.

Reporting Structure: The Principal Platform Engineer will report directly to the engineering leadership team and work closely with other engineering teams and stakeholders across the business.

Technical Impact: The Principal Platform Engineer will have a significant impact on the engineering organization, defining and implementing the platform strategy and enabling teams to ship code efficiently. The role will also play a crucial role in defining and implementing the development methodology, ensuring the platform is built with practical, reusable patterns that enable teams to deliver high-quality products quickly.

Growth Opportunities:

Technical Leadership: The Principal Platform Engineer role offers a direct path to technical leadership, with the opportunity to build and mentor a team around your architectural vision.
Architectural Influence: The role provides the opportunity to define and implement the platform architecture, with a mandate to build the entire cloud-native platform from scratch, backed by C-level sponsorship.
Impact on Global Business: The Principal Platform Engineer will have a significant impact on SGS's global business, building the platform that will run the AI and Data products that have a real-world impact on global safety, sustainability, and supply chains.

📝 Enhancement Note: The Principal Platform Engineer role offers a unique opportunity to build a platform that has a real-world impact on global business. The role provides a clear path to technical leadership and the opportunity to define and implement the platform architecture, with a mandate to build the entire cloud-native platform from scratch, backed by C-level sponsorship.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The Principal Platform Engineer role will be based in the new Digital Hub being launched in Madrid, providing a modern and collaborative work environment designed to foster innovation and creativity.

Office Location(s): Calle Trespaderne 29, Madrid, Spain

Workspace Context:

Collaborative Environment: The new Digital Hub will provide a collaborative work environment, with opportunities to work closely with other engineering teams and stakeholders across the business.
State-of-the-Art Technology: The workspace will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology, enabling the Principal Platform Engineer to build and operate resilient applications at scale.
Flexible Working Hours: The role will offer flexible working hours, with the opportunity to work from home or remotely as needed.

Work Schedule: The role will have a standard work schedule of 40 hours per week, with flexibility for deployment windows, maintenance, and project deadlines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The new Digital Hub being launched in Madrid provides an exciting opportunity for the Principal Platform Engineer to work in a modern and collaborative work environment, with access to state-of-the-art technology and flexible working hours.

📄 Application & Technical Interview Process

Interview Process:

Phone Screen: A brief phone call to discuss your experience and qualifications for the role.
Technical Deep Dive: A detailed technical discussion focused on your experience with cloud infrastructure, containers, and CI/CD pipelines. You will be asked to describe your approach to building and operating resilient applications at scale.
Architecture Challenge: A hands-on architecture challenge, where you will be asked to design a scalable and resilient system for a given scenario.
Final Interview: A meeting with the engineering leadership team to discuss your fit for the role and the team, as well as your long-term career goals.

Portfolio Review Tips:

Highlight your experience with cloud infrastructure, containers, and CI/CD pipelines.
Include case studies that demonstrate your ability to build and operate resilient applications at scale.
Showcase your leadership and mentoring skills, highlighting your impact on other engineering teams.
Provide clear and concise documentation that explains your design decisions and thought processes.

Technical Challenge Preparation:

Brush up on your knowledge of cloud infrastructure, containers, and CI/CD pipelines.
Review your experience with building and operating resilient applications at scale, and be prepared to discuss your approach to architecture and design.
Practice your communication and presentation skills, ensuring you can clearly and concisely explain your technical concepts to a non-technical audience.

ATS Keywords: [See the comprehensive list of web development and server administration-relevant keywords for resume optimization, organized by category: programming languages, web frameworks, server technologies, databases, tools, methodologies, soft skills, industry terms]

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process for the Principal Platform Engineer role is designed to assess your technical skills and experience, as well as your fit for the role and the team. The technical deep dive and architecture challenge will provide an opportunity to demonstrate your expertise in cloud infrastructure, containers, and CI/CD pipelines, as well as your ability to build and operate resilient applications at scale.

🛠 Technology Stack & Web Infrastructure

Cloud & IaC:

GCP: Expert-level proficiency with Google Cloud Platform, including Compute Engine, Kubernetes Engine, and Cloud Storage.
Terraform: Proficient in using Terraform to provision and manage cloud infrastructure, with a focus on automation and version control.

Containers & Orchestration:

Docker: Proficient in building and managing Docker containers for applications and services.
Kubernetes: Deep, practical knowledge of Kubernetes for building and operating resilient applications at scale.

CI/CD & Automation:

GitHub Actions: Experience building high-velocity CI/CD pipelines using GitHub Actions, with a focus on speed and developer feedback.
GitLab CI: Familiarity with GitLab CI and other CI/CD tools, with an understanding of their strengths and weaknesses.

Observability:

Prometheus: Proficient in using Prometheus to monitor and alert on the health and performance of cloud-native applications.
Grafana: Experience using Grafana to visualize and analyze data from Prometheus and other monitoring tools.
Jaeger: Familiarity with Jaeger for distributed tracing and debugging.

📝 Enhancement Note: The Principal Platform Engineer role requires expert-level proficiency in cloud infrastructure, containers, and CI/CD pipelines. The ideal candidate will have experience with Google Cloud Platform, Terraform, Docker, Kubernetes, and CI/CD tools such as GitHub Actions and GitLab CI. Familiarity with observability tools such as Prometheus, Grafana, and Jaeger is also highly desirable.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Web Development Values:

Speed & Agility: A commitment to building and shipping code quickly and efficiently, with a focus on continuous improvement and iteration.
Reusability & Velocity: A belief in the power of reusable components and architectural patterns to accelerate development and delivery.
Simplicity & Pragmatism: A commitment to building simple, practical solutions that work, with a focus on minimizing bureaucracy and complexity.
Collaboration & Empowerment: A belief in the power of collaboration and empowerment to drive innovation and success.

Collaboration Style:

Cross-Functional Integration: A commitment to working closely with other engineering teams, designers, and stakeholders to ensure the platform meets their needs and enables them to ship code efficiently.
Code Review Culture: A belief in the power of code review to ensure code quality, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement.
Knowledge Sharing & Mentoring: A commitment to sharing knowledge and mentoring other engineering teams to increase their velocity and impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: The Principal Platform Engineer role requires a strong commitment to collaboration and empowerment, with a focus on building and shipping code quickly and efficiently. The ideal candidate will have experience working in a cross-functional environment, with a belief in the power of code review and knowledge sharing to drive innovation and success.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Technical Challenges:

Cloud Infrastructure: Designing and implementing a secure, automated cloud platform that enables engineering teams to ship code efficiently.
Resilience & Scalability: Building and operating resilient applications at scale, with a focus on performance, availability, and maintainability.
Automation & Speed: Implementing a practical DevSecOps culture that embeds automated security, testing, and observability directly into the development workflow.
Reusability & Velocity: Identifying, generalizing, and building high-quality, reusable components and architectural patterns that emerge from the team's work and the work of other teams.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

Technical Skill Development: The Principal Platform Engineer role offers the opportunity to develop and deepen your expertise in cloud infrastructure, containers, and CI/CD pipelines, with exposure to cutting-edge technologies and best practices.
Leadership & Mentoring: The role provides the opportunity to build and mentor a team around your architectural vision, with a clear path to technical leadership.
Architectural Influence: The Principal Platform Engineer role offers the opportunity to define and implement the platform architecture, with a mandate to build the entire cloud-native platform from scratch, backed by C-level sponsorship.

📝 Enhancement Note: The Principal Platform Engineer role presents a unique opportunity to tackle challenging technical problems and drive innovation in a large and diverse team environment. The role offers the opportunity to develop and deepen your expertise in cloud infrastructure, containers, and CI/CD pipelines, with exposure to cutting-edge technologies and best practices. The role also provides the opportunity to build and mentor a team around your architectural vision, with a clear path to technical leadership.

💡 Interview Preparation

Technical Questions:

Cloud Infrastructure: Describe your approach to designing and implementing a secure, automated cloud platform that enables engineering teams to ship code efficiently.
Resilience & Scalability: Walk through your process for building and operating resilient applications at scale, with a focus on performance, availability, and maintainability.
Automation & Speed: Explain your approach to implementing a practical DevSecOps culture that embeds automated security, testing, and observability directly into the development workflow.
Reusability & Velocity: Describe your experience with identifying, generalizing, and building high-quality, reusable components and architectural patterns that emerge from the team's work and the work of other teams.

Company & Culture Questions:

Mission & Impact: Explain why you are excited about the opportunity to build the platform that will run the AI and Data products that have a real-world impact on global safety, sustainability, and supply chains.
Team Dynamics: Describe your approach to working in a large and diverse team environment, with a focus on collaboration and empowerment.
Leadership & Mentoring: Explain your approach to building and mentoring a team around your architectural vision, with a clear path to technical leadership.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

Cloud Infrastructure: Highlight your experience with cloud infrastructure, containers, and CI/CD pipelines, with a focus on speed, agility, and continuous improvement.
Resilience & Scalability: Showcase your ability to build and operate resilient applications at scale, with a focus on performance, availability, and maintainability.
Automation & Speed: Demonstrate your approach to implementing a practical DevSecOps culture that embeds automated security, testing, and observability directly into the development workflow.
Reusability & Velocity: Highlight your experience with identifying, generalizing, and building high-quality, reusable components and architectural patterns that emerge from the team's work and the work of other teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The Principal Platform Engineer role requires a strong commitment to collaboration and empowerment, with a focus on building and shipping code quickly and efficiently. The ideal candidate will have experience working in a cross-functional environment, with a belief in the power of code review and knowledge sharing to drive innovation and success. The role also requires a strong technical background in cloud infrastructure, containers, and CI/CD pipelines, with a proven track record of building and operating resilient applications at scale.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Principal Platform Engineer position:

Customize Your Portfolio: Highlight your experience with cloud infrastructure, containers, and CI/CD pipelines, with a focus on speed, agility, and continuous improvement. Include case studies that demonstrate your ability to build and operate resilient applications at scale, as well as your leadership and mentoring skills.
Optimize Your Resume: Tailor your resume to the Principal Platform Engineer role, with a focus on your technical skills and experience in cloud infrastructure, containers, and CI/CD pipelines. Include relevant keywords and phrases to improve your visibility in applicant tracking systems.
Prepare for Technical Interviews: Brush up on your knowledge of cloud infrastructure, containers, and CI/CD pipelines. Review your experience with building and operating resilient applications at scale, and be prepared to discuss your approach to architecture and design. Practice your communication and presentation skills, ensuring you can clearly and concisely explain your technical concepts to a non-technical audience.
Research the Company: Familiarize yourself with SGS's industry and business domains, as well as its commitment to data and technology. Understand the company's mission and values, and be prepared to discuss how your skills and experience align with its goals and objectives.

⚠️ 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.

Principal Platform Engineer