📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Staff Platform Engineer
Company: WeightWatchers
Location: New York, United States
Job Type: Hybrid (2 days/week in office)
Category: DevOps, Infrastructure
Date Posted: 2025-06-24
Experience Level: 10+ years

🚀 Role Summary

As a Staff Platform Engineer at WeightWatchers, you will design, build, and maintain the core infrastructure and tooling that powers our deployment pipelines, Kubernetes clusters, and distributed systems. You will work closely with cross-functional teams to ensure the reliability, scalability, and performance of our platform, enabling seamless delivery of applications and services. Your work will directly impact the user experience and health outcomes for millions of people worldwide.

💻 Primary Responsibilities

🐳 Kubernetes Infrastructure

Design, Deploy, and Manage Kubernetes Clusters: Create and maintain production-ready Kubernetes clusters, ensuring high availability and scalability.
Optimize Cluster Performance, Scalability, and Security: Continuously improve cluster performance, scalability, and security through regular monitoring, optimization, and updates.
Implement and Manage Kubernetes Operators and Custom Resources: Develop and maintain custom Kubernetes operators and resources to automate and streamline platform management.

🛠️ Deployment Tooling

Build and Maintain CI/CD Pipelines: Develop and maintain CI/CD pipelines using tools like GitHub Actions, ArgoCD, or Jenkins to automate the deployment process.
Develop Tools and Automation: Create scripts, tools, and automation to enhance developer productivity and deployment reliability.
Ensure Zero-Downtime Deployments and Rollback Mechanisms: Implement strategies and tools to ensure zero-downtime deployments and rollback capabilities.

🛡️ Nginx Management

Configure and Manage Nginx: Set up and maintain Nginx as a reverse proxy and load balancer for our applications.
Optimize Nginx Configurations: Fine-tune Nginx configurations for optimal performance, security, and scalability.
Troubleshoot and Resolve Nginx Issues: Diagnose and resolve issues related to Nginx in production environments.

📦 Kafka Operations

Design and Manage Kafka Cluster Integrations: Develop and maintain high-throughput, low-latency messaging systems using Apache Kafka.
Implement Monitoring, Alerting, and Scaling Strategies: Monitor Kafka clusters, set up alerts, and scale resources as needed to maintain optimal performance.
Collaborate with Application Teams: Work with application teams to optimize Kafka usage patterns and ensure efficient message processing.

🛡️ Platform Reliability

Drive Improvements in Platform Reliability and Availability: Continuously monitor and optimize platform reliability and availability through regular performance testing, incident response, and root cause analysis.
Implement Observability Tools: Integrate monitoring, logging, and tracing tools to gain insights into platform performance and behavior.
Conduct Root Cause Analysis and Post-Mortems: Investigate and document the root causes of platform incidents, and implement corrective and preventive measures.

🤝 Collaboration and Mentorship

Work Closely with Cross-Functional Teams: Collaborate with development and NOC teams to align platform capabilities with business needs and ensure seamless integration with applications and services.
Mentor Junior Engineers: Share your expertise and contribute to a culture of technical excellence by mentoring junior engineers and helping them grow their skills.

🎓 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: Extensive experience (10+ years) in platform engineering, infrastructure management, or a related role.

Required Skills:

Extensive experience with Kubernetes in production environments
Strong expertise in building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines (e.g., GitHub Actions, ArgoCD, Jenkins)
Proficiency in configuring and managing Nginx for web traffic and load balancing
Hands-on experience with Kafka, including cluster management, optimization, and its streaming SQL engine
Solid understanding of infrastructure-as-code tools (e.g., Terraform, Ansible, CloudFormation)
Strong programming skills in languages like Python, Go, Typescript, or Bash
Experience with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS and GCP)
Familiarity with observability tools (e.g., New Relic, OpenTelemetry, Prometheus, Grafana, ELK stack)

Preferred Skills:

Experience with multi-cloud and hybrid cloud environments
Familiarity with service mesh technologies (e.g., Istio, Linkerd)
Knowledge of container security best practices and tools
Experience with chaos engineering and resilience testing

📊 Web Portfolio & Project Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

Kubernetes Projects: Showcase your experience with Kubernetes by including projects that demonstrate your ability to design, deploy, and manage clusters in production environments.
CI/CD Pipeline Projects: Highlight your expertise in building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines by including projects that automate the deployment process and enhance developer productivity.
Nginx Configuration Projects: Display your proficiency in configuring and managing Nginx by including projects that optimize performance, security, and scalability.
Kafka Integration Projects: Demonstrate your experience with Kafka by including projects that showcase your ability to design and manage high-throughput, low-latency messaging systems.

Technical Documentation:

Code Quality: Ensure your code is well-documented, follows best practices, and is easy to understand and maintain.
Version Control: Showcase your experience with version control systems like Git by including projects that demonstrate your ability to collaborate effectively with other developers.
Deployment Processes: Document your deployment processes, including any automation scripts or tools you've developed to streamline the deployment process.
Testing Methodologies: Include information about your testing methodologies, including unit tests, integration tests, and performance tests.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $200,000 - $215,000 USD per year (based on experience and location)

Benefits:

Comprehensive benefits package
Annual bonus program

Working Hours: Full-time (40 hours/week) with a hybrid work arrangement (2 days/week in the office)

🎯 Team & Company Context

Company Culture:

Industry: WeightWatchers is a global digital health company focused on weight management and wellness.
Company Size: Medium-sized company with a growing engineering team.
Founded: 1963 (as a non-profit organization), 1978 (as a for-profit company)

Team Structure:

The Platform Engineering team works closely with development and NOC teams to ensure seamless integration with applications and services.
The team is responsible for designing, building, and maintaining the core infrastructure and tooling for deployment pipelines, Kubernetes clusters, and distributed systems.
The team consists of platform engineers, site reliability engineers, and DevOps engineers, all working together to ensure the reliability, scalability, and performance of the WeightWatchers platform.

Development Methodology:

Agile/Scrum Methodologies: The Platform Engineering team follows Agile/Scrum methodologies to deliver features and improvements to the platform efficiently.
Code Review and Quality Assurance: The team emphasizes code review, testing, and quality assurance practices to ensure the stability and performance of the platform.
Deployment Strategies: The team employs CI/CD pipelines and automated deployment strategies to ensure zero-downtime deployings and rollback capabilities.

Company Website: https://www.weightwatchers.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: WeightWatchers values developing community within its employee population and encourages employees to come into the office 1-2 days/week.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Platform Engineering Career Level: Staff Platform Engineer roles involve designing, building, and maintaining core infrastructure and tooling for deployment pipelines, Kubernetes clusters, and distributed systems. They work closely with cross-functional teams to ensure the reliability, scalability, and performance of the platform, enabling seamless delivery of applications and services.

Reporting Structure: Staff Platform Engineers typically report directly to the Director or Manager of Platform Engineering and may have team members reporting to them, depending on the organization's structure.

Technical Impact: Staff Platform Engineers have a significant technical impact on the user experience and health outcomes for millions of people worldwide. Their work ensures the reliability, scalability, and performance of the WeightWatchers platform, enabling seamless delivery of applications and services.

Growth Opportunities:

Technical Leadership: As a Staff Platform Engineer, you will have the opportunity to mentor junior engineers and contribute to a culture of technical excellence. You may also have the chance to take on more significant projects and drive technical decisions within the team.
Architecture Decisions: With experience, you may have the opportunity to make architecture decisions that impact the entire platform and shape the future of the WeightWatchers engineering team.
Career Progression: As a Staff Platform Engineer, you will be well-positioned to progress to a Principal or Distinguished Engineer role, where you can focus on driving innovation and technical strategy within the organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: WeightWatchers values developing community within its employee population and encourages employees to come into the office 1-2 days/week. This hybrid work arrangement provides an opportunity for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and mentoring, fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: WeightWatchers has a hybrid work environment, with employees encouraged to come into the office 1-2 days/week.

Office Location(s): WeightWatchers' headquarters are located in New York, United York, with additional offices in various locations worldwide.

Workspace Context:

Collaborative Workspace: The WeightWatchers office provides a collaborative workspace with dedicated areas for team meetings, brainstorming sessions, and social events.
Development Tools and Resources: The office is equipped with modern development tools, multiple monitors, and testing devices to support the needs of the engineering team.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: The WeightWatchers office fosters cross-functional collaboration between developers, designers, and stakeholders, with open-plan workspaces and dedicated meeting rooms.

Work Schedule: Full-time (40 hours/week) with a hybrid work arrangement (2 days/week in the office)

📝 Enhancement Note: WeightWatchers encourages employees to come into the office 1-2 days/week to foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and mentoring, creating a culture of continuous learning and growth.

📄 Application & Technical Interview Process

Interview Process:

Phone Screen: A brief phone call to discuss your experience, motivation, and fit for the role.
Technical Deep Dive: A technical conversation focused on your experience with Kubernetes, CI/CD pipelines, Nginx, Kafka, and other relevant technologies.
Behavioral and Cultural Fit: An interview to assess your cultural fit, problem-solving skills, and ability to work effectively in a team environment.
Final Decision: A final interview with the hiring manager or a panel of senior team members to make a hiring decision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

Highlight Relevant Projects: Focus on projects that demonstrate your experience with Kubernetes, CI/CD pipelines, Nginx, Kafka, and other relevant technologies.
Demonstrate Technical Depth: Showcase your technical expertise by including code samples, architecture diagrams, and detailed explanations of your approach to platform engineering challenges.
Emphasize User Impact: Highlight the user impact of your projects, including any improvements in performance, scalability, or reliability that you've achieved.
Include Testimonials: If possible, include testimonials from colleagues or team members who can attest to your technical skills and leadership abilities.

Technical Challenge Preparation:

Review Kubernetes Fundamentals: Brush up on your knowledge of Kubernetes architecture, deployment strategies, and best practices.
Practice CI/CD Pipeline Exercises: Familiarize yourself with CI/CD pipeline tools and workflows, and practice creating and maintaining pipelines for deployment automation.
Study Nginx and Kafka: Review Nginx configuration and management, as well as Kafka cluster design and operation.
Prepare for Behavioral Questions: Practice answering behavioral questions that assess your problem-solving skills, leadership abilities, and cultural fit.

ATS Keywords: Kubernetes, CI/CD Pipelines, Nginx, Kafka, Infrastructure-as-Code, Python, Go, Typescript, Bash, AWS, GCP, Observability Tools, Platform Reliability, Deployment Tooling, Hybrid Cloud, Multi-Cloud, Service Mesh, Chaos Engineering, Resilience Testing, Code Quality, Version Control, Deployment Processes, Testing Methodologies, Agile/Scrum Methodologies, Code Review, Quality Assurance, Zero-Downtime Deployments, Rollback Mechanisms, Platform Engineering, Staff Platform Engineer, Technical Leadership, Architecture Decisions, Career Progression, Hybrid Work Environment, Collaborative Workspace, Cross-Functional Collaboration, User Impact, Technical Interview Process, Portfolio Review Tips, Technical Challenge Preparation, ATS Keywords

📝 Enhancement Note: The technical interview process for the Staff Platform Engineer role at WeightWatchers is designed to assess your technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit. By preparing thoroughly and showcasing your expertise in platform engineering, you can demonstrate your value to the WeightWatchers team and increase your chances of success in the interview process.

🛠️ Technology Stack & Web Infrastructure

Frontend Technologies: N/A (not applicable for this role)

Backend & Server Technologies:

Kubernetes: The primary container orchestration platform used at WeightWatchers for managing and deploying applications and services.
CI/CD Pipelines: WeightWatchers uses CI/CD pipelines for automating the deployment process and ensuring zero-downtime deployments and rollback capabilities.
Nginx: A reverse proxy and load balancer used to manage web traffic and optimize performance, security, and scalability.
Kafka: A high-throughput, low-latency messaging system used for real-time data processing and event-driven architecture.

Development & DevOps Tools:

Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) Tools: WeightWatchers uses IaC tools like Terraform, Ansible, and CloudFormation to automate infrastructure provisioning and management.
Version Control Systems: Git is used for version control and collaboration on platform engineering projects.
Monitoring and Logging Tools: WeightWatchers uses tools like New Relic, OpenTelemetry, Prometheus, Grafana, and the ELK stack for monitoring, logging, and tracing platform performance and behavior.

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack for the Staff Platform Engineer role at WeightWatchers is designed to ensure the reliability, scalability, and performance of the platform, enabling seamless delivery of applications and services. By gaining expertise in these technologies, you can make a significant impact on the user experience and health outcomes for millions of people worldwide.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Platform Engineering Values:

User-Centric: Focus on the user experience and ensure that platform engineering decisions prioritize user needs and preferences.
Reliability-Focused: Emphasize platform reliability, availability, and scalability to ensure seamless delivery of applications and services.
Continuous Learning: Foster a culture of continuous learning and growth, encouraging team members to stay up-to-date with emerging technologies and best practices.
Collaborative: Encourage cross-functional collaboration and knowledge sharing to drive innovation and improve platform engineering processes.

Collaboration Style:

Cross-Functional Integration: WeightWatchers emphasizes cross-functional integration between developers, designers, and stakeholders to ensure that platform engineering decisions align with business needs and user expectations.
Code Review Culture: The platform engineering team maintains a code review culture to ensure code quality, knowledge sharing, and collective code ownership.
Peer Programming and Mentoring: WeightWatchers encourages peer programming and mentoring to enhance technical skills, foster knowledge sharing, and drive a culture of technical excellence.

📝 Enhancement Note: The platform engineering team at WeightWatchers values collaboration, knowledge sharing, and continuous learning to drive innovation and improve platform engineering processes. By embracing these values, you can contribute to a culture of technical excellence and make a significant impact on the user experience and health outcomes for millions of people worldwide.

🌐 Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Technical Challenges:

Kubernetes Cluster Optimization: Continuously optimize Kubernetes clusters for performance, scalability, and security to ensure seamless delivery of applications and services.
CI/CD Pipeline Automation: Automate the deployment process to ensure zero-downtime deployments and rollback capabilities, enhancing developer productivity and deployment reliability.
Nginx Configuration Optimization: Fine-tune Nginx configurations to optimize performance, security, and scalability, ensuring efficient web traffic management and load balancing.
Kafka Integration and Optimization: Design and manage high-throughput, low-latency messaging systems using Apache Kafka, ensuring efficient message processing and real-time data processing.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

Technical Skill Development: WeightWatchers provides opportunities for technical skill development, including training, workshops, and conference attendance to help you stay up-to-date with emerging technologies and best practices.
Emerging Technology Adoption: WeightWatchers encourages the adoption of emerging technologies and encourages team members to explore new tools, frameworks, and methodologies to drive innovation and improve platform engineering processes.
Technical Leadership Development: As a Staff Platform Engineer, you will have the opportunity to mentor junior engineers and contribute to a culture of technical excellence. You may also have the chance to take on more significant projects and drive technical decisions within the team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The technical challenges and growth opportunities for the Staff Platform Engineer role at WeightWatchers are designed to drive innovation, improve platform engineering processes, and enhance the user experience for millions of people worldwide. By embracing these challenges and pursuing continuous learning and growth, you can make a significant impact on the WeightWatchers platform and contribute to the success of the organization.

💡 Interview Preparation

Technical Questions:

Kubernetes Architecture: Describe your experience with Kubernetes architecture, deployment strategies, and best practices. Provide examples of Kubernetes clusters you've designed, deployed, and managed in production environments.
CI/CD Pipeline Automation: Explain your approach to automating the deployment process using CI/CD pipelines. Describe your experience with tools like GitHub Actions, ArgoCD, or Jenkins, and provide examples of pipelines you've created and maintained.
Nginx Configuration and Management: Discuss your experience with Nginx configuration and management. Describe your approach to optimizing Nginx for performance, security, and scalability, and provide examples of Nginx configurations you've implemented and maintained.
Kafka Cluster Design and Operation: Explain your experience with Kafka cluster design and operation. Describe your approach to managing high-throughput, low-latency messaging systems, and provide examples of Kafka clusters you've designed, deployed, and managed.

Company & Culture Questions:

Platform Engineering Culture: Describe your understanding of the platform engineering culture at WeightWatchers, and how your experience and skills align with the team's values and goals.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Explain your approach to cross-functional collaboration and how you've worked effectively with developers, designers, and stakeholders in previous roles.
Problem-Solving Skills: Provide examples of complex technical challenges you've faced in previous roles and how you've approached and resolved them.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

Highlight Relevant Projects: Focus on projects that demonstrate your experience with Kubernetes, CI/CD pipelines, Nginx, Kafka, and other relevant technologies.
Demonstrate Technical Depth: Showcase your technical expertise by including code samples, architecture diagrams, and detailed explanations of your approach to platform engineering challenges.
Emphasize User Impact: Highlight the user impact of your projects, including any improvements in performance, scalability, or reliability that you've achieved.
Include Testimonials: If possible, include testimonials from colleagues or team members who can attest to your technical skills and leadership abilities.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Staff Platform Engineer position at WeightWatchers, follow these steps:

Submit Your Application: Click the "Apply" button on the job listing to submit your application through the application link provided.
Prepare Your Portfolio: Tailor your portfolio to showcase your experience with Kubernetes, CI/CD pipelines, Nginx, Kafka, and other relevant technologies. Include code samples, architecture diagrams, and detailed explanations of your approach to platform engineering challenges.
Optimize Your Resume: Highlight your technical skills, experience, and achievements in platform engineering, focusing on the key skills and qualifications listed in the job description.
Prepare for Technical and Cultural Fit Interviews: Brush up on your knowledge of Kubernetes, CI/CD pipelines, Nginx, Kafka, and other relevant technologies. Practice answering behavioral questions that assess your problem-solving skills, leadership abilities, and cultural fit.
Research WeightWatchers: Familiarize yourself with WeightWatchers' mission, values, and culture. Prepare questions to ask during the interview process to demonstrate your interest in the role and the organization.

📝 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.

Staff Platform Engineer