Senior Platform Engineer

Job Description:

Your Impact 

Are you ready to take the next step in your engineering career and lead the delivery of critical platforms that protect national security? At Leonardo, our Senior Platform Engineers combine technical expertise with leadership, driving the design, integration, and support of complex systems that underpin our customers’ missions. 
 
Your work at Leonardo UK will see you take the lead in solving customer problems in an agile, innovative and team-centric manner. The role may involve a blended hybrid working model, with a mixture of working from home and working on site at one of our Leonardo offices to ensure close collaboration with the wider team and with our customers. 

This role is focused on delivering, maintaining, and improving platform and systems engineering solutions that underpin critical defence, government and public sector services. 
 
What you will do as a Senior Platform Engineer 

• Lead the design, build, and support of secure platforms across on-premise, hybrid, and cloud environments. 

• Take ownership of engineering delivery for one or more work packages, including planning, estimation, execution, and reporting. 

• Develop and review system architectures, low-level designs, and technical documentation. 

• Integrate and test platform components, ensuring compliance with security and performance requirements. 

• Provide mentoring, guidance, and technical leadership to Platform Engineers and Technicians. 

• Collaborate with stakeholders, project teams, and customers to ensure solutions meet requirements. 

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives and contribute to internal engineering standards. 

What you’ll bring 

• Strong technical ability with experience of delivering and supporting complex platforms. 

• Ability to balance hands-on engineering with technical leadership and mentoring responsibilities. 

• Confidence to take ownership of solutions and represent engineering in technical discussions. 

Core areas (must have): 

• Windows and Linux operating systems 

• Virtualisation platforms (VMware, Hyper-V) 

• Networking concepts (TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, routing, firewalls) 

• Experience with automation or scripting (e.g. PowerShell, Bash, Python, Ansible, Terraform) 

• Familiarity with cyber security tools and system hardening practices 

• Understanding of ITIL and service management frameworks 

Desirable: 

• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure) and containerisation (Kubernetes, Docker) 

• Strong knowledge of enterprise services such as Active Directory, PKI, SQL, or Exchange 

• Exposure to CI/CD pipelines and DevSecOps practices 

• Hands-on use of monitoring, endpoint security, and patch management tools 

• Industry certifications (Microsoft, VMware, AWS, or equivalent) 

This is not an exhaustive list, and we are keen to hear from you even if you might not have experience in all the above. The most important skill is a good attitude and willingness to learn.  

Security Clearance 

This role is subject to pre-employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply, this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV). For more information and guidance please visit: https://careers.uk.leonardo.com/gb/en/security-and-vetting 
 
Location 

This role can be based at one of our UK sites, Bristol, with hybrid/custom working options where appropriate. 

Why join us 

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive, company-funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work–life balance. 

• Time to Recharge: Generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year. 

• Secure your Future: Award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution. 

• Your Wellbeing Matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee-led networks. 

• Never Stop Learning: Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning. 

• Tailored Perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits such as private healthcare, lifestyle discounts, and gym memberships. 

• Flexible Working: Flexible hours with hybrid working options. 

For a full list of our company benefits please visit our website. 
 
Leonardo UK operates a grade-based salary framework with broad bands. The salary range shown reflects the approved grade band for this role, or a narrower hiring range published within that band, and is benchmarked against the external market. Exceptions above the standard range are managed through governance controls to protect internal equity.
 
Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security. Headquartered in Italy, we employ over 53,000 people worldwide including 8,500 across 9 sites in the UK. Our employees are not just part of a team—they are key contributors to shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety. 

At Leonardo we are committed to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know. 

Be part of something bigger - apply now!

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Primary Location:

GB - Bristol - Coldharbour Lane

Contract Type:

Permanent

Hybrid Working:

Hybrid