Senior Infrastructure & Platform Engineer
Contractor | Remote | Senior Level (5-8 Years Experience)
ABOUT THE ROLE
Our client is an established organisation with a growing technology function and an active project portfolio managed through a structured PMO. They are seeking a Senior Infrastructure & Platform Engineer to act as a dedicated technical resource across multiple concurrent projects, serving as the single point of contact between IT Operations and the PMO for each assigned workstream. This is not a purely reactive support role. The successful candidate will be embedded closely enough in each project to anticipate infrastructure needs, proactively identify risks, and drive continuous improvement across the platform. The client is explicit: they want someone who thinks ahead, not someone who waits to be told there's a problem. In addition to project-aligned work, the engineer will contribute to internally driven initiatives - including an expanding infrastructure-as-code programme using Terraform - and will be expected to work comfortably across both operational and delivery contexts. ServiceNow literacy is important; understanding how work flows through the organisation (and where it doesn't) is part of the job.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Act as the dedicated infrastructure SPOC for projects running through the PMO, assigned to specific projects and staying close enough to understand their technical requirements in depth
- Bridge the relationship between project teams and IT Operations by flagging risks proactively before they become incidents
- Manage and support infrastructure across both Windows and Linux environments as a core part of this role with senior-level fluency in both
- Contribute to the organisation's infrastructure-as-code programme using Terraform, accelerating the growth of this capability
- Work within ServiceNow to manage requests, incidents, and changes while identifying and improving process gaps within the IT function
- Operate across mixed virtualisation estates including VMware and Citrix/Netscaler environments
- Apply security thinking to infrastructure design and day-to-day operations, including FortiGate firewall management and authentication protocols
- Communicate clearly and confidently with non-technical stakeholders including project managers, business leads, and senior management
ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS
- Windows & Linux Systems Administration - senior-level fluency in both environments
- Networking Knowledge - strong working understanding of micro-segmentation, DMZs, load balancers, VLANs, and routing fundamentals
- Scripting & Automation - hands-on experience with Ansible, PowerShell, and Terraform
- Virtualisation - reasonable to strong working knowledge of VMware and familiarity with Citrix/Netscaler environments
- Cybersecurity & Firewall Management - hands-on experience with FortiGate firewalls and solid grounding in security concepts
- Authentication Protocols - working knowledge of SAML and OAuth in enterprise infrastructure contexts
- Stakeholder Communication - ability to translate technical complexity into clear, plain-language communication for non-technical audiences
- ServiceNow - familiarity with ServiceNow as an ITSM platform and understanding of how requests, incidents, and changes are managed
- Proactive Problem-Solving Mindset - bias toward anticipation over reaction with genuine understanding of process improvement
DESIRABLE REQUIREMENTS
- Cisco ACI experience - direct hands-on or conceptual understanding of ACI and micro-segmentation principles
- Kubernetes and/or OpenShift containerisation experience
- Exposure to infrastructure-as-code beyond Terraform such as Pulumi or CloudFormation
- Experience working in a PMO-governed environment
- Familiarity with Agile and Waterfall delivery methodologies
- Cloud platform experience with AWS, Azure, or GCP
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator or Windows Server certifications
- Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) or equivalent Linux certification
- Cisco CCNA / CCNP certifications
- HashiCorp Terraform Associate or Professional certification
- Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)
- ITIL Foundation certification
ROLE CONTEXT
Contract Type: Contractor | Level: Senior | Experience Required: 5-8 Years | Location: Remote (Poland / Romania preferred) with possible on-site travel | Urgent requirement - availability and responsiveness to interview at short notice essential. The role sits within a technically capable team. You will be given autonomy, but you will also need to operate within established governance structures. The balance between independence and collaboration is important - this is a team environment, not a lone-wolf contract.
CERTIFICATIONS
Formal certifications are valued but will not outweigh demonstrated hands-on capability. A strong technical conversation and a credible track record will carry more weight than badge collecting. Relevant certifications that will strengthen a candidacy include: Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator / Windows Server (relevant tracks), Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) or equivalent Linux certification, Cisco CCNA / CCNP (particularly relevant given ACI context), HashiCorp Terraform Associate or Professional, Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA), and ITIL Foundation (beneficial given ServiceNow environment).
