Were 1st Central a market-leading insurance company utilising smart data and technology at pace. Rapid growth has been based on giving our 1.4 million customers exactly what they want: great value insurance with an excellent service. And thats the same for our colleagues too; we won Insurance Employer of the Year at the British Insurance Awards 2024 and our Glassdoor score is pretty mega too!
Were looking for Core Platform Technical Engineers wholl be responsible for managing and supporting the infrastructure and core services within the Azure cloud environment as well as driving modernisation and automation efforts. This role focuses on platform engineering including infrastructure-as-code (IaC) Azure Kubernetes Services (AKS) Terraform managing domains Active Directory (AD) DNS authentication services and program and change work.
The Core Platform Technical Engineers will ensure the operational stability scalability and security of core enterprise platforms in Azure as well as supporting other critical areas that align with business needs. Youll also support continuous improvement initiatives by modernising infrastructure implement automation and oversee the management of enterprise services. A key part of the role involves resolving incidents and requests within SLA collaborating with third-party providers as an extension of the internal team and providing expert technical support and advice to both internal teams and end-users.
We value flexible working arrangements so you can choose to work remotely or maybe you live within a commutable distance from one of our offices in Salford Quays Manchester Haywards Heath West Sussex or Guernsey and want to work in the office occasionally.
Core skills were looking for to succeed in the role:
- Strong experience with Azure infrastructure management including Azure Resource Manager (ARM) Azure Active Directory (AD) DNS and security management.
- Proficiency in Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) using tools such as Terraform ARM templates
- Expertise in managing and securing domain services Active Directory DNS and authentication protocols.
- Familiarity with cloud platform automation tools and CI/CD pipeline integration (e.g. Azure DevOps GitHub Actions).
- Hands-on experience with enterprise-grade Azure services including compute storage networking and monitoring solutions.
- Deep understanding of security best practices including Azure security features and tools (e.g. Azure Security Center Azure Policy RBAC).
- Strong communication skills with the ability to explain technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Whats involved:
- Youll manage monitor and support core infrastructure and services within the Azure cloud environment.
- Youll oversee domain management Active Directory (AD) DNS and authentication services to ensure robust enterprise security and operational continuity.
- Youll implement infrastructure-as-code (IaC) practices to automate the deployment configuration and management of cloud resources.
- Youll develop maintain and optimise cloud infrastructure ensuring it aligns with business needs and technology roadmaps.
- Youll lead efforts to modernise core infrastructure to support scalable secure and highly available platforms.
- Youll collaborate with other platform engineering teams and stakeholders to ensure platform stability and reliability.
- Youll develop maintain and optimise on Prem infrastructure in 1st Central offices
- Youll resolve platform-related incidents and service requests within agreed Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
- Youll ensure incidents and requests are logged prioritized and triaged appropriately to meet SLA targets.
- Youll provide timely resolution of incidents and technical support for end-users ensuring minimal disruption to business operations.
- Youll collaborate with cross-functional teams to investigate and remediate issues affecting platform availability and performance.
- Youll track and report the status of ongoing incidents keeping stakeholders informed of progress.
- Youll work with third-party providers and vendors as an extension of the internal team ensuring seamless collaboration on incidents issues and platform improvements.
- Youll escalate and follow up with third-party providers on unresolved issues or ongoing incidents.
- Youll ensure third-party service agreements are adhered to maintaining the required quality and efficiency levels.
- Youll provide feedback to third-party providers on service improvements ensuring the best outcomes for platform operations.
- Youll manage and execute change management activities ensuring seamless implementation of new services updates and system configurations.
- Youll take ownership of program work related to platform improvements upgrades and migrations within Azure and other supporting areas.
- Youll coordinate with business units IT teams and security teams to ensure program work aligns with business objectives and regulatory requirements.
- Youll provide technical advice and guidance during planning and execution phases of platform changes and upgrades.
- Youll drive the adoption of automation tools and processes to optimize infrastructure management and reduce manual tasks.
- Youll lead and implement modernization initiatives across platforms ensuring integration with modern cloud-based technologies.
- Youll utilise IaC frameworks like Terraform ARM templates to ensure repeatable scalable deployments of cloud resources.
- Youll collaborate with development teams to integrate continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines for improved infrastructure management.
- Youll partner with other platform engineering teams to provide operational support and troubleshooting for enterprise services.
- Youll collaborate with Cyber and Info Sec teams to ensure domain AD and DNS services adhere to security best practices and regulatory requirements.
- Youll engage with cross-functional teams including developers product managers and business leaders to understand requirements and translate them into technical solutions.
- Youll provide technical advice and mentorship to junior engineers and teams.
- Youll ensure the security performance and compliance of cloud services and infrastructure in Azure.
- Youll conduct regular platform reviews to identify optimization opportunities and ensure adherence to industry best practices.
- Youll troubleshoot and resolve platform-related incidents in a timely manner ensuring minimal disruption to business operations.
- Youll implement and manage monitoring solutions to ensure high availability reliability and performance of core platforms.
- Youll create and maintain detailed documentation for platform configurations standards and procedures.
- Youll share knowledge across teams to facilitate continuous improvement and cross-team collaboration.
- Youll write and review knowledgebase articles operational guides and best practice recommendations for cloud infrastructure and services.
- Youll comply with the requirements and act in accordance with the Group Code of Conduct and Fitness and Propriety policies at all times
- Youll ensure compliance with Company Policies Values and guidelines and other relevant standards/ regulations at all times.
- Youll be part of a 365/24/7 on-call to manage incidents security alerts and escalations as required.
Experience & knowledge
- Knowledge of FCA requirements (including individual responsibilities in relation to Consumer Duty)
- Demonstrable hands-on experience in platform engineering or cloud infrastructure management specifically with Azure.
- Proven experience implementing IaC practices and managing cloud environments with a focus on automation and scalability.
- Experience working in an enterprise-level environment managing core infrastructure and services at scale.
- Prior experience in managing change program work and cloud transformation projects.
- Experience in resolving incidents managing service requests and providing support within SLA targets.
- Experience with cloud migration modernization and disaster recovery planning.
Skills
- Strong experience with Azure infrastructure management including Azure Resource Manager (ARM) Azure Active Directory (AD) DNS and security management.
- Proficiency in Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) using tools such as Terraform ARM templates
- Expertise in managing and securing domain services Active Directory DNS and authentication protocols.
- Familiarity with cloud platform automation tools and CI/CD pipeline integration (e.g. Azure DevOps GitHub Actions).
- Hands-on experience with enterprise-grade Azure services including compute storage networking and monitoring solutions.
- Deep understanding of security best practices including Azure security features and tools (e.g. Azure Security Center Azure Policy RBAC).
- Strong communication skills with the ability to explain technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Qualifications
Maintain certifications and expertise in Azure technologies (Desirable) including but not limited to:
- AZ-104: Microsoft Azure Administrator
- AZ-303 & AZ-304: Microsoft Azure Architect Technologies and Design
- AZ-400: Microsoft Azure DevOps Solutions
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer Associate
- Microsoft Certified: Azure DevOps Engineer Expert
- Terraform (desirable)
- ITIL Foundation (desirable)
Behaviours
- Ability to work collaboratively across teams ensuring alignment of technical solutions with business goals.
- Ability to mentor and provide guidance to junior engineers or teams Self-motivated and enthusiastic
- An organised and proactive approach
- Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team
- A flexible approach and positive attitude
- Strives to drive business improvements to contribute to the success of the business
- Ability to align platform engineering initiatives with business goals and long-term technology strategies.
- Strong ability to gain buy-in from stakeholders and drive cultural change toward cloud adoption.
- Ability to leverage data to optimise cloud infrastructure and resolve issues.
- Strong ability to work across business functions and effectively communicate platform strategies.
- Expertise in guiding teams through digital transformation and adoption of new technologies.
So if youre up for the challenge and would like to join our vibrant and busy team we want to hear from you today.
What can we do for you
People first. Always. Were passionate about our colleagues and know the best people deserve an extraordinary working environment. We owe it to them so thats what we offer. Our workplaces are energetic inspirational supportive. To get a taste of the advantages youll enjoy take a look at all our perks in full here.
Intrigued Our Talent team can tell you everything you need to know about what we want and what were offering so feel free to get in touch.