Principal Platform Architect - UK SC/DV eligibility required

United Kingdom·LondonFull-timelead

ArchitectConstruction & Real Estate

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Quick Summary

Requirements Summary

Deep expertise in cloud infrastructure and platform engineering, preferably with a strong AWS background (other major cloud providers also valuable).

Technical Tools

ArchitectConstruction & Real Estate

What We Offer

~2 min read

We are a self-funded, London based startup; providing businesses with a fast and secure way to deploy containerised applications into the cloud.

We are on a mission to enable organisations to make cloud-based software delivery simple and efficient, whilst having the insights into costs, security and cadence. As a company that holds customers at the heart of everything we do, we are looking for candidates that want to make a real change to how Dev and Ops is working in the industry.

With us our customers, like the UK’s Home Office & Bank of England, are harnessing cloud-native technologies, limiting the challenges of infrastructure management and rapidly delivering digital products.

✓Learning budget of £1,000 a year

✓Your own MacBook Pro while you work at Appvia

✓Dog friendly office

✓Wear what makes you comfortable

✓Free snacks in the office

✓Pool table & ping pong table

✓Regular team socials, board game nights, industry meetups and more!

At Appvia, we're committed to helping our customers navigate their journey to Cloud and DevOps maturity. As a leading provider in the industry, we offer cutting-edge technologies and services to support our clients' cloud adoption journey.

Our mission is to enable every company to deliver apps in the cloud. We dedicate ourselves to building a cloud infrastructure layer that allows platform engineering teams to manage, monitor and update with ease - at the same time, offering devs the flexibility to deploy their apps in the cloud without a hassle. We are passionate about driving value to our clients and have a desire to make their organisation succeed.

About the Role

~1 min read

We are seeking an experienced Principal Technical Architect to join Appvia and play a leading role on one of the most significant government cloud initiatives in the UK, consulting on a critical national platform for a secure government client, ensuring this platform is designed and operated to the highest standards of resilience, security, and compliance. You’ll combine your technical expertise with excellent consultancy and stakeholder management skills, working directly with senior government stakeholders and partner organisations.

In this role, you’ll report directly into Appvia’s Head of Cloud Solutions and act as a senior technical authority, shaping the design and governance of a cloud platform. While not heavily hands-on day-to-day, you will bring deep experience in cloud infrastructure, platform engineering, and solution architecture, enabling you to guide technical decision-making across teams. This is an opportunity to make a meaningful impact on one of the most important and high-profile secure cloud programmes in the country.

Initial conversation with our Talent team
Technical Interview
Final Interview with Leadership

This is an urgent requirement for a public sector client and will require ACTIVE Security Clearance or Developed Vetting.

Requirements

~1 min read

Certification in relevant cloud technologies (AWS, Azure, GCP) at an expert/professional level is highly desirable, e.g.:

AWS Solutions Architect Professional
Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ305)

Certification in Kubernetes or Terraform administration is desirable:

Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)
Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist (CKSS)
HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate

Proven experience as a Principal Technical Architect in secure, complex environments, including the following:

Deep expertise in cloud infrastructure and platform engineering, preferably with a strong AWS background (other major cloud providers also valuable).
Strong technical foundation in:

Infrastructure-as-Code (Terraform)
Kubernetes and container orchestration
CI/CD pipelines and DevSecOps toolchains

Strong understanding of governance, compliance, and security requirements for UK government, including NCSC Cloud Security Principles and relevant frameworks.
Experience operating at the technical design authority (TDA) level, shaping architecture and providing oversight across multiple delivery teams.
Ability to influence and engage senior government stakeholders, with excellent consultancy and stakeholder management skills.

Define the technical architecture vision and governance for a large-scale secure government cloud platform.
Shape design patterns, standards, and guardrails to meet national security and compliance requirements.
Provide oversight across platform-focused engineering teams (e.g. CI/CD, Observability, Security, Networking).

Act as a trusted technical authority for both partner organisations and government stakeholders.
Facilitate architecture boards, workshops, and reviews to align technical and business priorities.
Communicate complex technical decisions and risks clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Lead on documentation, governance, and assurance of architectural decisions.
Identify and mitigate technical risks and dependencies.
Embed security, resilience, and compliance into every stage of platform design and delivery.

Multi-cloud experience (Azure, GCP) in addition to AWS.
Knowledge of FinOps principles and cloud cost optimisation.
Background in hands-on software engineering or platform delivery, bringing credibility with engineering teams.
Experience in large-scale agile delivery environments (SAFe, LeSS, dual-track agile).

⚖️ Work-life balance

Flexible working with core hours of 10-4pm because we know life happens outside of work
Hybrid working - only one compulsory office day per month
25 days’ holiday a year, plus bank holidays
An additional day off for your birthday
Enhanced maternity and paternity to full pay
Workplace Nursery Benefit to help working parents

💚 For your well-being