Platform Engineer

Location: Austin, United States of America Thales people architect identity management and data protection solutions at the heart of digital security. Business and governments rely on us to bring trust to the billions of digital interactions they have with people. Our technologies and services help banks exchange funds, people cross borders, energy become smarter and much more. More than 30,000 organizations already rely on us to verify the identities of people and things, grant access to digital services, analyze vast quantities of information and encrypt data to make the connected world more secure. This is a hybrid position in Austin, TX Position Summary We are seeking an experienced Platform Engineer to design, build, and operate the internal platforms that enable engineering teams to deliver software faster, more securely, and with greater confidence. This role sits at the core of the Thales CDI Cloud Center of Excellence (CCoE) and is responsible for creating high-quality paved roads across cloud, compute, network, CI/CD, and developer tooling. The ideal candidate combines deep infrastructure knowledge with a software engineering mindset. They understand that platform engineering is not just about maintaining infrastructure — it is about building a product for developers: self-service, reliable, well-documented, observable, and easy to use. This is a hands-on technical role based in Austin, Texas, supporting a multi-cloud environment across AWS, GCP, and Azure. Essential Functions Platform Engineering Design and build internal platform capabilities that reduce cognitive load for application teams and improve developer productivityTreat infrastructure as a product, focusing on usability, consistency, reliability, and developer experienceCreate self-service workflows, templates, and reusable components that standardize how teams consume platform servicesInfrastructure Automation Develop automation for cloud foundations, CI/CD, secrets management, container platforms, and network servicesBuild and maintain reusable platform tooling for provisioning, configuration, deployment, and operational tasksEliminate manual operational work through automation and policy-driven controlsCloud & Kubernetes Engineering Support production-grade Kubernetes and multi-cloud landing zones across AWS, GCP, and AzureContribute to scalable platform patterns for compute, networking, identity, access, and workload deploymentEnsure platform components are secure, resilient, and designed for enterprise scaleDeveloper Enablement Partner with product engineering teams to understand pain points and deliver practical platform solutionsProvide clear documentation, reference architectures, and golden paths for common engineering workflowsImprove the developer experience by reducing friction in build, test, deploy, and operate cyclesReliability & Operational Excellence Build observability into platform services and ensure they are measurable, supportable, and trustworthyParticipate in incident response, root cause analysis, and continuous improvement effortsDefine and support operational standards that improve reliability, maintainability, and service qualityCross-functional Collaboration Collaborate with SRE, Security, Product Owners, and Engineering teams to align platform capabilities with business and technical needsInfluence platform strategy through strong technical judgment and clear communicationIdentify systemic bottlenecks and propose scalable solutions before they impact delivery Minimum Requirements Education Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field; equivalent professional experience acceptedExperience Bachelor’s degree in field with a minimum of 8-12+ years of relevant work experience or Master’s degree in field with 6+ years of relevant work experience8+ years of experience in Platform Engineering, DevOps, SRE, Infrastructure Engineering, or a related disciplineProven experience building internal platforms, automation frameworks, or developer tooling in a production environmentExperience working in multi-cloud and/or enterprise-scale infrastructure environmentsTechnical Skills Strong experience with Kubernetes, containerized workloads, and cloud-native architecturesHands-on knowledge of AWS, GCP, and/or AzureExperience with CI/CD pipelines, Git-based workflows, and deployment automationFamiliarity with secrets management, artifact management, and infrastructure provisioning toolsStrong scripting or programming skills for automation and platform developmentUnderstanding of observability, reliability, and operational readiness practicesSoft Skills Product mindset: able to think like a platform user and design with developer experience in mindStrong written and verbal communication skillsAble to translate complex infrastructure topics into simple, actionable guidanceComfortable working autonomously in a distributed, collaborative environmentStrong ownership, curiosity, and a bias toward simplification and automation Preferred Qualifications Nice to Have Experience with platform engineering patterns such as IDPs, golden paths, self-service portals, and platform APIsExperience in a Cloud Center of Excellence or shared platform organizationFamiliarity with FinOps, GreenOps, or cloud governance modelsExposure to policy-as-code, service catalogs, and internal developer platforms Travel Twice a year minimum Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer at the time of hire. This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship or for assuming sponsorship of an employment visa now or in the future. If you’re excited about working with Thales, but not meeting the requirements for this position, we encourage you to join our Talent Community! https://careers.thalesgroup.com/global/en/jointalentcommunity. You can upload your CV and our recruiters can get in touch with any new opportunities that may be of interest to you. Why Join Us? Say HI and learn more about working at Thales click here This position will require successfully completing a post-offer background check. Qualified candidates with [a] criminal history will be considered and are not automatically disqualified, consistent with federal law, state law, and local ordinances. Thales champions inclusion and we believe diversity strengthens the fabric of our culture. Thales is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/veterans. If you need an accommodation or assistance in order to apply for a position with Thales, please contact us at talentacquisition@us.thalesgroup.com. The reference Total Target Compensation (TTC) market range for this position, inclusive of annual base salary and the variable compensation target, is between Total Target Cash (TTC) 131,781.00 - 219,635.00 USD Annual This reflects how companies in a similar industry and geographic region generally pay for similar jobs. This range helps the Company make pay decisions as one data point among many. Where a position falls within this range is also dependent on other factors including – but not limited to – the employee’s career path history, competencies, skills and performance, as well as the company’s annual salary budget, the customer’s program requirements, and the company’s internal equity. Thales may offer additional benefits and other compensation, depending on circumstances not related to an applicant’s status protected by local, state, or federal law. (For Internal candidate, if you need more information, please raise HR request through MyThales) Thales provides an extensive benefits program for all full-time employees working 30 or more hours per week and their eligible dependents, including the following: Elective Health, Dental, Vision, FSA/HSA, Voluntary Life and AD&D, Whole Group Life w/LTC, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity, Accident Insurance, Legal Plan, Identity Theft, and Pet InsuranceRetirement Savings Plan after 30 days of employment with a company contribution and a match, and with no vesting periodCompany paid holidays and Paid Time OffCompany provided Life Insurance, AD&D, Disability, Employee Assistance Plan, and Well-being Program