Platform Engineer Sr. - AWS / Airflow

Thoughtworks•Chicago, IL

2d•$122,000 - $184,000

About The Position

As a Senior Platform Engineer, you will design, develop, and optimize AWS-centric platform infrastructure that enables high-scale software delivery and reliable data workflows. You will enhance the Developer Experience by creating and improving tools, systems, and processes using solutions such as Harness CI/CD and GitHub. Working closely with engineering and data teams, you will provide technical guidance and promote best practices in automation, security, and scalability. You will own critical platform components, including Terraform automation and Managed Workflows for Apache Airflow (MWAA), and contribute to strategic decisions aligned with business and technical objectives. The role involves building and operating secure, highly available, scalable AWS infrastructure; optimizing costs, reliability, and performance; developing CI/CD and data deployment workflows; managing containers and infrastructure as code; and improving platform stability through troubleshooting and root cause analysis. You will also advance DevOps and GitOps practices and mentor junior engineers. Thoughtworks describes a supportive learning and development culture with interactive tools, development programs, and teammates who support employees' career growth. The posting also provides information about responsible AI use in recruitment, equal employment opportunity, US work authorization, accommodations, and the possibility of project changes or cancellations. The role's listed annual salary range is $122,000–$184,000 USD, subject to factors including experience and geographic location.

Requirements

Solid background in secure, highly scalable cloud architecture, with a strict focus on AWS, including serverless, advanced networking, and cloud best practices.
Mastery of Amazon EKS and advanced knowledge of performance tuning, cost optimization, and platform scaling.
Extensive hands-on experience managing and deploying complex data workflows, with deep knowledge of Apache Airflow, AWS MWAA, and dbt.
Proven experience implementing dbt CI/CD pipelines.
Advanced proficiency in Infrastructure as Code, primarily Terraform.
Expertise designing and integrating enterprise automation pipelines using Harness CI/CD and GitHub.
Deep understanding of containerization using Docker and Kubernetes.
Strong specialization in microservices architecture, RESTful APIs, and NoSQL databases.
Strong programming and scripting foundation in languages such as Python, Go, or Bash.
Expert-level experience implementing observability and monitoring tools such as Prometheus, Grafana, Datadog, or NewRelic.
Exceptional communication skills and ability to influence technical and non-technical stakeholders, including data engineering and development teams.
Proven leadership and mentoring abilities within cross-functional teams.
Strong problem-solving skills focused on innovative and sustainable solutions.
Ability to take strategic ownership, drive continuous improvement, and present technical recommendations with well-reasoned arguments.
Applicants for US employment must have work authorization that does not now or in the future require visa sponsorship.

Responsibilities

Lead the design, implementation, and management of secure, highly available, and scalable AWS platform infrastructure, balancing cost, reliability, and performance across cloud services.
Architect, maintain, and optimize automated CI/CD pipelines using Harness and GitHub to create fast feedback loops.
Design deployment processes for data environments, including dbt CI/CD and Apache Airflow/AWS MWAA.
Manage and optimize containerized environments using Docker, Kubernetes, and Amazon EKS.
Drive adoption of Terraform-based Infrastructure as Code for scalable resource management and provisioning.
Troubleshoot complex platform issues, conduct root cause analysis, and drive corrective actions.
Advance DevOps and GitOps practices across the organization.
Mentor junior engineers and provide technical guidance to cross-functional teams.
Contribute to strategic platform decisions and continuous improvement initiatives.