Principal Windows Infrastructure Platform Engineer

Principal Platform Engineer (Microsoft Infrastructure & Azure)

Location: 1-2 days a week required in the Central London office

Salary: up to £55,000 + benefits

We are working exclusively with a well-established non-profit organisation who are seeking an experienced Principal Platform Engineer to join their infrastructure team. This is an excellent opportunity for a senior Microsoft infrastructure professional who enjoys owning and improving enterprise platforms across both on-premises and Azure environments. Our client is specifically looking for a hands-on engineer with deep expertise across Windows Server, Active Directory, Azure Infrastructure, security, patching, and operational excellence - this is not a cloud-native, DevOps, or Kubernetes-focused role. You will play a key role in maintaining and enhancing a critical hybrid infrastructure estate, acting as a senior technical escalation point whilst driving platform improvements, security standards, and infrastructure projects.

The Opportunity

As Principal Platform Engineer, this position requires someone who can operate independently, take ownership of complex technical issues, lead infrastructure projects, and contribute to the development of standards, documentation, and best practice. You will be responsible for the ongoing management, support, security, and evolution of the organisation's Microsoft infrastructure estate. You will work across both on-premises and Azure environments, ensuring services remain secure, resilient, and highly availability.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage and maintain Windows Server infrastructure across on-premises and Azure environments.
• Administer and support Active Directory, DNS, Group Policy, and core Microsoft services.
• Maintain Azure infrastructure including virtual machines, storage, networking, and platform services.
• Lead patching, vulnerability remediation, security hardening, and compliance initiatives.
• Manage backup and recovery processes, ensuring business continuity and recovery readiness.
• Deliver infrastructure upgrades, migrations, and platform improvement projects.
• Act as a senior technical escalation point for complex infrastructure issues.
• Develop and maintain technical standards, procedures, and documentation.
• Work closely with internal teams and third-party suppliers to support service delivery.

Essential Experience

We are looking for candidates who have previously worked as:

• Senior Infrastructure Engineer
• Azure Infrastructure Engineer
• Microsoft Platform Engineer
• Senior Systems Engineer
• 3rd Line Infrastructure Engineer

Successful candidates will demonstrate:

• Strong hands-on Windows Server administration experience.
• Proven experience supporting and administering Microsoft Azure infrastructure.
• Azure certifications: Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) and/or Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104)
• Deep knowledge of Active Directory, DNS, and Group Policy.
• Experience managing patching, security baselines, and vulnerability remediation.
• Backup and disaster recovery expertise within enterprise environments.
• Experience working within structured change management and ITIL-led environments.
• The ability to lead technical initiatives and take ownership of critical infrastructure services.

Profile Sought

This role would suit a technically strong infrastructure professional who combines deep Microsoft expertise with a proactive, ownership-driven mindset. The ideal candidate will be comfortable balancing operational support, infrastructure improvement, security compliance, and project delivery whilst remaining hands-on with the technology.

If you are looking for a role where you can make a genuine impact on a complex hybrid infrastructure environment and continue developing your Azure expertise, we would love to hear from you.