Company: Civil Aviation Authority
Location: Horley
Posted: May 5th, 2026
Salary: Up to £70,000 per annum dependent upon experience
Contract Type: Permanent - Full Time
Security Level: SC
Location: Either Cardiff or Gatwick based with hybrid working options
Visa Restrictions: This position does not offer visa sponsorship
The UK Civil Aviation Authority is the UK's aviation and aerospace regulator and a recognised world leader in aviation safety and innovation. Our Software Engineering function enables the organisation to deliver modern, resilient services that support our mission and the wider aviation community.
We are now seeking a Senior Platform Engineer to help evolve and operate our Azure Kubernetes platform for our Drones systems. This is a hands‑on technical role with significant influence across architecture, automation, systems reliability, and operational use.
As a Senior Platform Engineer, you will design, build, and support the platforms that underpin the digital services our drone's community uses. You will work closely with engineering teams, architects, and product to provide secure, scalable, and automated environments.
You will act as the escalation point for platform‑level incidents, requiring broad troubleshooting capability across networking, Kubernetes, CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure‑as‑code, and application configuration.
You will help shape best practice in cloud engineering and contribute to the ongoing development of our platform strategy.
You will have a background in AKS enabled DevOps Engineering, Platform management or similar role, Cloud experience in Azure and an ability to work across multiple applications
For many appointments within the CAA these roles require access to operationally sensitive infrastructure and/or Nationally Protected information. For these roles the post holders must undergo National Security Vetting and achieve the appropriate level of clearance.
SC - To be vetted we will usually expect a reasonable period of residency in the UK so that meaningful checks can be undertaken. For this role this will need to be 5 years.
If you do not meet these requirements, we may not be able to accept your application.
The CAA values high ethical standards and personal integrity among employees. If invited for interview you will be asked to complete a declaration of interest.
The CAA will be relocating from Aviation House (Our Gatwick Office) to new premises in a few years' time. Our move is driven by strategic, operational and environmental considerations.
We will be moving to a new local home, up to a 15‑mile radius of Aviation House, to minimise disruption for our valued colleagues and customers.
We are now working with colleagues and visitors to understand what we need in our new office, before we start our property search. We will sell Aviation House and land, vacate the site and move to new premises, but we do not expect to move before 2028.
We are passionate about diversity and ensuring all are included at the CAA. We are an equal opportunity employer and actively encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds.
As a member of the Disability Confident scheme, applicants who meet the minimum criteria for a role with us will be guaranteed an interview. We use fair and inclusive selection approaches to hire the best person for the job based on merit alone. If you require an adjustment for any reason, please let us know.
We recognise that many of our candidates find Artificial Intelligence to be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be rejected on that basis.
We are on a journey towards being increasingly adaptable, where our colleagues collaborate as part of cross‑functional teams. This approach ensures we never stop learning together. It also means that you may become involved in activities that take you out of your day‑to‑day role, providing you with opportunities to develop and grow your career with us.
We have embraced hybrid working and offer flexible working patterns, being open to having a conversation about what works for you. We know where and when we work is important in achieving a work‑life balance.
We offer a range of excellent benefits such as flexible working arrangements, free onsite gym at Gatwick, discounted gym membership for London, 28 days annual leave, additional 5 days leave purchase scheme, a generous pension scheme and much more!
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