Platform Engineer (Contract)
Meet Our Recruiter
About the Role
Platform Engineer (Contract) – Cleared AI Infrastructure Programme
Contract | Inside IR35 | £600–£700/day | Hybrid / Secure Site | SC/DV Cleared | UK Nationals Only
Contract Length: Initial 3-month engagement (rolling), part of a 6–9 month delivery plan
We’re supporting a fast-moving UK-based AI software company delivering a major MOD-backed programme. They're building a mission-critical AI capability for deployment in a secure environment and need platform engineers who thrive in complex, high-stakes settings.
You’ll work on the cutting edge of DevSecOps, enabling LLM-backed systems to run without cloud dependencies on uncertain, low-spec hardware in some of the most demanding settings in the world.
What You’ll Be Doing:
Designing and managing Kubernetes-based infrastructure optimised for portable, classified environments Building secure CI/CD pipelines and deployment tooling for constrained edge environments Downscaling backend and ML services to run on low-resource hardware, sometimes without GPU Managing self-hosted models (e.g., LLMs, transcription systems) for disconnected inference Implementing secure service meshes, logging and monitoring stacks Supporting on-site test events, troubleshooting deployments and connectivity Embedding DevSecOps practices into infrastructure workflows Collaborating with security stakeholders to align with accreditation frameworks
What You’ll Bring:
Hands-on expertise in Kubernetes, with experience in constrained or disconnected environments Strong experience with Terraform, Helm, and infrastructure-as-code best practices Deep understanding of containerisation, service networking, and system tuning for edge or virtualised systems Familiarity with ML infrastructure – deploying and managing LLMs, vector stores, or transcription models Flexibility to adapt infrastructure to Defence compliance regimes (Bonus) Knowledge of Kafka or message-driven orchestration pipelines (Bonus) Experience working in secure domains such as Defence, aerospace, or national security
Why This Project?
This is not just infrastructure for another SaaS product. You'll be building lean, mission-critical systems designed to bring AI to life in disconnected, Defence-grade environments. It’s a rare chance to work on high-trust infrastructure with real impact - supported by an elite cross-functional team.
Interested? We’re hiring now. If you’re SC-cleared (or DV), ready to deploy fast, and motivated by meaningful work - get in touch with the Ncounter team today.