- Own the architecture and technical direction of a large-scale AWS environment
- Hands-on Principal Engineer role focused on AWS, Terraform and automation
- Modernise cloud infrastructure and work with emerging AI technologies

Principal Cloud Platform Engineer

Sydney | Flexible Hybrid | Permanent

- Own the architecture and technical direction of a large-scale AWS environment
- Hands-on Principal Engineer role focused on AWS, Terraform and automation
- Modernise cloud infrastructure and work with emerging AI technologies

About the role

We're looking for a Principal Cloud Platform Engineer to take technical ownership of a complex AWS environment within a growing, technology-driven organisation.

This is a hands-on individual contributor role , not a traditional people management position. You'll be responsible for designing, building and improving cloud infrastructure while setting engineering standards and mentoring a small DevOps team.

The business is investing heavily in cloud modernisation, automation and AI , giving you the opportunity to influence how the platform evolves.

What you'll do

- Own the architecture, engineering standards and technical direction of the AWS platform.
- Design, build and maintain infrastructure using AWS and Terraform .
- Modernise existing infrastructure, including migration from legacy Elastic Beanstalk environments.
- Work extensively with ECS on EC2/Fargate , alongside Lambda, API Gateway and other AWS services.
- Build and improve CI/CD pipelines using GitHub Actions .
- Develop automation using Python and Bash , reducing manual processes and improving reliability.
- Improve monitoring, observability, performance and cloud cost optimisation.
- Work closely with Cyber Security teams to maintain security and compliance standards.




- Explore opportunities to introduce AI-driven automation into platform operations.
- Mentor engineers and influence architectural decisions while remaining hands-on.

What you'll bring

- 8+ years' experience across Cloud, Infrastructure, DevOps or Platform Engineering.
- Deep hands-on AWS experience , particularly ECS, EC2, Fargate, Lambda, IAM and networking.
- Advanced Terraform / Infrastructure as Code experience.
- Robust GitHub Actions, CI/CD and GitOps experience.
- Experience with Python and Bash scripting .
- Strong understanding of cloud security, reliability, monitoring and cost optimisation.
- Experience working in a regulated environment , ideally with ISO 27001, PCI DSS, APRA CPS 234 or Essential Eight.
- Strong architecture and technical design experience.
- The confidence to make technical recommendations, influence stakeholders and mentor other engineers.

Please note

This environment uses AWS ECS rather than Kubernetes , so strong ECS experience is particularly valuable.

Why join?

This is an opportunity to take genuine ownership of a cloud platform and influence how it's designed, automated and secured.

You’ll join a growing organisation investing significantly in technology, with the autonomy to make architectural decisions, introduce engineering improvements and work with emerging AI capabilities.

About the role and contact

It's an ideal opportunity for a senior engineer looking to step into a Principal-level position while remaining deeply technical .

If you have any questions about this role or others we have available, you can email Hayley directly via ******@thedrivegroup.com.au.

Our commitment to diversity

TheDriveGroup is 100% committed to improving meaningful diversity in the technology industry.

We partner with clients who embrace diversity and seek candidates across all backgrounds, abilities, genders, sexualities, cultures and faiths.

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📌 Principal Cloud Platform Engineer (Sydney)
🏢 TheDriveGroup
📍 Sydney