FDM is a global business and technology consultancy seeking a API Platform Lead to work for our client within the Financial Services sector. This is initially a 6-12 month contract with the potential to extend and will be a hybrid role that will be based in Edinburgh.
Our client is seeking a Platform Engineering Lead to own the strategy, engineering, governance, and operation of critical enterprise platforms, with a particular focus on API and integration capabilities.
This role will lead the evolution of a global API platform, enabling secure, scalable, and reusable services across multiple product and engineering teams. The successful candidate will combine deep technical expertise with strong engineering leadership experience and a proven track record of delivering enterprise-wide platform transformation initiatives.
Responsibilities:
Platform Ownership
Own the strategic direction, roadmap, and operational performance of the enterprise API platform.
Lead the design, build, operation, and continuous improvement of scalable, resilient, cloud-native platforms.
Ensure platform capabilities are reusable and consumable across global engineering teams.
Drive platform adoption, developer experience, engineering standards, and governance across the organisation.
Establish platform reliability, security, scalability, and disaster recovery standards.
API Platform Leadership
Lead the enterprise API platform strategy and operating model.
Own API lifecycle management including design, development, governance, security, versioning, monitoring, and decommissioning.
Define and implement API standards, design patterns, and best practices across multiple engineering teams.
Build and maintain API management capabilities including developer portals, API gateways, security controls, and consumption frameworks.
Enable federated API development across engineering teams while maintaining enterprise governance standards.
Engineering Leadership
Lead globally distributed software engineering teams and engineering managers.
Build high-performing engineering teams through coaching, mentoring, and leadership.
Drive modern engineering practices including DevOps, CI/CD, Infrastructure as Code, automated testing, and Agile delivery methods.
Manage relationships with third-party suppliers, technology partners, and offshore delivery providers.
Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, continuous improvement, and engineering excellence.
Stakeholder Management
Partner with senior technology and business stakeholders to align platform strategy with organisational priorities.
Influence architecture, technology strategy, and digital transformation initiatives.
Communicate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
Manage competing priorities while delivering measurable business outcomes.
About You
Significant experience leading Enterprise Platform Engineering, Platform Operations, or API Engineering functions.
Proven experience owning and managing a large-scale enterprise API platform.
Hands-on experience with Azure API Management (Azure APIM), including platform design, governance, lifecycle management, security, developer enablement, and platform operations.
Strong Azure cloud experience and delivery of cloud-native platforms.
Experience establishing API strategies, standards, governance models, and reusable platform capabilities across large engineering organisations.
Demonstrable experience delivering digital transformation and platform modernisation programmes.
Strong understanding of:
API Architecture
Microservices Architecture
Integration Platforms
Middleware Technologies
Cloud Technologies
Platform Engineering
Identity & Access Management
Experience leading globally distributed engineering teams.
Strong stakeholder engagement and executive communication skills.
No reliable IR35 determination was found in the title or listing text. Treat the status as unconfirmed and ask for the SDS before accepting the engagement.
