Group Lead IT, Platform Engineering

Job description

Platform Strategy & Governance Own and evolve the strategy for the combined DevOps and Quality Engineering platform, defining the service catalogue, availability, configuration and release lifecycle for each capability. Govern the platforms that enable Kraft Heinz's engineering community to build, test, deploy and operate digital products, and be accountable for service performance definition, measurement and reporting.

Drive rationalisation of a toolset that currently spans 20+ tools and technologies, making deliberate, evidence-based decisions on where to consolidate and where to invest, in line with our Capable, Lean & Healthy strategy. Align platform architecture and controls to Kraft Heinz's Reference Architecture Ensure the smooth, secure operation of the DevSecOps toolset, including CI/CD (e.g. GitHub, Azure DevOps), security and compliance tooling (vulnerability scanning, secrets management) and monitoring/logging tooling (e.g.

PagerDuty, New Relic, Grafana). Collaborate with development teams and the Software Engineering chapter to ensure DevSecOps capabilities are seamlessly integrated into the software development lifecycle. Work with the security team to ensure the platform meets organisational security policy and regulatory requirements. Evaluate and implement new QE and test orchestration tools and technologies, building the business case and driving adoption of best practice across the organisation.

Delivery Partner & Stakeholder Management Manage day-to-day delivery and performance of HCLTech and other service partners against the "Autonomous Operations” model, ensuring scalable, secure and integrated services that Product teams can trust. Work closely with Global IT and other PP&E chapters to ensure new initiatives with up/downstream impact on the platform are coordinated and aligned. Execute platform governance — routines, controls and monitoring — and continuously improve them to drive better performance.

Manage delivery of new platform features, integrations and capabilities in line with the platform's roadmap and PP&E's wider strategy. Build, structure and lead the India-based Platform Engineering team from the ground up, starting with the Testing Platform Manager and DevOps Platform Delivery Manager as direct reports, growing the function toward its target headcount over time. Recruit, coach and develop platform and test engineers, establishing Kraft Heinz as a location of choice for platform engineering talent in India.

Set clear objectives, career pathways and performance standards for the team, fostering a culture of ownership, engineering excellence and continuous improvement. Act as a member of Paul Eastman's PP&E leadership team, contributing to organisation design, workforce planning and cross-chapter initiatives beyond the immediate platform remit. 8+ years of experience in IT/engineering, including significant experience in DevOps, platform engineering or quality engineering leadership roles.

Proven people leadership experience, including managing managers and building or scaling a team, ideally within an international or offshore/India delivery model. Hands-on experience with enterprise DevSecOps tooling, with a preference for GitHub, Azure DevOps, Jira and Confluence. Working knowledge of Quality Engineering and test automation tooling (e.g. HP ALM/Worksoft, Selenium, LoadRunner, test optimisation platforms such as Panaya or LiveCompare).

Proven experience of platform management, including

Defining platform strategies Scaling platforms in an internationally distributed environment Implementing platform governance Assessing and selecting platform technologies Broad technology experience beyond platform management, including project scoping and delivery, requirements analysis, solution/process design, systems administration and solution architecture. Experience managing outsourced or managed-service delivery partners against agreed service levels.

Experience with cloud platforms, with a preference for Microsoft Azure (including AKS/Container Apps). Strong understanding of security and compliance principles, with experience implementing security controls and monitoring for vulnerabilities. Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with experience operating credibly with senior (VP/CIO-level) stakeholders. Experience of working in diverse global teams and as part of large matrix organisations.

Exposure to AI-assisted software delivery — e.g. GitHub Copilot, Claude Code or similar agentic engineering tooling — and an interest in AI-native ways of working. Experience with AI-powered test orchestration or self-healing test automation platforms. Certification in DevSecOps, Quality Engineering, or an IT service management framework (e.g. ITIL). Experience with agile delivery at scale (e.g. Scrum, Kanban, SAFe). Knowledge or experience gained from within the CPG industry would be an advantage.

Empathy — you listen more than you talk, understand your internal customers deeply, and use that understanding to improve their experience of the platform. Ability to Simplify — you keep things simple and move fast, translating complex challenges into simple, adoptable solutions. Proactive — you are a self-starter who drives initiatives through to completion and is comfortable challenging the status quo to get the right result.

Analytical — you use data to guide decisions, translating complex information into clear, actionable recommendations. Communication Skills — you communicate clearly and confidently in writing and verbally, including with senior leadership. People Leadership — you build trust quickly, develop talent, and create an environment where engineers do their best work. Project & Programme Management — you are organised and structured, and can bring multiple large-scale initiatives to a successful conclusion within agreed timeframes.