Lead Platform Engineer

Location: Holmdel, United States (Hybrid: Three days a week at Guardian office in New York, NY, Holmdel, NJ, or Bethlehem, PA)

Why Join Guardian Life?

At Guardian Life, we're more than an insurance company—we're a purpose-driven organization committed to inspiring well-being for our colleagues, customers, and communities. As a Fortune 500 company with over 160 years of history, Guardian Life offers unparalleled stability, innovation, and growth opportunities. Join our dynamic engineering team in Holmdel, United States, and play a pivotal role in transforming how we deliver cutting-edge platforms that power financial security for millions.

Our culture emphasizes work-life balance, professional development, and inclusivity. With flexible hybrid work options, comprehensive benefits, and a focus on employee well-being, Guardian Life is the ideal place for ambitious Platform Engineers to thrive. Be part of a collaborative environment where your expertise in CI/CD, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), and GitHub will drive real impact.

Role Description

Guardian Life is seeking a highly skilled Lead Platform Engineer with a passion for delivery excellence to elevate our internal development platforms. In this leadership role based in Holmdel, United States, you'll architect scalable CI/CD pipelines, optimize GitHub workflows, and champion developer experience (DevEx). You'll ensure our Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) is efficient, secure, and reliable, enabling rapid innovation in our insurance and financial services products.

As a Lead Platform Engineer, you'll bridge engineering teams and infrastructure, leveraging tools like Terraform, Kubernetes, and cloud platforms to build internal developer platforms (IDPs) that accelerate time-to-market. If you excel in GitHub Actions, Docker, AWS/Azure, and have strong OOP skills in C#, TypeScript, or Python, this is your opportunity to lead at a premier employer in Holmdel.

Detailed Responsibilities

Core Platform Engineering Duties

• GitHub Optimization: Design, implement, and optimize GitHub workflows, actions, and integrations to boost developer productivity, collaboration, and code quality across teams.
• Developer Experience Enhancement: Streamline development workflows, automate repetitive tasks, and provide self-service tools and environments to improve DevEx and reduce cognitive load.
• CI/CD Pipeline Mastery: Architect, deploy, and maintain robust CI/CD pipelines using Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or CircleCI for fast, reliable, and secure software delivery.
• Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Develop and manage scalable infrastructure with Terraform, CloudFormation, or similar tools, ensuring reproducibility, security, and compliance.
• Internal Development Platforms: Build and evolve IDPs that support the full SDLC—from code commit to production deployment—empowering engineering teams at scale.

Collaboration & Optimization

• Leverage strong software development skills to create custom tools, scripts, and applications in Python, Bash, C#, or TypeScript.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to understand needs, provide technical guidance, and enforce best practices.
• Implement monitoring, alerting, and optimization strategies to enhance platform performance, reliability, security, and cost-efficiency.
• Lead troubleshooting of complex issues in Docker/Kubernetes environments and cloud infrastructures.

Required Skills

Guardian Life seeks top talent with proven expertise. Key skills include:

• Advanced proficiency in GitHub (workflows, Actions, integrations)
• Expertise in CI/CD tools (Jenkins, GitHub Actions, CircleCI)
• Deep knowledge of IaC (Terraform, CloudFormation)
• Strong OOP fundamentals in C#, TypeScript, or Python
• Solid SQL fundamentals for data-driven platforms
• Hands-on experience with Docker and Kubernetes
• Cloud platforms: AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud
• Scripting (Python, Bash) and automation
• Problem-solving, communication, and cross-team collaboration

Education & Experience

Experience: 7+ years as a Platform Engineer, DevOps Engineer, or similar, with a track record in delivery excellence and internal platforms.

Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent professional experience).

Strong understanding of developer workflows, SDLC, and metrics for productivity/satisfaction.

Compensation Overview

The base salary range for this Lead Platform Engineer position in Holmdel, United States, is $118,980 - $195,465 annually. Actual pay depends on education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities. Eligible for annual incentives, sales bonuses, or other compensation. Comprehensive total rewards package enhances your earning potential.

Benefits

Guardian Life inspires well-being with industry-leading benefits:

• Flexible hybrid work (3 days/week in office)
• Comprehensive health, dental, vision coverage
• 401(k) with company match and financial wellness programs
• Generous PTO, parental leave, and work-life balance initiatives
• Professional development, tuition reimbursement, leadership training
• Philanthropic opportunities and employee resource groups
• Wellness programs, mental health support, and more

Explore full benefits at www.guardianlife.com/careers/corporate/benefits. Full-time employees eligible (interns limited).

Equal Employment Opportunity: Guardian is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants considered without regard to age, race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or other protected status.

Apply now to lead platform engineering at Guardian Life in Holmdel!