Director Platform Engineering

About This Job

SMC Squared India

Location: Hyderabad, Telangana, India

Work Mode: On-site

Industry: Financial Services

Job Description

We are looking for a Director - Platform Engineering to lead a critical part of our platform engineering organization from our Hyderabad GCC.

This role will focus on building and evolving the foundational services, APIs, and data systems that power Our client's entire product ecosystem.

This is a senior leadership role (Director level) responsible for leading multiple platform engineering teams while contributing meaningfully to architecture, technical strategy, and execution. You will partner closely with Product, Application Engineering, and Platform leadership in the U.S. and India to deliver a scalable, reliable, and high-quality platform built in azure leveraging cloud native technologies like Snowflake, containerized microservices managed through Kubernetes.

This role combines platform engineering leadership with GCC build-out responsibilities—requiring strong cross-geography collaboration, talent development, and a commitment to engineering excellence.

What You'll Do

Build and Evolve the Platform

Lead the development of core platform services, APIs, and shared infrastructure used across all product domains built on cloud-native foundations (Azure, Kubernetes, and CI/CD pipelines)Drive API-first, service-oriented architecture patterns that enable rapid product development and scalabilityPartner with platform products and architecture leadership to define technical strategy and roadmapEnsure platform capabilities are reliable, secure, performant, and extensibleEstablish clear integration patterns and enable seamless cross-application workflows

Lead Platform Engineering Teams

Lead and grow multiple platform engineering squads within the Hyderabad GCCBuild a strong local leadership bench, including staff and senior engineersFoster a high-performance culture centered on ownership, accountability, and continuous improvementProvide hands-on technical guidance where needed (player-coach mindset)Ensure strong alignment and collaboration with U.S.-based teams and stakeholders

Drive Engineering Excellence & Standards

Establish and enforce best practices in platform engineering, including API design, data modeling, observability, and reliability using Azure, Java, and Modern Devops toolingPromote high standards for code quality, testing, and system designDrive adoption of modern engineering practices (CI/CD, infrastructure-as-code, automation)Improve developer experience across the platform through tooling, documentation, and self-service capabilities

Partner Across Product & Engineering

Collaborate closely with Product, Application Engineering, and Design teams to enable faster, higher-quality product deliveryAct as a strong partner to application engineering teams, ensuring platform usability and adoptionTranslate business and product needs into scalable platform solutionsBalance short-term delivery needs with long-term architectural integrity

Data & Integration Foundations

Contribute to the development of canonical data models and shared data services using Snowflake and PostgresEnsure strong data governance, consistency, and integrity across systemsEnable event-driven and API-based integration patterns across the platform

GCC Leadership & Talent Development

Play a key role in building and scaling the Hyderabad GCC as a strategic engineering hubRecruit, develop, and retain high-quality engineering talent in IndiaEstablish an apprenticeship culture with strong mentorship and career growth pathwaysBuild strong cross-cultural collaboration between India and U.S. teams

AI-Driven Engineering Practices

Drive adoption of AI-assisted development tools and workflows within platform teamsImprove productivity, quality, and velocity through modern engineering practices

Execution & Delivery

Own delivery across multiple platform teams, ensuring predictable, high-quality outcomesEstablish clear priorities, planning processes, and execution disciplineContinuously improving team effectiveness, velocity, and reliability

What You Bring

Platform Engineering Expertise

Strong experience building and operating platform services, APIs, and shared infrastructureDeep understanding of distributed systems, microservices, and event-driven architectureExperience with cloud-native systems and modern backend development practicesFamiliarity with data modeling, integration patterns, and system interoperabilityHands-on experience with Java, Spring Boot, Snowflake, Postgres.

Leadership & Team Building

Proven experience leading multi-team engineering organizations (typically 10–30+ engineers)Strong track record of hiring, developing, and retaining engineering talentExperience working in globally distributed teams, especially across India and the U.S.Ability to influence without authority and drive alignment across teams

Player-Coach Mindset

Comfortable engaging in architecture, design reviews, and technical decision-makingHands-on enough to guide teams with credibility, without needing to code full-time

Product & Execution Mindset

Strong partnership orientation with Product and Application Engineering teamsAbility to translate ambiguous requirements into clear technical directionFocused on delivering business outcomes, not just technical outputs

GCC & Cross-Geo Collaboration

Experience working in or building teams within a GCC or India-based engineering organization is strongly preferredDemonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with U.S.-based stakeholders and teams

AI & Modern Engineering Practices

Interest or experience in applying AI to software development workflowsPassion for improving engineering productivity and quality through tooling and process innovation

Education & Experience

Bachelor's degree in computer science, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience)14+ years of software engineering experience, with significant time in backend or platform engineeringExperience leading platform or infrastructure teams in product-driven organizationsExperience in fintech, enterprise SaaS, or regulated industries is a plus

Leadership Capabilities

Platform Thinker: Understands how to build systems that scale across teams and domainsTalent Builder: Develops strong engineers and future leadersCross-Cultural Leader: Effectively leads across India and U.S. teamsCraft-Oriented Leader: Holds a high bar for engineering quality and standardsPragmatic Strategist: Balances long-term architecture with near-term deliveryCollaborative Partner: Works seamlessly with Product, Design, and Application Engineering