Group Engineering Manager (Cloud Security) - Belfast - Ref: OPL-UPW-GEM01
At a Glance
- Senior engineering leadership role managing multiple backend and infrastructure teams at a well-funded cloud security scale-up
- Cloud-native stack: Golang, Java, Kubernetes, eBPF, AWS, GCP, and Azure
- Hybrid working: 2-3 days in the Belfast office
- Base salary up to £150,000 plus equity, private healthcare, and genuine technical autonomy
- Rare early-stage opportunity at a company with proven product-market fit and significant runway
About the Company
Our client is a high-growth cloud security company using runtime data and low-level system instrumentation to deliver deep visibility across cloud environments. The platform identifies real threats, prioritises risk, and automates responses across complex multi-cloud infrastructure in ways traditional security tooling cannot match. The business is well-funded, commercially proven, and scaling globally, with a Belfast engineering hub that has grown rapidly since launching less than two years ago.
The Role
This is a senior technical leadership position at a pivotal moment in the company's growth. You will lead multiple backend and infrastructure teams building the core cloud security platform, working closely with engineering leadership, product, and platform specialists to deliver high-scale distributed systems across AWS, GCP, and Azure. The role carries genuine autonomy: you will shape technical direction, drive architectural decisions, and play a central part in building one of the most technically ambitious engineering teams in the region. It suits a leader who stays close to the engineering, takes pride in culture, and backs their teams to own problems end-to-end.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead and grow multiple backend and infrastructure engineering teams, building a high-trust, high-ownership culture
- Drive architectural decisions across distributed systems and cloud infrastructure, ensuring quality and scalability
- Define and deliver the technical roadmap for key platform services in close collaboration with product and platform teams
- Mentor and coach engineers and engineering managers, supporting career growth and building team capability
- Own high engineering standards around reliability, performance, and operational excellence
- Partner with product and platform teams to scope, prioritise, and deliver high-impact features
- Lead incident response improvement and drive service reliability and observability forward
- Scale the engineering organisation through a period of major growth while preserving a strong technical culture
What You'll Need
Essential:
- 5+ years of engineering experience with a strong background in backend or infrastructure engineering
- Proven experience leading engineering teams or managing engineering managers
- Hands-on background in distributed systems and large-scale production environments
- Strong programming background in Golang, Java, Python, or similar
- Experience building or operating systems in cloud-native environments: AWS, GCP, or Azure
- Based in or within commuting distance of Belfast, available to work in-office 2-3 days per week
Desirable:
- Experience on cloud security platforms or adjacent security tooling
- Strong Linux systems knowledge including low-level system internals
- Background in observability, reliability engineering, or performance optimisation at scale
Why Apply?
- Base salary up to £150,000
- Equity participation in a well-funded, fast-growing business
- Private healthcare
- Hybrid working: 2-3 days in the Belfast office with flexibility on remaining days
- High-autonomy, high-trust culture where engineering leaders remain technically engaged
- Real influence over technical direction from day one in a global engineering organisation
- Early-stage opportunity with strong financial backing, clear product-market fit, and significant runway
Next Steps
Connect with Phil Gamble directly on LinkedIn or Whatsapp for an informal, confidential conversation. Phil has over 21 years' experience placing senior and specialist tech talent across the UK, Ireland, and the US.
About Phil Gamble
Phil Gamble is a Director and Co-Founder of Ocho People, a Belfast-based specialist technology recruitment agency. With over 21 years of experience in tech recruitment and a background at Microsoft, Phil works with engineering teams across Northern Ireland, the UK, Dublin, and North America, placing technical talent in roles where they will genuinely thrive.
What People Say
"Phil has an exceptional ability to understand both the technical requirements and the cultural fit needed for a role. He found us a candidate we would never have found ourselves."
"Working with Phil at Ocho was a seamless experience from start to finish. He kept me informed throughout and was a trusted advisor, not just a recruiter."
"Phil genuinely understands the tech space. His candidates arrive well-briefed, well-matched, and ready to hit the ground running."
