Platform Engineer

Kubernetes Platform Engineer opportunity with a mission-driven cybersecurity firm built by DoD and Intelligence Community veterans. You will be the primary owner of a Kubernetes-based platform that serves as the collaboration environment for red team operators across the US government. This is a hands-on infrastructure role where you are accountable for building, maintaining, extending, and securing the platform end-to-end, with direct client interaction and the autonomy to break down problems and prioritize your own work.

Compensation:

$160,000 to $170,000 base salary, commensurate with experience.

Logistics:

• Remote position from FL, TX, MD, VA, AL, NC, GA, CO, AZ
• Travel: Occasional onsite meetings with client and team (a few times per year)
• Active Top Secret clearance required, SCI eligibility preferred

Here's what you'll be doing:

• Own and operate Kubernetes environments (AKS, RKE2) across the full lifecycle, including cluster deployment, upgrades, scaling, troubleshooting, and extension with operators and custom tooling
• Serve as the technical point person for platform availability, security, and compliance, working directly with government stakeholders to understand requirements and deliver solutions
• Architect infrastructure across cloud environments (IL-5, IL-6, GCC High) with all supporting services self-contained within the cluster (identity management, observability, secrets management)
• Implement and enforce secure configurations aligned to DISA STIGs, CIS Benchmarks, and NIST frameworks, and prepare the platform for handling classified tooling
• Develop automation and internal tooling using Python, Terraform, Ansible, and Helm to improve reliability, reduce manual intervention, and accelerate provisioning
• Document platform architecture, runbooks, and operational procedures, and onboard other engineers to platform practices as the team grows

And what you need to have:

• Active Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility (or recent SSBI that supports eligibility)
• 7+ years of hands-on infrastructure or platform engineering experience, with a consistent thread of Kubernetes ownership throughout your recent roles
• Experience as the person accountable for a production Kubernetes platform, where your job was to make sure it stayed up, scaled correctly, and could be extended
• Strong Linux fundamentals and comfort working in Azure or AWS cloud environments at DoD impact levels
• Proficiency with Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, Ansible) and Helm chart development
• Ability to walk into an environment with limited documentation, figure out how things work, and chart a path forward
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for direct interaction with government clients

No C2C or sponsorship at this time.