Platform Engineer

About the job 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.