1758 - Senior Kubernetes Infrastructure Developer

Location: Rome, New York, United States

Department: SIS (SDSAFP, SDSAP)

Workplace: on_site

Employment Type: full

Description

Sigma Defense is seeking a Senior Kubernetes Infrastructure Developer to be a Kubernetes platform engineer and infrastructure developer, not simply a user of Kubernetes.

This individual should understand what is happening beneath the application layer and be comfortable taking technical ownership from the Azure infrastructure and network supporting the cluster through AKS configuration, networking, identity, security, deployment automation, observability, and lifecycle management. The ideal candidate believes Kubernetes infrastructure should be built through code, version controlled, automated, repeatable, secure, and recoverable.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled: Sigma Defense Systems is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.

Requirements

• 8+ years of relevant experience.
• Significant professional experience designing, deploying, and operating Kubernetes environments.
• Strong hands-on experience with Microsoft Azure and Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS).
• Deep understanding of Kubernetes architecture, including nodes, pods, deployments, services, namespaces, ingress, configuration, secrets, and storage.
• Experience designing and operating production Kubernetes clusters supporting enterprise workloads.
• Strong experience with Infrastructure as Code and automated infrastructure deployment.
• Hands-on experience with Terraform, Bicep, Helm, and Kubernetes manifests.
• Experience developing and maintaining Helm charts.
• Strong understanding of Kubernetes networking and integration with Azure networking services.
• Experience implementing Kubernetes identity, authentication, authorization, and RBAC.
• Experience integrating Kubernetes environments with Microsoft Entra ID and Azure identity technologies.
• Experience with container security and secure cluster configuration.
• Experience implementing automated Kubernetes deployments using CI/CD or GitOps methodologies.
• Strong scripting and automation skills using PowerShell, Python, Bash, Azure CLI, or similar tools.
• Must be a U.S. citizen.

Candidate Differentiators:

• Experience designing and operating Azure Government AKS environments.
• Experience supporting Kubernetes platforms within a Department of Defense (DoD) or other highly regulated environment.
• Experience designing private AKS clusters and secure network architectures.
• Experience with Azure CNI, network policies, and advanced container networking.
• Experience with Azure Key Vault, workload identity, managed identities, and secure secrets-management patterns.
• Experience with Azure Policy for Kubernetes and Microsoft Defender for Containers.
• Experience with Flux or Argo CD.
• Experience with Azure Container Registry (ACR).
• Experience with OPA Gatekeeper, Kyverno, or comparable policy technologies.
• Experience with Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, Prometheus, Grafana, or comparable observability platforms.
• Experience with container image security, vulnerability scanning, and software supply-chain security.
• Familiarity with Zero Trust architecture, DoD RMF, NIST SP 800-53, and STIGs.

Mandatory Certifications:

• CompTIA Security+
• Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)
• Azure Administrator Associate: AZ-104

Computer Programs/Software:

• Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)
• Terraform
• Bicep

Personnel Clearance Level:

• Candidate must possess or have the ability to obtain an active TS/SCI security clearance.
• Clearance may be sponsored for the right candidate.

Education Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Computer Science or related field of study.

Essential Job Duties (not all-inclusive):

• Design, build, configure, and maintain enterprise Kubernetes infrastructure within Microsoft Azure, with a primary focus on Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS).
• Serve as a senior technical resource for Kubernetes platform architecture, infrastructure automation, cluster configuration, and troubleshooting.
• Design scalable and resilient AKS architectures supporting mission-critical applications and services.
• Automate provisioning and lifecycle management of AKS clusters and supporting Azure infrastructure.
• Develop reusable Infrastructure as Code modules and deployment patterns using Terraform, Bicep, Helm, and Kubernetes manifests.
• Develop automated deployment and configuration processes using GitOps and CI/CD methodologies.
• Design and implement Kubernetes networking, ingress, service discovery, load balancing, and connectivity to other Azure resources.
• Integrate AKS with Azure Virtual Networks, Private Endpoints, Private DNS, Azure Firewall, Application Gateway, Load Balancer, and other Azure networking services.
• Design and implement secure private AKS architectures.
• Implement Kubernetes RBAC and integrate cluster access with Microsoft Entra ID and Azure identity services.
• Implement workload identity, managed identities, secrets management, and secure access to Azure resources.
• Integrate Kubernetes environments with Azure Key Vault.
• Develop and maintain Helm charts, reusable platform configurations, and standardized deployment patterns.
• Integrate AKS with Azure Policy, Microsoft Defender for Cloud, and Defender for Containers.
• Implement logging, monitoring, metrics, and alerting using Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, Container Insights, and related technologies.
• Design platform capabilities supporting high availability, resiliency, scaling, backup, recovery, and cluster lifecycle management.
• Mentor junior and mid-level engineers and provide technical guidance.

Salary Range: $135,000 - $165,000 annually.

Benefits

• Dental and Vision Insurance
• Medical Insurance to Include HSA, FSA, and DFSA Plans
• Life and AD&D coverage
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• 401(k) Plan with Company Matching Contributions
• 160 Hours of Paid Time Off (PTO)
• 12 (Floating) Holidays
• Educational Assistance
• Highly Competitive Salary