Leidos has a current opening for a Senior Kubernetes Platform Engineer to play a pivotal role in our dynamic team based out of Blacksburg, Virginia. This role allows partnering with a distinguished team of professionals to advance internal and client projects focusing on application containerization, automation, and redesign/re-architecture clusters supporting mission-critical applications hosted on Kubernetes. Utilize your expertise to assist with the consultation and design of infrastructure to support future and undefined workstream efforts to support resilient infrastructure as code. Your contributions will shape mission-critical solutions and drive continuous improvement across diverse projects. Become a key contributor in our cutting-edge environment where continuous learning and knowledge sharing are integral to advancing and optimizing our customer solutions.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Kubernetes Cluster Management: Design, implement, and maintain highly available, scalable, and secure Kubernetes clusters (e.g., using OpenShift, AKS, EKS, or self-managed).
• Deployment & Automation: Automate application deployments, scaling, and management using Kubernetes manifests, Helm charts, Kustomize, and CI/CD pipelines.
• Monitoring & Logging: Implement and maintain robust monitoring, logging, and alerting systems for Kubernetes clusters and applications (e.g., Prometheus, Grafana, ELK stack).
• Troubleshooting & Performance Optimization: Diagnose and resolve complex issues in Kubernetes environments and optimize performance for critical applications.
• Security: Implement, harden and maintain security best practices for Kubernetes clusters, including network policies, RBAC, and vulnerability scanning.
• Collaboration: Work closely with development, take technical lead of operations, and security teams to define and implement solutions that meet business requirements.
• Documentation: Create and maintain clear and concise documentation for Kubernetes infrastructure, configurations, and procedures.
• Leading: Serve as a technical resource and mentor, supporting team members in solving complex challenges and developing their expertise. (Not a people leader role)

Basic Qualifications

• Must have Kubernetes expertise; required to have a minimum of 3 years of hands-on experience with Kubernetes, including cluster administration, deployment strategies, and troubleshooting.
• Must be a US Citizen and have lived in the United States for at least the past 3 out of 5 years.
• Ability to obtain a DoD 8570 IAT II certification [Security+ CE, CCNA-Security, CySA+, GICSP, GSEC, CND, SSCP] within 3 months of start date.
• Must be willing and able to work on call as needed
• Ability to obtain and maintain Public Trust Clearance, or greater.
• Bachelor’s degree and 12 years or more of experience. Additional years of experience will be considered in lieu of a degree.
• Proficient with container orchestration tools like Kubernetes and/or Docker Swarm.
• Proficient with Python, JavaScript or equivalent programming language.
• Strong background in Linux system administration, especially Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL).
• Experience and ability to lead and mentor junior engineers and lead technical initiatives.
• Must be committed to adopting and adhering to best practices.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to collaborate and work effectively in a team environment.
• Must be able to effectively plan and prioritize tasks.
• Must be capable of performing high-quality work both independently, and with a team, in a fast-moving environment.
• Ability to interact positively, collaborate, and communicate appropriately with team members.

Preferred Qualifications

• Active Kubernetes Certified Administrator (CKA).

• Experienced with Red Hat OpenShift, including setup, configuration, and administration.
• Relevant certifications, such as Red Hat Certified Specialist in OpenShift Administration, Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE).
• Experience with cloud-first, AWS/Azure native architectures, and cloud PaaS & SaaS services.
• Experience building and managing CI/CD pipelines and tools (e.g., Jenkins, GitLab CI, Tekton).
• Active 8570 Level II Security+ CE certification.
• DoD Secret clearance.

Original Posting:

July 1, 2025

For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above.

Pay Range:

Pay Range $126,100.00 - $227,950.00

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.