Platform Engineer

Summary

Join our team as a Platform Engineer and play a crucial role in developing and maintaining our platform. You will work with a dedicated team focused on advancing freedom and independence globally, automating and building a runtime production environment, and serving as a link between applications and that environment. You will decompose issues for junior engineers, validate solutions, independently solve problems, understand medium-level tasking, estimate time and effort, and demonstrate programming language proficiency. You will own the bridge between application development and the production environment, interject best practices, lead discussions on cyber-secure tools, and establish automated Zarf builds. You will also contribute to CI/CD and other automation experiences, implement infrastructure as code, and apply extensive experience with cloud deployments. Travel is expected to be 10%-25%.

Requirements

• Possess familiarity with at least one programming language
• Exhibit a basic understanding of when to use a programming language versus a shell for efficient task execution
• U.S. Citizenship

Responsibilities

• Decompose Issues for Junior Engineers: Break down complex technical issues into manageable tasks for junior engineers. Provide clear guidance and mentorship to support their professional growth
• Validate Solutions/Implementations: Ensure that solutions and implementations align with the outlined tasks and business requirements. Conduct thorough validations to maintain the integrity and efficiency of the platform
• Independently Problem Solve: Demonstrate the ability to identify and solve business problems independently. Develop small components to address specific challenges without relying on explicit architecture diagrams
• Understand Medium-Level Tasking: Comprehend how medium-level tasks contribute to the achievement of overall goals. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate various components into a cohesive and functional platform
• Estimate Time and Effort: Provide accurate time and effort estimates for medium-sized tasks. Assist in project planning and resource allocation based on estimated timelines
• Demonstrate Programming Language Proficiency: Possess familiarity with at least one programming language. Exhibit a basic understanding of when to use a programming language versus a shell for efficient task execution
• Own the bridge between the Application Development team and the Production Environment
• Interject "best practices" to the application development team and facilitate collaboration between the application development and platform teams
• Lead discussions on the benefits of using cyber-secure tools
• Establish and facilitate automated Zarf builds as part of CI for multiple app dev teams
• Collaborate with the Platform team on End-to-End (E2E) and Integration testing
• Contribute to CI/CD and other automation experiences: Build and maintain automated pipeline functions, leading teams towards delivery and sustainment options
• Implement infrastructure as code and contribute to the build/maintenance of kubernetes clusters on various distributions (i.e EKS & RKE2)
• Apply extensive experience with cloud deployments, emphasizing secure coding practices and vulnerability remediation
• Exhibit strong programming skills and deep familiarity with Linux/Unix operating systems
• Create and maintain operational runbooks and alerts, ensuring API orchestration and cyber-secure approaches

Preferred Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Platform Engineer or similar role, with a focus on system architecture and development
• Proficient with Gitlab CI with a preferred experience using Gitlab’s CI/CD Component
• Experience managing GitLab Runners
• Demonstrated experience with cloud-native technologies such as Kubernetes, Google Cloud, and Docker
• Familiarity with continuous delivery, distributed architectures, systems, everything-as-code, containerization, and AWS cloud services
• Proficiency in at least one programming language (e.g., Python, Go, Ansible) and a basic understanding of shell scripting
• Proficient with YAML
• Experienced in working on a team following an Agile framework in a remote environment
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams
• Experience with security automation and familiarity with API Security, Container Security, and Cloud Security
• Familiar with architecture security design, monitoring, and performance instrumentation in a complex enterprise environment
• Comfort with debugging systems and reading/writing code
• Hold a security clearance/Eligible to apply for a security clearance
• Possess a DoD 8570 IAT II certification
• Experienced in Department of Defense work, specifically working on a production Authority to Operate (ATO'd) system
• Knowledgeable about DevSecOps/DevOps and CI/CD theory

Benefits

• Medical/Dental/Vision
• Premiums are 100% Company Paid
• Health Reimbursement Account
• Life Insurance
• Disability Insurance
• 401k Retirement Plan
• Company Stock Options
• Home Office Budget
• Unlimited paid time off, with a mandatory 10 days off on top of 11 federal government holidays, week of Thanksgiving, last two weeks of December (including New Year’s Day)
• Paid Parental Leave
• Reimbursement for approved trainings/subscriptions
• Conferences (travel, lodging, and fees)