Senior Staff DevOps Engineer

At Caris, we understand that cancer is an ugly word—a word no one wants to hear, but one that connects us all. That’s why we’re not just transforming cancer care—we’re changing lives.

We introduced precision medicine to the world and built an industry around the idea that every patient deserves answers as unique as their DNA. Backed by cutting-edge molecular science and AI, we ask ourselves every day: “What would I do if this patient were my mom?” That question drives everything we do.

But our mission doesn’t stop with cancer. We're pushing the frontiers of medicine and leading a revolution in healthcare—driven by innovation, compassion, and purpose.

Join us in our mission to improve the human condition across multiple diseases. If you're passionate about meaningful work and want to be part of something bigger than yourself, Caris is where your impact begins.

Position Summary

Lead and innovate as a Senior Staff Cloud DevOps Engineer specializing in AWS and Kubernetes to architect, implement, and optimize scalable, secure cloud-native infrastructure. Lead strategic initiatives, drive technical transformations, and provide expertise in cloud migrations, security implementations, and DevOps best practices. Develop and execute on long-term technical roadmaps, mentor junior engineers, and collaborate with executive leadership to align technology solutions with business objectives. Champion a culture of continuous improvement, knowledge sharing, and operational excellence across the organization.

Job Responsibilities

• Architect and lead the implementation of large-scale, complex Kubernetes environments on AWS EKS, ensuring enterprise-grade availability, scalability, and security. Design and implement advanced features including multi-cluster management, service mesh architectures, and custom controllers.

• Drive strategic proof-of-concept (PoC) initiatives for emerging technologies, evaluating their potential impact on the organization's technical landscape and business goals.

• Lead the development of enterprise-wide standards for Kubernetes cluster lifecycle management, including upgrade strategies, security policies, and performance optimization frameworks.

• Provide expert-level consultation to cross-functional teams on cloud-native application design, microservices architecture, and container orchestration strategies.

• Architect and implement comprehensive, multi-layered observability solutions integrating metrics, logs, and traces. Develop predictive monitoring capabilities and establish organization-wide observability standards.

• Lead the adoption of advanced Infrastructure as Code (IaC) practices and oversee the implementation of sophisticated CI/CD and GitOps-based continuous delivery (e.g., ArgoCD) pipelines, including modular design patterns, reusable components, and automated testing frameworks for efficient application deployment and image management across multiple environments.

• Hands-on experience with GitOps-based continuous delivery using ArgoCD (app-of-apps, sync/health management, Helm/Kustomize deployments to Kubernetes).

• Develop and execute the organization's cloud security strategy, including the implementation of zero-trust architectures, automated compliance checks, and security-as-code practices. Translate complex regulatory and compliance requirements (e.g., HIPAA, SOC2, SOX) into actionable cloud implementation plans.

• Spearhead large-scale cloud migration and application modernization initiatives, collaborating with business stakeholders to align technical solutions with organizational objectives.

• Identify and implement strategic opportunities for process improvements and automation across the DevOps and cloud infrastructure landscape, developing and executing long-term roadmaps to drive continuous enhancement of cloud operations and DevOps practices.

• Lead critical incident response efforts and participate in on-call rotations to support and improve the reliability of critical cloud infrastructure.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field.

• 9+ years of experience in DevOps or Site Reliability Engineering roles.

• 7+ years of hands-on experience with AWS services and cloud architecture.

• 7+ years of hands-on experience with Kubernetes, including deep expertise in cluster management, troubleshooting, and optimization.

• Expert-level proficiency in at least one programming language (e.g., Python, Go) with a track record of developing and maintaining production-grade software.

• Extensive experience with Infrastructure as Code tools (e.g., Terraform, CloudFormation, AWS CDK) and ability to design scalable, modular IaC frameworks.

• Deep understanding of containerization technologies and orchestration platforms, including security best practices and performance optimization techniques.

• Proven experience in designing and implementing enterprise-grade CI/CD pipelines and DevOps workflows, preferred with GitLab CI, with hands-on GitLab CI/CD expertise (pipelines, runners, modular templates).

• Expert-level networking in complex AWS environments; hybrid/multi-cloud experience a plus.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to troubleshoot complex distributed systems and provide innovative solutions.

• Proven ability to lead PoC initiatives and evaluate new technologies.

• Demonstrated experience in creating and maintaining technical documentation and knowledge bases.

• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to effectively convey complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders, including executive leadership.

• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, specifically Word, Excel, Outlook, and general working knowledge of Internet for business use.

• Hands-on experience leveraging AI-assisted development tools (e.g., Claude, Cursor) to accelerate engineering work, including building automations, agents, and reusable skills/workflows that improve team productivity and reduce operational toil.

• Hands-on experience with GitOps-based continuous delivery using ArgoCD (app-of-apps, sync/health management, Helm/Kustomize deployments to Kubernetes).

Preferred Qualifications

• AWS Professional level certifications (e.g., Solutions Architect Professional, DevOps Engineer Professional).

• Kubernetes certifications (e.g., CKA, CKAD, CKS).

• Experience with multiple cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, GCP) for multi-cloud architectures.

• Deep expertise in database technologies including design and optimization of distributed database systems including MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Serverless platforms.

• Proficiency with specific monitoring and observability tools such as DataDog and AWS CloudWatch.

• Hands-on experience with configuration management tools (e.g., Ansible, Chef, Puppet).

• Experience in implementing knowledge management systems or tools in a DevOps environment.

• Contributions to open-source projects or personal projects demonstrating cloud expertise.

Physical Demands

• Ability to sit for extended periods while working on a computer.

Training

• All job specific safety and compliance training are assigned based on the job functions associated with this employee.

Other

• Job may require after-hours response to emergency issues and on-call availability as required

Annual Hiring Range

$170,000 - $220,000

Actual compensation offer to candidate may vary from posted hiring range based upon geographic location, work experience, education, and/or skill level. The pay ratio between base pay and target incentive (if applicable) will be finalized at offer.

Description of Benefits

• Highly competitive and inclusive medical, dental and vision coverage options

• Health Savings Account for medical expenses and dependent care expenses

• Flexible Spending Account to pay for certain out-of-pocket expenses

• Paid time off, including: vacation, sick time and holidays

• 401k match and Financial Planning tools

• LTD and STD insurance coverages, as well as voluntary benefit options

• Employee Assistance Program

• Pet Insurance

• Legal Assistance

• Tuition Assistance

Conditions of Employment: Individual must successfully complete pre-employment process, which includes criminal background check, drug screening, credit check ( applicable for certain positions) and reference verification.

This job description reflects management’s assignment of essential functions. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

Caris Life Sciences is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with disability.

Caris Life Sciences is a leading innovator in molecular science and artificial intelligence focused on fulfilling the promise of precision medicine through quality and innovation.

Caris is committed to quality and excellence at our state-of-the-art laboratories. Learn more about our tissue lab and the advanced technologies that are helping improve the lives of cancer patients.