Staff Platform Engineer, Kubernetes

Staff Platform Engineer, Kubernetes

Bellevue Office, Sunset Corporate Campus

Armada is a full-stack edge infrastructure company delivering compute, connectivity, and sovereign AI/ML to some of the world's most remote places. Named one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies, Armada's solutions are deployed in over 60 countries globally for organizations ranging from energy to defense. With over $200 million in funding, Armada is backed by top investors such as Microsoft (M12), Founders Fund, and has strategic partnerships including Starlink, Skydio, and NVIDIA. We are looking for the most brilliant minds in the world to join us. Working at Armada means taking ownership, driving autonomy, and delivering impact. You'll tackle challenges that haven't been solved before and help build something transformative from the ground up. What you do here will not only define your career but help further Armada's mission to bridge the digital divide for customers around the world.

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced and detail-oriented Platform Engineer to join our growing Edge team. This is a critical role where you will leverage deep technical expertise in cloud infrastructure and Kubernetes while valuing mentorship, collaboration, and open communication.

You will be responsible for the overall architecture, design, automation, optimization, and operation of our Kubernetes-based platform, supporting our Galleon mobile data centers and cloud integration. You will work on building and managing resilient, secure, and scalable Kubernetes environments across diverse edge locations and cloud infrastructure, ensuring the reliability of our distributed computing platform.

Location. This role is office-based at our Bellevue, Washington office.

What You'll Do (Key Responsibilities)

• Architect and lead the design, deployment, configuration, and management of highly available Kubernetes clusters on-prem (Galleon data centers) and cloud (AWS, Azure, GCP) environments. This includes designing the cluster layout, resource allocation, and storage configurations.
• Mentor and guide team members in administering, maintaining, and monitoring the health, performance, and capacity of Kubernetes clusters and underlying infrastructure.
• Implement and manage Kubernetes networking solutions (CNI plugins, Ingress controllers) and storage solutions (PV/PVC, Storage Classes, CSI drivers).
• Design, deploy, configure, and manage Microsoft Azure Local and HCI environments.
• Maintain and monitor containerized platform services running within the clusters and robust monitoring, logging, and alerting systems (e.g., Prometheus, Grafana, ELK stack).
• Drive Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) initiatives using tools like Terraform, Ansible, Helm, and potentially Kubernetes Operators, promoting automation, repeatability, and reliability.
• Support and troubleshoot complex issues related to the Kubernetes platform, containerized services, networking, and infrastructure.
• Implement and enforce Kubernetes security best practices (RBAC, Network Policies, Secrets Management, Security Contexts, Image Scanning).
• Automate cluster operations, deployment pipelines (CI/CD integration), and infrastructure provisioning using Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools (e.g., Terraform, Ansible).
• Lead the optimization of Kubernetes clusters for performance, scalability, and resource utilization, particularly in edge environments.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive documentation for cluster architecture, configurations, operational procedures, and runbooks.
• Work in collaboration with software engineering, DevOps, security teams, and product managers to ensure seamless integration, deployment, and secure operation of applications on Kubernetes.
• Lead the evaluation and integration of new technologies from the Kubernetes ecosystem.
• Contribute to the operational excellence of the platform, including participating in on-call rotations, incident management, and building self-healing capabilities.

Required Qualifications

• At least 12+ years of experience in DevSecOps/SRE and platform engineering, with a significant focus on building and managing complex production environments.
• Minimum of 5 years of hands-on experience designing, deploying, and administering production Kubernetes clusters, with experience specifically in on-premises and bare-metal deployments.
• Deep expertise in Linux administration and troubleshooting, demonstrated through at least 5+ years of hands-on experience managing complex Linux environments.
• Deep understanding of Kubernetes architecture, core components, operational best practices, and lifecycle management.
• Strong understanding and proven experience with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) solutions, particularly Terraform and/or Ansible.
• Proficiency in scripting languages (e.g., Python, Bash) for automation.
• Experience configuring and managing monitoring/logging tools (e.g., Prometheus, Grafana, ELK Stack).
• Solid understanding of Linux operating system, networking fundamentals (TCP/IP, DNS, Load Balancing, Firewalls, VPNs) and container networking (CNI).
• Strong understanding of Kubernetes security concepts and implementation (RBAC, Network Policies, Secrets).
• Ability to work independently and collaborate effectively with others to debug and solve problems.
• A bachelor's degree in computer science, Engineering, Information Technology, a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform.
• Experience deploying and maintaining CI/CD solutions for DevSecOps, such as GitLab CI or Jenkins.
• Strong development experience using Docker, docker-compose, and/or Kubernetes.
• Experience developing Ansible playbooks for process automation.
• Kubernetes certifications (CKA, CKS, CKAD).
• Experience with Kubernetes operators and Custom Resource Definitions (CRDs).
• Experience with service mesh technologies like Istio or Linkerd.
• Experience managing Kubernetes in edge computing or resource-constrained environments.

Why Join?

• Be part of a team building the future of distributed computing and AI, impacting our innovative Galleon data center deployments and their integration with Atlas.
• Work with the latest technologies in edge computing, mobile data centers, AI infrastructure, Kubernetes, and cloud integration.
• We are a rapidly growing company with ample opportunities for advancement.
• Collaborate with talented and passionate individuals dedicated to pushing boundaries.

Compensation

For U.S. Based candidates: To ensure fairness and transparency, the starting base salary range for this role for candidates in the U.S. are listed below, varying based on location experience, skills, and qualifications.

In addition to base salary, this role will also be offered equity and subsidized benefits (details available upon request).

Benefits

• Competitive base salary and equity
• Medical, dental, and vision (subsidized cost)
• Health savings accounts (HSA), flexible spending accounts (FSA), and dependent care FSAs (DCFSA)
• Retirement plan options, including 401(k) and Roth 401(k)
• Unlimited paid time off (PTO)
• 14 paid company holidays per year

Compensation $187,500 - $234,400 USD

You're a Great Fit if You're

• A go-getter with a growth mindset. You're intellectually curious, have strong business acumen, and actively seek opportunities to build relevant skills and knowledge
• A detail-oriented problem-solver. You can independently gather information, solve problems efficiently, and deliver results with a "get-it-done" attitude
• Thrive in a fast-paced environment. You're energized by an entrepreneurial spirit, capable of working quickly, and excited to contribute to a growing company
• A collaborative team player. You focus on business success and are motivated by team accomplishment vs personal agenda
• Highly organized and results-driven. Strong prioritization skills and a dedicated work ethic are essential for you

Equal Opportunity Statement

At Armada, we are committed to fostering a work environment where everyone is given equal opportunities to thrive. As an equal opportunity employer, we strictly prohibit discrimination or harassment based on race, color, gender, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other characteristic protected by law. This policy applies to all employment decisions, including hiring, promotions, and compensation. Our hiring is guided by qualifications, merit, and the business needs at the time.

Unsolicited Resumes and Candidates

Armada does not accept unsolicited resumes or candidate