Senior SRE/DevOps Engineer

Place of Performance: ideal candidate will be in Seattle, WA but will consider 100% remote - Must be available during PST business hours regardless of location

Period of Performance: 6 month contract for hire if not in Seattle, WA will most likely be long term contract only convert if in Seattl

Lead with VKS / VMware Tanzu experience - this is the differentiator
Candidates from shops running Tanzu in enterprise are ideal profiles
Strong GitOps + IaC background is table stakes

Manager is backfilling a principal engineer and long-tenured VMware/Kubernetes expert who is retiring. That candidate built and deeply understands the Kubernetes platform (built on VMware Tanzu/VKS) from the ground up. With his departure, manager will be left with only one other team member.

Position Responsibilities :

As a Senior SRE/DevOps Engineer, you will play a key role in the delivery and ongoing enhancement of cloud-native platforms built on VMware Tanzu Kubernetes (VKS). You will be responsible for designing, deploying, and automating scalable infrastructure with a focus on GitOps best practices. Your hands-on knowledge of VMware/vSphere 8, NSX networking, and infrastructure as code is essential to success in this role. While this is a primarily infrastructure-focused position, you will also offer occasional guidance to application development teams on Kubernetes best practices, contributing to a culture where infrastructure is treated as code and automation is paramount.







Key responsibilities include:

• Build, deploy, and manage infrastructure on Kubernetes, specifically the VMware Tanzu Kubernetes (VKS) platform.
• Leverage foundational VMware/vSphere 8 knowledge to implement robust and scalable solutions, especially as they pertain to NSX-based networking and network virtualization in the context of container orchestration.
• Adopt, enforce, and mature end-to-end GitOps workflows, leveraging industry-standard tools and methodologies across the team.
• Author and maintain automation using Terraform and Ansible, ensuring rapid, reliable, and auditable platform provisioning and changes.
• Utilize Python and shell scripting for custom automation, system management, and continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) processes.
• Support GitHub-driven CI/CD pipelines, employing tools such as GitHub Actions, Flux, or Argo CD to deliver high-quality, repeatable deployments.
• Provide technical recommendations to developers and application owners regarding Kubernetes usage, deployment patterns, and best practices when engaged.
• Contribute to the ongoing documentation and evolution of infrastructure standards, reference implementations, and operational practices.
• Participate primarily in deep technical, hands-on, heads-down project work within the infrastructure team, with some cross-team collaboration as needed.

Essential Skills, Experience

• Direct, hands-on experience with Kubernetes (VKS/VMware Tanzu): Functional knowledge of vanilla Kubernetes is insufficient. Candidates must demonstrate practical expertise specifically with VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid and VMware Kubernetes Service (VKS).
• VMware/vSphere 8: Solid foundational knowledge is required, especially regarding integration with VMware NSX network virtualization. Familiarity with container networking in this environment is crucial.
• GitOps: Demonstrable experience implementing and operating infrastructure and configuration management through GitOps methodologies (e.g., using GitHub). All infrastructure must be sourced, versioned, and managed as code.
• Infrastructure as Code: Strong proficiency with both Terraform and Ansible for provisioning and configuration tasks.
• Programming and Scripting: Proficiency in Python and shell scripting for automating routine platform and infrastructure tasks; YAML fluency is expected.
• CI/CD: Working knowledge of pipeline operation and configuration, including GitHub Actions, Flux, or Argo CD.
• Documentation: Ability to author clear infrastructure standards, playbooks, and best practices.
• Collaboration: Comfortable supporting application teams on platform-related best practices when needed, yet equally effective in an independent, heads-down technical role.
• Bonus: Experience with the Carvel ecosystem is advantageous but not essential.

Qualifications :

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field, or equivalent experiential background.
• 5+ years of experience in DevOps, SRE, or cloud infrastructure engineering roles.
• Relevant certifications in Kubernetes (CKA/CKAD), VMware, or Terraform are a plus.