Kubernetes Site Reliability Engineer

Job Summary Mission IT Operations is seeking a skilled Site Reliability Engineer with deep expertise in Kubernetes, Linux, programming, and automation. The role involves developing and maintaining both on‑premises and cloud‑based Kubernetes clusters that form the core of an overall Platform as a Service (PaaS), providing essential support to our engineering team. The engineer will manage multiple Kubernetes clusters used for technical analyses such as space launch telemetry analysis and modeling and simulation, as well as for Artificial Intelligence (AI) Large Language Model (LLM) training and inference services. The position requires strong ownership, collaborative cross‑functional teamwork, and the ability to support critical national space assets. Responsibilities Developing and sustaining advanced services for the Kubernetes‑based PaaS (e.g., Coder workspaces, Kueue batching scheduling, Knative serverless, Crossplane control planes). Managing Kubernetes for production on‑premises and cloud environments (e.g., AWS, Azure) with end‑to‑end responsibilities of deployment, upgrade, patching, performance tuning, capacity planning, and backups/DR. Frequent full security patching of all layers of Kubernetes infrastructure while maintaining very high uptime. Ownership and engineering responsibility of production AWS and Kubernetes services. Identifying and resolving full Kubernetes stack engineering problems independently. Ensuring successful real‑time analysis of telemetry data from space launch partners such as SpaceX, United Launch Alliance (ULA), and Blue Origin. Providing after‑hours support for Kubernetes infrastructure troubleshooting during launch events. Supporting scientists and engineers running applications in Kubernetes. Providing Linux expertise and troubleshooting. Evaluating and testing new products and technologies. Using code to enhance and automate operations. Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in STEM, Computer Science, or a related sciences/engineering discipline. 8 or more years of relevant experience directly related to developing and delivering complex, large‑scale distributed software systems solutions and technical products. Minimum of 5 years of experience supporting highly available enterprise environments, including maintaining system uptime and service availability targets. At least 2 years of hands‑on experience managing existing Kubernetes environments, with responsibilities of deployment, upgrade, patching, and backups. Full ownership and engineering responsibility of production Kubernetes services, both on‑premises and Cloud Service Providers such as AWS and Azure. Ability to identify and resolve engineering problems independently. Experience in Linux systems administration, including configuration, for an enterprise environment. Strong understanding of networking and storage fundamentals. Experience automating repetitive tasks with scripting or DevOps tools. TS/SCI security clearance and polygraph required; U.S. citizenship is required. For Senior Engineering Specialist: 12 or more years of relevant experience, 8 years of experience supporting a highly available enterprise environment, and experience architecting and deploying secure cloud and/or Kubernetes environments from scratch. Preferred certifications and experience include: Active U.S. Government TS/SCI clearance, Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA), Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA), or Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE), experience managing Kubernetes clusters with Rancher, persistent container storage on Kubernetes (Portworx, Rook Ceph, OpenEBS, Longhorn), Linux performance tuning and security hardening for an enterprise DoW environment, VMware or Harvester virtualization, automated provisioning, configuration management, Infrastructure‑as‑Code and GitOps tools (ArgoCD, Ansible, Terraform, Puppet, Packer, Bash, Golang, Python), and Agile/Scrum. Benefits Competitive compensation package (Base salary $129,000 – $193,500 annually). Comprehensive health care and wellness plans. Paid holidays, sick time, and vacation. Standard and alternate work schedules, including telework options. 401(k) plan with company match and immediate vesting. Flexible spending accounts. Variable pay program for exceptional contributions. Relocation assistance. Professional growth and development programs, education assistance, and on‑the‑job training. Inclusive work environment with diversity and respect. Equal Opportunity Commitment The Aerospace Corporation is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, color, religion, genetic information, marital status, ancestry, national origin, protected veteran status, physical disability, medical condition, mental disability, or disability status and any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. If you need assistance using our online job search and application tools or need reasonable accommodation to complete the job application process, please contact us by phone at View phone number on click.appcast.io or by email at View email address on click.appcast.io. All Aerospace employees working in technical roles are required to obtain a Security Clearance. U.S. citizenship is required for those positions. #J-18808-Ljbffr The Aerospace Corporation