Cloud Simulation Platform Engineer - HPC & Scientific Computing (m/f/d) - with salary information

covestro; Leverkusen; On-site; EUR 78,000 - 94,000; Full time

Job summary

Covestro is seeking a highly skilled professional to join the Digital R&D team in Leverkusen, focusing on building and operating scientific simulations on AWS cloud infrastructure. You will manage Airflow deployments on EKS and drive infrastructure-as-code with ArgoCD, Helm, and GitHub Actions, while shaping Kubernetes-based compute for high-performance workloads.

The role demands a PhD or equivalent in a natural science or engineering field, strong AWS/Kubernetes experience, and fluent English.

Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent experience in deploying scientific software or AWS cloud infra.
• Solid experience with infrastructure-as-code (ArgoCD, Helm) and CI/CD with GitHub Actions.
• Software development skills including GPU acceleration and parallel computing libraries.
• Hands-on Apache Airflow deployment/ops or strong willingness to learn in this area.
• Kubernetes (EKS) knowledge including workload config, autoscaling, resource mgmt.
• Experience with AWS cloud services and cloud-native infra patterns; fluent English.

Responsibilities

• Operate and improve Apache Airflow on AWS EKS for reliable scientific workflows.
• Implement IaC solutions with ArgoCD, Helm, and GitHub Actions for deployment automation.
• Configure Kubernetes workloads on AWS EKS with namespaces, quotas, and autoscaling (Karpenter).
• Set up observability tooling for monitoring, logging, and alerts in Airflow and simulations.
• Collect requirements from workflow developers and translate into architecture inputs.
• Support design of Airflow plugins/operators and HPC compute environments for sensitive workloads.
• Create technical docs with Backstage/TechDocs and track projects in Jira.

Skills

Infrastructure as code

Kubernetes (EKS)

Airflow deployment

GPU acceleration

AWS cloud services

Software development

Parallel computing libraries

English fluency

Education

PhD in computer science, physics, chemistry, mathematics or related field

Tools

ArgoCD

Helm

GitHub Actions

Job description

We are Covestro. We are curious. We are courageous. We are colorful. We refine chemical material solutions with game-changing products. Let us empower you to push boundaries. Join us and our 18.000 colleagues now and together we will make the world a brighter place.

Covestro's digital R&D world is awaiting you: In the High Performance & Quantum Computing team within Digital R&D, you will operate and shape the technological foundation for scientific simulations on a global scale. You will work at the intersection of cloud infrastructure, software engineering, and scientific computing - with a high degree of technical ownership and direct influence on the speed and quality of digital R&D outputs. If you are passionate about modern platforms for Computational R&D and are looking for an environment where you can truly make a difference, this is your opportunity.

In addition to our wide range of benefits, a full-time position offers an attractive starting salary between €77,600/year and €93,900/year plus a variable component. The starting salary is based on your qualifications and professional experience.

Your area of impact - what to expect on a daily basis :

• Operation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of Apache Airflow deployments on AWS EKS for reliable and scalable execution of scientific simulation workflows
• Implementation of infrastructure-as-code solutions using ArgoCD and Helm, as well as GitHub Actions CI/CD pipelines, to automate deployment and lifecycle management
• Configuration and management of Kubernetes workloads on AWS EKS - including namespaces, resource quotas, and autoscaling via Karpenter - for compute-intensive simulation jobs
• Setup and maintenance of observability tooling (monitoring, logging, alerting) for proactive incident detection and rapid resolution in Airflow and simulation environments
• Collection and consolidation of requirements from workflow developers and platform users, and translation into architecture-relevant decision inputs
• Support for the design of custom Airflow components (plugins, operators) as well as the setup of isolated HPC compute environments for sensitive simulation and data workloads
• Creation of technical documentation via Backstage/TechDocs and Confluence, project tracking in Jira, and technology scouting in the cloud-native and DevOps space

Your profile - what sets you apart :

• You hold a PhD in computer science, physics, chemistry, mathematics, or a related natural science or engineering discipline - or have equivalent demonstrated experience in deploying and operating scientific software and/or AWS cloud infrastructure
• Solid experience with infrastructure-as-code (e.g., ArgoCD, Helm) and CI/CD pipeline development with GitHub Actions
• Software development skills - including compilation, linking, parallel computing libraries, and GPU acceleration - round out your technical foundation
• Hands-on experience with Apache Airflow (deployment, operations, plugin and operator development), or a strong willingness to learn in this area
• Knowledge of Kubernetes (ideally EKS) including workload configuration, autoscaling, and resource management - or high motivation to get up to speed quickly
• Experience with AWS cloud services and cloud-native infrastructure patterns, as well as fluent English for communication in an international R&D environment

Nice to have, but not required :

• Experience with observability tooling (Prometheus, Grafana, OpenTelemetry, or similar)
• Familiarity with Backstage/TechDocs, Confluence, Jira, and agile working methods
• Active interest in AI-assisted coding tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Claude, or similar)
• Background in an R&D or scientific computing environment (industry or academia), and familiarity with simulation software and high-performance computing

This position is generally available on a full-time basis.

For initial questions, please contact Chris Rziha ( [e-mail] ).

#LI-Hybrid

Perfection? Not required!

The requirements are not met 100%, but you are still interested in the position? Are you curious, courageous and colorful as we are? No problem!

Become #1ofUs!

Anyone who wants to contribute to a better world with Covestro can also expect a lot.

We want you to feel at home at Covestro. To feel you're treated fairly and transparently. That means financial security, a healthy work-life balance and generous benefits.

Specifically, it means for us: flexible working hours, the compatibility of family and work, active health promotion and the ability to convert part of yo