Cloud Engineer

Viasat; Carlsbad (CA); On-site; USD 121,000 - 191,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits package

Job summary

Viasat is seeking a Cloud Platform Engineer to transform and automate its cloud infrastructure across AWS and Azure. You’ll design, build, and ship reusable modules, with a focus on security, scalability, and automation.

The role expects hands-on coding, automation mindset, and a proactive approach to 6-12 month planning. You’ll work with Terraform, Ansible, Kubernetes, Argo CD, and AI-assisted tools, contributing to scalable solutions and a secure, efficient platform.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, or equivalent.
• 4-5+ years building cloud platform capabilities in AWS or Azure.
• Strong Terraform skills and experience with at least one CI system.
• Proficiency in Python, TypeScript, or Go with solid software engineering fundamentals.
• Kubernetes fundamentals: container build, Helm or Kustomize, deploying to clusters.

Responsibilities

• Build: Ship reusable Terraform modules, Ansible roles, and GitHub Actions workflows with testing and versioning.
• Automate: Set ROI goals and report time saved and ticket reductions.
• Enable: Create clear docs and run enablement sessions.
• Standardize: Maintain reference architectures and guardrails for networking, identity, and security.
• Integrate: Wire secrets management and security scanning into CI; align Kubernetes delivery with GitOps.
• Accelerate: Use AI-assisted development tools as core daily workflow and continuously improve setup.
• Innovate: Look 6-12 months ahead, run proofs-of-concept, and share findings with the team.

Skills

Terraform

Ansible

GitHub Actions

Kubernetes

Argo CD

Vault

Python/TypeScript

Linux

Bash/PowerShell

GitOps

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Engineering

Tools

Helm

Kustomize

GitHub Copilot

Claude Code

Job description

About us

One team. Global challenges. Infinite opportunities. At Viasat, we're on a mission to deliver connections with the capacity to change the world. For more than 35 years, Viasat has helped shape how consumers, businesses, governments and militaries around the globe communicate. We're looking for people who think big, act fearlessly, and create an inclusive environment that drives positive impact to join our team.

What you’ll do

The Global IT Transformation team drives innovation and transformation in how Viasat engineers build and deliver our diverse portfolio of products. As a Cloud Platform Engineer, you won't just maintain the platform; you'll help reinvent it. You'll work closely with other technical disciplines to design, develop, and deliver automation and reusable cloud solutions that let teams at Viasat scale quickly and operate securely and efficiently.

We're looking for someone who brings real software engineering rigor to infrastructure work, is fluent with modern AI-assisted development tools and constantly sharpens that workflow, and spends real time looking ahead, anticipating the problems our operations teams will face in 6-12 months and prototyping solutions before we need them.

The ideal candidate brings a solid cloud engineering foundation, strong software engineering instincts, genuine initiative, and the curiosity to explore new tools, technologies, and ways of working, along with the judgment to bring promising ideas through our approval process rather than around.

This is a site-based role, employees work 3+ days (60%+) per week from a Viasat office or work location within a standard fiveday workweek.

US Citizenship required

The day‑to‑day

• Build: Ship reusable Terraform modules, Ansible roles, and GitHub Actions workflows adopted by multiple teams each quarter, with versioning and tests. Apply software engineering practices (modular design, code review, automated testing) to infrastructure code and internal tooling, not just application code.
• Automate: Use ticket/runbook data to target high-toil work. Set a ROI goal for each project and report time saved and ticket reduction after launch.
• Enable: Write task‑focused docs and run short enablement sessions. Participate in escalation for services we own.
• Standardize: Maintain reference architectures and guardrails for networking, identity, and security across AWS and Azure. Review designs and contribute PRs.
• Integrate: Wire secrets management and security scanning into CI. Align Kubernetes delivery with GitOps practices.
• Accelerate: Use AI‑assisted development tools (GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, and similar) as a core part of your daily workflow. Regularly evaluate and refine your setup, including skills, plugins, prompts, and agents, and share improvements with the team. Stay current on which AI tools are approved for use, and if you identify a promising new one, drive it through the compliance/approval process.
• Innovate: Spend dedicated time looking 6-12 months ahead to anticipate platform and workflow problems before they become urgent. Run proofs‑of‑concept on emerging tools and approaches, and bring findings back to the team. Actively collaborate with teammates to brainstorm and pressure‑test new ideas.

Technical Stack:
AWS and Azure, Terraform, Ansible, GitHub Actions, Kubernetes, Argo CD, Vault, Python/Typescript, Linux, Bash /PowerShell, GitHub Copilot, Claude Code.

What you’ll need

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, or equivalent.
• 4-5+ years building cloud platform capabilities in AWS or Azure.
• Strong Terraform skills and experience with at least one CI system.
• Proficiency in at least one general-purpose programming language (Python, TypeScript, or Go), with solid software engineering fundamentals: version control workflows, code review, and automated testing.
• Kubernetes fundamentals: container build, Helm or Kustomize, deploying to clusters. Cluster operations not required.
• Familiarity with GitOps delivery patterns (e.g., Argo CD) and integrating secrets management into CI/CD pipelines.
• Cloud networking basics: CIDR, routing, security groups/NSGs.
• Working knowledge of PKI and DNS for app delivery.
• Comfortable on Linux and fluent in at least one scripting language.
• Daily, hands‑on use of AI‑assisted development tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Claude Code), with a track record of tailoring your AI workflow through custom skills, plugins, or configurations.
• Demonstrated curiosity for evaluating new tools and technologies, with experience prototyping or running small proofs‑of‑concept to test ideas before proposing them broadly.
• Comfort working within an organization's tool‑approval or compliance process to introduce new software, rather than working around it.
• Excellent cloud infrastructure design and problem-solving skills, with demonstrated initiative and outside‑the‑box thinking.
• Previous experience migrating workloads from on‑prem to public cloud.
• Clear written communication and documentation; a strong collaborator who enjoys brainstorming and cross‑team ideation.
• Experience working with the Agile/Scrum methodology

What will help you on the job

• Secrets management at scale (e.g., Vault) across multiple teams or environments.
• Production experience running GitOps delivery with Argo CD, beyond basic familiarity.
• Experience with policy as code and security tools such as GitHub Advanced Security.
• Experience with hybrid cloud connectivity or networking between AWS, Azure, and on‑prem/virtualized environments.
• Experience guiding teams migrating to Kubernetes.
• A track record of proofs‑of‑concept that were adopted into production use, not just explored.
• History of championing new tools or processes org‑wide (beyond your own team) through a formal approval/compliance process.

Salary range

$121,000.00 - $191,000.00 / annually.

For specific work locations within San Jose, the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, the base pay range for this role is $150,000.00- $225,000.00/ annually

At Viasat, we consider many factors when it comes to compensation, including the scope of the position as well as your background and experience. Base pay may vary depending on job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience. Additional cash or stock incentives may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to a range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the position offered. Learn more about Viasat's comprehensive benefit offerings that are focused on your holistic health and wellness at https://careers.viasat.com/benefits.

EEO Statement

Viasat is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, seeking to create a welcoming and diverse environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, genetics, age, or veteran status or any other applicable legally protected status or characteristic. If you would like to request an accommodation on the basis of disability for completing this on‑line application, please click here.