Kubernetes Engineer

The Aerospace Corporation; Chantilly (VA); On-site; USD 135,000 - 228,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive health care and wellness

Paid holidays, sick time, vacation

Telework options

401(k) plan with match

Flexible spending accounts

Relocation assistance

Education assistance

Professional growth programs

Job summary

The Aerospace Corporation seeks a Kubernetes Engineer (Staff IV/V) to maintain on-prem and cloud Kubernetes clusters, supporting rocket science teams and space telemetry analyses. You’ll own production AWS/Kubernetes services, patching, security, and automation from our Chantilly, VA or El Segundo, CA facilities.

Ideal candidates have 5+ years in enterprise environments, strong Linux and networking skills, and a TS/SCI clearance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in CS/STEM/IT.
• 5+ years in a high-availability enterprise environment.
• 2+ years hands-on Kubernetes experience with deployment/patching/backups.
• Full ownership of production AWS and Kubernetes services.
• Ability to identify and resolve engineering problems independently.
• Experience in Linux administration for an enterprise.
• Strong networking fundamentals.
• Experience automating tasks with scripting/DevOps tools.
• Ability to obtain/maintain TS/SCI clearance; US citizenship required.

Responsibilities

• Manage Kubernetes for on-prem and AWS production environments with deployment, upgrade, patching, and backups.
• Patch Kubernetes layers regularly to maintain high uptime.
• Own production AWS and Kubernetes services engineering.
• Independently resolve Kubernetes stack problems.
• Ensure real-time telemetry analysis for space launch partners.
• Provide after-hours Kubernetes troubleshooting during launches.
• Support scientists and engineers running workloads in Kubernetes.
• Provide Linux troubleshooting and knowledge.
• Evaluate new products/technologies and automate operations.

Skills

Kubernetes

Linux

Scripting

DevOps

Networking

AWS

IaC

CI/CD

Security clearance

DoD experience

Automation

Golang/Python

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science/STEM/IT or related

Tools

Rancher

Portworx

ArgoCD

Ansible

Terraform

Packer

Bash

Golang

Python

VMware

Hyper-V

Harvester

Job description

The Aerospace Corporation is the trusted partner to the nation's space programs, solving the hardest problems and providing unmatched technical expertise. As the operator of a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC), we are broadly engaged across all aspects of space— delivering innovative solutions that span satellite, launch, ground, and cyber systems for defense, civil and commercial customers. When you join our team, you’ll be part of a special collection of problem solvers, thought leaders, and innovators. Join us and take your place in space.

Job Summary

The Aerospace Corporation is seeking a skilled Kubernetes Engineer (Technical and Cloud Computing Engineer Staff IV/V) with expertise in Kubernetes, Linux, programming, and automation. In this role, you will be responsible for maintaining both on-premise and cloud-based Kubernetes clusters, providing essential support to our engineering team.

As part of a multidisciplinary infrastructure team, you will manage multiple clusters used for technical analyses, including space launch telemetry analysis. Collaborating closely with rocket scientists and engineers, you will contribute to the development of innovative solutions to complex challenges within the space enterprise, supporting critical national space assets. This position requires a strong sense of shared responsibility and ownership, working alongside cross-functional team members to achieve our mission objectives.

The selected candidate will be required to work full-time on-site at our facility in El Segundo, CA or Chantilly, VA.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Manage Kubernetes for on-prem and in AWS production environments with end-to-end responsibilities of deployment, upgrade, patching, performance tuning, capacity planning & 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
• Identify and resolve full Kubernetes stack engineering problems independently
• Ensure successful real-time analysis of telemetry data from space launch partners, such as SpaceX, United Launch Alliance (ULA), and Blue Origin
• Provide after-hours support for Kubernetes infrastructure troubleshooting during launch events
• Support scientists and engineers running workloads and apps in Kubernetes
• Provide Linux expertise and troubleshooting
• Evaluate and test new products and technologies
• Use code to enhance and automate operations

What You Need To Be Successful

Minimum Requirements for the Kubernetes Engineer (Technical and Cloud Computing Engineer Staff IV) include:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, STEM, or IT or equivalent experience is required
• A minimum of (5) or more years of increasingly responsible and relevant professional experience supporting a high availability enterprise environment is required
• A minimum of (2) years hands‑on experience managing existing Kubernetes environments, with responsibilities of deployment, upgrade, patching, and backups is required
• Full ownership and engineering responsibility of production AWS and Kubernetes services
• Be able to identify and resolve engineering problems independently
• Experience in Linux systems administration, including configuration, for an enterprise environment
• Strong understanding of networking fundamentals
• Experience automating repetitive tasks with scripting or DevOps tools
• This position requires the ability to maintain a Secret security clearance and the ability to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI security clearance, which is issued by the U.S. government. U.S. citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance

In addition to the above, the minimum requirements for the Kubernetes Engineer (Technical and Cloud Computing Engineer Staff V) include:

• A minimum of (7) or more years of increasingly responsible and relevant professional experience in AWS, Linux, and IaC is required
• Experience architecting and deploying secure AWS and/or Kubernetes environments from scratch is needed
• Experience performance tuning and capacity planning AWS and/or Kubernetes environments is required

How You Can Stand Out

• Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA), Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA), or Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) is preferred
• Experience deploying Kubernetes clusters using Rancher is strongly desired
• Experience deploying/supporting persistent container storage on Kubernetes (Portworx preferred)
• Experience in Linux performance tuning, and security hardening for an enterprise DoD environment
• Experience with VMWare, Hyper‑V, or Harvester
• Experience with automated provisioning, configuration management, Infrastructure-as-Code, GitOps (Examples: ArgoCD, Ansible, TerraForm, Puppet, Packer, Bash, Golang, Python)
• Experience with Agile and Scrum is preferred
• A current and active TS/SCI security clearance, which is issued by the U.S. government, is strongly preferred. U.S. citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance

We offer a competitive compensation package where you’ll be rewarded based on your performance and recognized for the value you bring to our business. The grade-based pay range for this job is listed below. Individual salaries within that range are determined through a wide variety of factors including but not limited to education, experience, knowledge and skills.

(Min - Max)

$135,000.00 - $228,000.00

Pay Basis: Annual

Leadership Competencies

• Operate Strategically
• Lead Change
• Engage with Impact
• Foster Innovation
• Deliver Results

Ways We Reward Our Employees

During your interview process, our team will provide details of our industry-leading benefits.

Benefits vary and are applicable based on Job Type. A few highlights include:

• Comprehensive health care and wellness plans
• Paid holidays, sick time, and vacation
• Standard and alternate work schedules, including telework options
• 401(k) Plan — Employees receive a total company-paid benefit of 8%, 10%, or 12% of eligible compensation based on years of service and matching contributions; employees are immediately eligible and vested in the plan upon hire
• Flexible spending accounts
• Variable pay program for exceptional contributions
• Relocation assistance
• Professional growth and development programs to help advance your career
• Education assistance programs
• An inclusive work environment built on teamwork, flexibility, and respect

We are all unique, from various backgrounds and all walks of life, yet one thing bonds all of us to each other—the belief that we can make a difference. This core belief empowers us to do our best work at The Aerospace Corporation.

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, 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’re an individual with a disability or a disabled veteran who needs 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 310.336.5432 or by email at [e-mail] . You can also review Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal.