Kubernetes Engineer (Mid–Senior) | DoD Platform Engineering

Rackner, Inc.; Washington (District of Columbia); Remote; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Certifications

Career development

401(k) with match

Medical, dental, vision

PTO and holidays

Remote-work support

Wellness reimbursement

Weekly pay

Job summary

Rackner, Inc. is seeking Kubernetes Engineers across mid and senior levels to design, automate, secure, and operate cloud-native platforms supporting a DoD environment.

You’ll work hands-on across Kubernetes, cloud infrastructure, GitOps, service mesh, networking, and IaC—building platform capabilities used by development teams at scale. Senior engineers may guide technical decisions and lead efforts while remaining hands-on.

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience building and operating Kubernetes platforms.
• Strong Linux, networking, and container fundamentals.
• Experience with GitOps, CI/CD workflows, and Helm-based tooling.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret clearance.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and operate secure Kubernetes platforms for DoD workloads.
• Automate infrastructure with Terraform, Ansible, and IaC practices.
• Strengthen platform reliability, security, and performance.
• Collaborate with security, architecture, and application teams.

Skills

Kubernetes

Linux

Networking

Istio

GitOps

CI/CD

RBAC

Security

Tools

Terraform

Ansible

Helm

Job description

Remote

Ability to Obtain a DoD Secret Clearance

Build Secure Kubernetes Platforms That Engineering Teams Depend On

Rackner is hiring Kubernetes Engineers across Mid and Senior levels to help design, automate, secure, and operate cloud-native platforms supporting a mission-focused DoD environment.

You’ll work hands‑on across Kubernetes, cloud infrastructure, GitOps, service mesh, networking, security, and Infrastructure as Code—building reliable platform capabilities that development teams can use at scale.

We’re hiring multiple engineers and will align level based on the scope, technical depth, and ownership demonstrated in your work, rather than title alone.

What You’ll Lead and Build

• Design, build, and operate secure, resilient Kubernetes platforms
• Automate infrastructure and platform configuration using Terraform, Ansible, Helm, and Infrastructure as Code
• Build and improve GitOps and CI/CD workflows
• Implement Kubernetes networking, RBAC, security controls, and service-to-service communication
• Engineer and support Istio/service‑mesh capabilities
• Build reusable platform components, including Helm charts, Operators, Controllers, CRDs, and Admission Controllers
• Integrate Kubernetes with cloud services, container registries, and delivery pipelines
• Troubleshoot complex issues across Kubernetes, Linux, networking, containers, and cloud infrastructure
• Strengthen platform reliability, security, performance, and recovery
• Partner with application, cloud, security, and architecture teams to turn requirements into working platform capabilities

Senior engineers may also guide larger technical decisions, lead implementation efforts, and help other engineers grow while remaining hands‑on.

What You’ll Bring

• Hands‑on background building, operating, or supporting Kubernetes environments
• Strong knowledge of Linux, networking, containers, and Kubernetes architecture
• Proficiency with Helm and Infrastructure as Code
• Familiarity with cloud platforms such as AWS/EKS, Azure/AKS, GCP/GKE, OCI, or similar
• Practical use of GitOps, CI/CD, and automated deployment workflows
• Knowledge of Kubernetes security, access controls, and RBAC
• Ability to independently diagnose and solve issues across multiple layers of a platform
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret clearance

For Mid-level engineers, we’re generally looking for roughly 3–5 years of relevant engineering experience. Senior engineers will typically bring 5–7+ years with broader platform ownership, architecture, or technical leadership.

We care most about what you have built, operated, improved, and solved.

Standout Background

• Deep experience with Istio or service mesh
• Custom Kubernetes Operators, Controllers, CRDs, or Admission Controllers
• Experience supporting production platforms with active end users
• DoD, federal, regulated, or security‑focused engineering environments

Why Rackner

At Rackner, you’ll work on technology tied directly to complex federal missions while remaining close to the engineering.

This role offers the opportunity to build rather than simply maintain: own meaningful platform capabilities, solve problems across cloud and security boundaries, influence technical decisions, and expand your scope without stepping away from hands‑on engineering.

Our teams work across cloud, DevSecOps, AI/ML, data, and modern software engineering, creating opportunities to broaden your technical perspective as programs and challenges evolve.

Benefits & Perks

• Company‑supported certifications aligned with current and future program work
• Career‑development and leadership opportunities
• 401(k) with 100% match up to 6%
• Medical, dental, vision, life, and disability coverage
• Generous PTO and paid holidays
• Home‑office equipment and remote‑work support
• Fitness and wellness reimbursement
• Weekly pay and team events

Equal Opportunity

Use the same standard Rackner Equal Opportunity statement already used on the Senior Data Engineer posting.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Rackner’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A “disabled veteran” is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service‑connected disability.

A “recently separated veteran” means any veteran during the three‑year period beginning on the date of such veteran’s discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An “active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran” means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An “Armed forces service medal veteran” means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.