Platform Engineer – Virginia Tech

V T CORPORATE RESOURCE CTR; Blacksburg (VA); Hybrid; USD 81,565 - 98,000; Full time

Job summary

V T CORPORATE RESOURCE CTR is seeking a Platform Engineer to design and build capabilities that improve developer experience and enable self-service workflows for applications at Virginia Tech.

This hybrid role requires expertise in Kubernetes, GitOps, and CI/CD pipelines, along with a Master's degree in Computer Science or a related field. The salary range is $81,565 to $98,000, and the successful candidate will undergo a criminal conviction check.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field.
• Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) certification or ability to obtain within one year.
• Experience building and operating Kubernetes platforms.
• Experience with GitOps workflows and Infrastructure as Code (Terraform).
• Experience designing CI/CD pipelines.
• Programming experience in Python or Bash.
• Understanding of networking and security principles.

Responsibilities

• Design and build platform capabilities for developer self-service.
• Work as part of an Agile team to meet functionality and performance requirements.
• Leverage public cloud services and on-premises infrastructure.
• Define and maintain golden paths for deployment patterns.
• Solve complex technical challenges for high-value solutions.
• Create and maintain documentation of services.
• Gather feedback from platform consumers.

Skills

Kubernetes platforms

GitOps workflows

Infrastructure as Code (Terraform)

CI/CD pipelines

Python

Bash

Networking principles

Security principles

Education

Master’s degree in Computer Science or related field

Job description

The Platforms Team within Enterprise Solutions and Enabling Technologies is part of the Division of Information Technology at Virginia Tech. This team builds and maintains the university’s Internal Developer Platform (IDP), enabling development teams across the institution to deploy and operate their applications with minimal friction.

The Platform Engineer will design and build platform capabilities that reduce cognitive load for application developers by abstracting infrastructure complexity. This role treats the platform as a product, with internal development teams as customers, and focuses on enabling self-service workflows while supporting multi-tenant environments across the university.

Responsibilities

• Design and build platform capabilities that enable developer self-service and improve developer experience (DevEx).
• Work as part of an Agile team to estimate engineering effort, plan implementation, and deploy changes that meet requirements for functionality, performance, reliability, and adherence to best practices.
• Leverage public cloud services and on-premises infrastructure to build and operate multi-tenant Kubernetes platforms.
• Define and maintain golden paths for common deployment patterns that platform consumers can adopt.
• Solve complex technical challenges to provide high-value solutions to the university.
• Create and maintain up-to-date documentation of services and provide on-call support as required.
• Gather feedback from platform consumers to inform roadmap priorities.
• Be self-motivated with the capacity to work independently with minimal supervision, as well as in a team environment.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field, or a combination of education, training, and experience that equates to a Master’s degree
• Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) certification required, or the ability to obtain CKA certification within one year of hire
• Experience building and operating Kubernetes platforms
• Experience with GitOps workflows and Infrastructure as Code (Terraform)
• Experience designing CI/CD pipelines
• Programming experience in Python or Bash
• Understanding of networking and security principles

Overtime Status

Not eligible for overtime

Appointment Type

Regular

Salary Information

$81,565 – $98,000

Additional Information

This position is a hybrid role with three days onsite.

The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.

EEO Statement

Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, ethnicity or national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or military status, or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected by law.

If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact IT Human Resources at [e-mail] during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.