Principal DevOps Engineer

KBR Careers; Colorado Springs (CO); On-site; USD 142,000 - 213,000; Full time

Job summary

KBR in Colorado Springs, CO is seeking a Principal DevOps Engineer to fuse cloud technologies with robust DevOps practices, delivering secure, scalable infrastructure for AFRL prototypes and national security projects.

You will own CI/CD pipelines, design air-gapped Kubernetes deployments, containerize legacy apps with Helm charts, and work across teams to implement cloud-native solutions in Azure Government. TS/SCI and a CS degree are required.

Qualifications

• Active U.S. government TS/SCI clearance required.
• B.S. in Computer Science or equivalent.
• 5+ years building and deploying Kubernetes microservices on cloud platforms (Azure Government preferred).
• Production Kubernetes experience with Helm and container orchestration.
• Proficiency with GitLab CI/CD.
• Experience deploying to air-gapped networks.
• DoD 8140 / Security+ or equivalent (must obtain within 90 days).
• On-site in Colorado Springs, CO (flexible schedule).
• Ability to research and solve complex technical problems independently.
• Desirable: KCNA or Azure cloud certification.
• Desirable: Terraform, Ansible, PowerShell scripting, or similar IaC tools.
• Desirable: OAuth2/OIDC/KeyCloak familiarity.

Responsibilities

• Own the CI/CD pipelines delivering containerized apps to Azure Government clusters.
• Design and maintain deployments for air-gapped Kubernetes environments.
• Containerize legacy applications and build Helm charts for production.
• Architect cloud-native networking and systems for classified workloads.
• Diagnose and resolve pipeline and deployment issues, Kubernetes troubleshooting.
• Build and deploy Helm charts to Kubernetes clusters.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to support diverse tech stacks.

Skills

Kubernetes

Helm

GitLab CI

Terraform

Ansible

Air-Gapped Networks

Security+ / DoD 8140

Cloud Native

Education

B.S. in Computer Science

Tools

Azure Government

Zarf

Job description

Title: Principal DevOps Engineer Belong. Connect. Grow. with KBR!

KBR’s National Security Solutions team provides high-end engineering and advanced technology solutions to our customers in the intelligence and national security communities. Our KBR team in Colorado Springs, CO is seeking a Principal DevOps Engineer. This role is pivotal in integrating cloud technologies with DevOps practices, requiring a blend of technical skills and operational acumen. As a Principal DevOps Engineer, your contributions will directly impact the success of our projects and the overall business outcomes we aim to achieve.

Why Join Us?

• Innovative Projects: Build the infrastructure that powers Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) prototypes — rapid-prototype cloud environments supporting warfighter capabilities across air, space, and cyber domains.
• Collaborative Environment: Our rapid prototyping environment requires that we empower and entrust our engineers to make high level decisions. We live the Agile values, prioritizing development team autonomy, face-to-face communication, and working code over processes and documentation.
• Impactful Work: Your work will directly support the Air Force in expanding national capabilities. As the Air Force's leader for National-to-Tactical capability development, AFRL collaborates with leading experts across the Intelligence Community, Department of Defense, National Laboratories, industry, inter-agency, academia, and partner nations.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own the CI/CD pipelines that deliver containerized applications to Azure Government clusters supporting AFRL rapid prototypes — from build to scan to deployment.
• Design and maintain deployments for air-gapped Kubernetes environments, establishing patterns other teams adopt.
• Containerize legacy applications and build the Helm charts that package them for production.
• Architect cloud-native networking and system designs for classified workloads.
• Diagnose and resolve pipeline and deployment issues — you are the team's go-to for Kubernetes troubleshooting.
• Build and deploy helm charts to Kubernetes clusters
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to support a variety of tech stacks

Technology Ownership:

• Containerization & Orchestration: Kubernetes, Helm, and Zarf
• Cloud Environments: Microsoft Azure Government, Air-Gapped Cloud Platforms
• CI/CD Platforms: GitLab CI
• Security: Anchore, Trivy, Grype, SAST tools

Work Environment:

• Location: Colorado Springs, CO – Onsite
• Travel Requirements: Minimal
• Working Hours: Flexible

Qualifications:

• Required: Security Clearance: Must have an active U.S. government TS/SCI security clearance, which is something only a U.S. citizen can obtain
• Required: Education: B.S. in Computer Science. Other degrees will be considered with relevant work experience or certification.
• Required: 5+ years building and deploying Kubernetes microservices on cloud platforms (Azure Government preferred)
• Required: Production Kubernetes experience (Helm, container orchestration)
• Required: Proficiency with GitLab CI/CD
• Required: Experience deploying to air-gapped networks
• Required: DoD 8140 / Security+ or equivalent (must obtain within 90 days of start)
• Required: On-site in Colorado Springs, CO (flexible schedule)
• Required: Ability to research and solve complex technical problems independently
• Desired: Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate (KCNA) certification or similar Azure cloud certification
• Desired: Familiar with infrastructure-as-code tools (Terraform, PowerShell scripting, Ansible, etc.)
• Desired: OAuth2/OIDC/KeyCloak familiarity
• Desired: Cert Manager, OpenSSL, and PKI experience
• Desired: Experience with Kafka or similar event streaming platforms
• Desired: Cloud native application delivery experience
• Desired: Experience leading an engineering team

Basic Compensation:

Basic Compensation: $142,000 - $212,900 (For Colorado Springs, CO Only). The offered rate will be based on the selected candidate’s knowledge, skills, abilities and/or experience and in consideration of internal parity.

Additional Compensation:

Additional Compensation: KBR may offer bonuses, commissions, or other forms of compensation to certain job titles or levels, per internal policy or contractual designation. Additional compensation may be in the form of a sign on bonus, relocation benefits, short-term incentives, long-term incentives, or discretionary payments for exceptional performance.

Belong, Connect and Grow at KBR

At KBR, we are passionate about our people and our Zero Harm culture. These inform all that we do and are at the heart of our commitment to, and ongoing journey toward being a People First company. That commitment is central to our team of team’s philosophy and fosters an environment where everyone can Belong, Connect and Grow. We Deliver – Together. KBR is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. KBR — Delivering Solutions, Changing the World. KBR brings together the best and brightest to deliver science, technology and engineering solutions that help governments and companies around the world accomplish their most critical missions and objectives. In everything we do, we are guided by our ONE KBR Values: We Value Our People – We create diverse, inclusive environments in which each person can feel safe, respected and valued, and where everyone has opportunities to grow and reach their full potential. We Deliver – We are uncompromising in our commitment to deliver innovative, high-quality, technology-led solutions for our customers and exceptional, sustainable value for all our stakeholders. We Are People of Integrity – We value honesty, trust, courage, fairness, prudence and tenacity. We believe doing what’s right for the planet, the communities where we work, and our people is good for business. We Empower – We empower our people with a shared purpose, the right tools and the supportive culture they need to be proactive decision-makers, to be adaptive to change, and to succeed. We Are a Team of Teams – We have a will to succeed, but we value the achievements of our team of teams over individual accomplishments. Our collective focus makes us a better, stronger, more effective company. We have also embedded environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles in every business operation and corporate function. Not only are we committed to operating safely, sustainably and equitably, but we are also committed to using our capabilities and expertise to help our customers accomplish their sustainability goals. Worldwide, KBR employs a diverse workforce approximately 29,000 people strong, with customers in more than 80 countries and operations in 40 countries. At KBR, We Deliver.