Principal Platform Engineer - Computing Services

Carnegie Mellon University; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading university in Pittsburgh seeks a Principal Platform Engineer to design and maintain automation and deployment solutions. The role focuses on hybrid cloud environments, enhancing IT service delivery through CI/CD practices. Ideal candidates will have strong skills in automation, cloud adoption, and collaboration, contributing to innovative IT efficiency in a university setting.

Benefits

Comprehensive medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Retirement plans

Tuition benefits

Paid time off

Life and disability insurance

Transit passes

Childcare support

Fitness center access

Qualifications

• At least three years of experience designing and maintaining IaC or container CI/CD platforms.
• Experience in higher education IT environments.

Responsibilities

• Design and manage CI/CD pipelines for enterprise applications.
• Deploy and manage containerized applications using Kubernetes.

Skills

Automation

Cloud Adoption

Collaboration

Problem Solving

Education

Master’s degree in Information Technology

Tools

Terraform

Kubernetes

Jenkins

GitHub Actions

GitLab CI/CD

Power Automate

Docker

Job description

Principal Platform Engineer - Computing Services

Principal Platform Engineer - Computing Services

Apply locations Pittsburgh, PA | time type Full time | posted on Posted Today | job requisition id 2023215

The Principal Platform Engineer - DevOps Engineering is responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining automation, infrastructure, and deployment solutions to support administrative operations, academic, and research computing. This role focuses on hybrid on-premise and public cloud environments, enabling Continuous Integration (CI), Continuous Delivery (CD), and Continuous Deployment (CDE) to facilitate seamless IT service delivery. The engineer will integrate platforms via APIs and optimize deployments, infrastructure reliability, security, and automation. Responsibilities include server design and management within enterprise-wide systems or complex multi-user systems within a college or division, ensuring long-term operational requirements are incorporated into planning. The role may involve leading projects and providing training to junior staff.

Your core responsibilities will include:

1. Design, implement, and manage CI/CD pipelines for enterprise applications using tools such as Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or GitLab CI/CD.
2. Develop and maintain hybrid cloud and on-premise infrastructure leveraging infrastructure-as-code (IaC) frameworks like Terraform or Puppet.
3. Deploy and manage containerized applications and orchestration platforms such as Kubernetes or OpenShift.
4. Integrate and automate university administrative systems including student information systems and identity management solutions (e.g., Active Directory, Sailpoint, Microsoft Entra, LDAP, CyberArk).
5. Manage software and artifact repositories with solutions like JFrog Artifactory or Nexus.
6. Enhance automation through Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and IaC methodologies using platforms like Power Automate or open-source tools.
7. Implement security best practices in deployment pipelines, including secure access management and secret storage with tools like CyberArk.
8. Lead monitoring and observability practices, utilizing tools such as Splunk, Prometheus, Grafana, or ELK Stack to ensure system performance and reliability.
9. Collaborate with leadership, faculty, researchers, and IT teams to promote automation, cloud adoption, and continuous improvement of platform services.
10. Perform other duties as assigned.

We value flexibility, excellence, and passion within Computing Services. Inclusion, collaboration, and cultural sensitivity are essential. We seek a team member who can interact effectively with diverse internal and external partners, upholding integrity and supporting the university's mission.

Preferred Skills & Qualifications:

• At least three (3) years of experience designing, implementing, and maintaining IaC or container CI/CD platforms supporting hybrid infrastructure.
• Master’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or related field.
• Experience in higher education IT environments supporting administrative computing, student information systems, and academic applications.
• Expertise in hybrid cloud and on-premise infrastructure design, automation, and management.
• Proficiency with container orchestration platforms such as Kubernetes, Docker Swarm, or OpenShift.
• Strong knowledge of CI/CD pipelines, GitOps, and software workflows using Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI/CD, or AWS.
• Hands-on experience with IaC and configuration management tools like Terraform or Puppet.
• Deep understanding of containerization technologies including Docker and Podman.
• Knowledge of compliance and security standards relevant to higher education, such as FERPA, HIPAA, and NIST.
• Scripting and automation skills in Python, Bash, or PowerShell.
• Experience integrating IT services with IAM solutions like Shibboleth, LDAP, CAS, or SAML.
• Excellent troubleshooting and problem-solving skills for large-scale distributed systems.

This role is ideal for engineers passionate about innovation, improving IT efficiency, and advancing automation in a university setting.

Requirements:

• Successful background check

Interested? Apply today!

Benefits include: comprehensive medical, dental, vision insurance, retirement plans, tuition benefits, paid time off, life and disability insurance, transit passes, childcare support, fitness center access, and more. For details, visit our Benefits page.

At CMU, we value your unique skills and perspectives, aiming to find the right fit for your growth and aspirations. Join us and be part of shaping the future.