Senior AKS Architect: Azure Multi-Cluster Orchestrator

Kforce Inc; Charlotte (NC); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Kforce Inc is seeking a senior Kubernetes and Azure specialist to design, deploy and manage enterprise AKS clusters across multiple regions. You will implement private clusters, CMK-based encryption, blue/green upgrades, and multi-cluster orchestration using Fleet Manager and Automatic features.

The role requires hands-on experience with AKS, Terraform, GitHub Actions, ArgoCD, and service mesh tools like Linkerd, along with strong security and networking expertise in Azure.

Qualifications

• CKA or CKS certification is required.
• 5+ years Kubernetes experience in production.
• 2+ years AKS experience.
• Experience with private AKS clusters and Azure Private Link/Private Endpoints.
• Experience with Azure Key Vault integration (CSI driver, disk encryption sets).
• Hands-on with customer-managed encryption keys in Azure.
• Experience with Azure Container Registry including geo-replication and vulnerability scanning.
• Experience with Linkerd service mesh and AKS Fleet Manager.
• Experience with Kubernetes operators and CRDs.
• Familiarity with AKS Automatic and managed namespace patterns.
• Strong Terraform expertise and reusable modules.
• Deep understanding of Kubernetes architecture, networking, storage, and security.

Responsibilities

• Design, deploy, and manage enterprise-scale AKS clusters across multiple Azure regions.
• Implement and maintain private AKS clusters with advanced networking configurations.
• Configure and manage CMK for cluster disk encryption.
• Implement blue/green deployment strategies for zero-downtime upgrades.
• Manage AKS cluster lifecycle including upgrades, node pool scaling, and disaster recovery.
• Optimize cluster performance, cost, and resource utilization.
• Implement AKS Fleet Manager for multi-cluster management and orchestration.
• Configure AKS Automatic for simplified operations and auto-scaling.
• Manage AKS Managed Namespaces for multi-tenancy and isolation.

Skills

Kubernetes

Azure

Terraform

GitHub Actions

ArgoCD

kubectl

helm

PowerShell

Python

Bash

Tools

AKS

Azure Private Link/Private Endpoints

Azure Key Vault CSI driver

DKMS/CMK for disk encryption

Job description

Kforce Inc is seeking a senior Kubernetes and Azure specialist to design, deploy and manage enterprise AKS clusters across multiple regions. You will implement private clusters, CMK-based encryption, blue/green upgrades, and multi-cluster orchestration using Fleet Manager and Automatic features.

The role requires hands-on experience with AKS, Terraform, GitHub Actions, ArgoCD, and service mesh tools like Linkerd, along with strong security and networking expertise in Azure.