Senior OpenShift/Kubernetes GitOps and CI/CD Engineer

Leidos Inc; United States; Remote; USD 108,000 - 195,000; Full time

Job summary

Leidos is seeking a Senior OpenShift/Kubernetes GitOps and CI/CD Engineer to architect and build an enterprise delivery capability for containerized workloads on Red Hat OpenShift/Kubernetes. You will collaborate across application, platform, security, automation, observability, and operations teams to deliver a secure, repeatable deployment model.

The role involves designing target architecture, reusable patterns, and initial implementations using modern engineering practices, with

Qualifications

• BS degree and 8–12 years of relevant experience, or a Master’s with 6–10 years of relevant experience.
• Strong hands‑on experience designing, engineering, and operating enterprise CI/CD and/or GitOps solutions.
• Strong production experience with Kubernetes or Red Hat OpenShift environments.
• Demonstrated experience building and maintaining containerized application delivery workflows, including container image creation, registry management, deployment, and rollback.
• Experience with Git-based development and delivery workflows, including pull requests, branching, repository controls, and automated validation.
• Experience with CI/CD pipeline technologies such as Tekton, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI/CD, Jenkins, Azure DevOps, or comparable enterprise tooling.
• Experience with GitOps technologies such as Argo CD, Flux, or comparable Kubernetes-native GitOps platforms.
• Experience with container build technologies and registries such as Buildah, Docker/BuildKit, Quay, Harbor, or comparable technologies.
• Experience with Kubernetes configuration and packaging technologies such as Helm, Kustomize, or comparable approaches.
• Experience integrating CI/CD or platform automation with security controls, identity/RBAC, secrets management, or ITSM/change‑management systems.

Responsibilities

• Architect and implement the SEC GitOps and CI/CD capability from foundation through production operationalization.
• Assess existing OpenShift/Kubernetes environments and create repeatable containerization patterns.
• Design standardized GitHub repository structures for source and deployment configuration, including CODEOWNERS and branch protection.
• Engineer reusable OpenShift Pipelines/Tekton CI/CD templates for build, test, security, image creation, and promotion.
• Design and implement container image build workflows with Buildah/BuildKit, including provenance and immutability.
• Integrate CI pipelines with Nexus/Artifactory and manage separation between artifacts and container images in Quay.
• Incorporate ACS security policy gates and prevent insecure images from production without approved exceptions.
• Operate Quay as the container image registry with governance and traceability standards.
• Design Argo CD/OpenShift GitOps deployment model with drift management and rollback.
• Establish Helm and Kustomize standards for OpenShift deployments.
• Integrate GitOps/CI/CD with Entra ID/RBAC, CyberArk, ServiceNow, and Datadog observability.
• Ensure end-to-end deployment traceability from source to validation and operation.

Skills

Kubernetes/OpenShift

GitOps

CI/CD pipelines

Tekton/OpenShift Pipelines

Argo CD

GitHub Actions/GitLab CI

Container registries (Quay/Nexus/Artif

RBAC/Security integration

Education

BS or MS in a relevant field

Tools

OpenShift

Tekton

Buildah/BuildKit

Nexus/Artifactory

Quay

Argo CD

Job description

Senior OpenShift/Kubernetes GitOps and CI/CD Engineer

The Senior OpenShift/Kubernetes GitOps and CI/CD Engineer will support the Leidos SEC ISS2 contract by architecting, engineering, and building an enterprise application delivery capability for workloads transitioning from traditional virtualized infrastructure to containerized workloads on Red Hat OpenShift/Kubernetes. The SEC environment is establishing this capability from an early baseline, providing an opportunity to design the target architecture, standards, reusable patterns, and initial implementation using modern engineering practices rather than inheriting a mature legacy CI/CD platform. The engineer will work across application, platform, security, automation, observability, and Operations teams to build a secure, repeatable, and supportable delivery model. The target environment includes GitHub Enterprise, OpenShift Pipelines/Tekton, Buildah or another appropriate container build technology, Nexus and/or Artifactory, ACS, Quay, Argo CD/Red Hat OpenShift GitOps, Helm, Kustomize, CyberArk, ServiceNow, and Datadog. Experience with comparable CI/CD, GitOps, container, artifact, and platform technologies is valuable where skills are transferable.

This position is Telework / Remote.

Please be advised that during the interview, you will be required to keep your camera on, and your interviewer will be taking your picture for identification purposes if an offer letter is extended to you.

Primary Responsibilities

• Architect and implement the SEC GitOps and CI/CD capability from the initial foundation through production operationalization, using sound engineering and security practices.
• Assess the existing OpenShift/Kubernetes environment and application portfolio and develop repeatable patterns for containerizing and onboarding appropriate workloads from traditional virtualized environments.
• Design standardized GitHub repository structures for application source and GitOps deployment configuration, including branching, pull requests, CODEOWNERS, branch protection, review, and promotion practices.
• Engineer reusable OpenShift Pipelines/Tekton CI/CD templates for application build, test, security validation, container image creation, and promotion.
• Design and implement container image build workflows using Buildah or another appropriate OpenShift-compatible build technology, including image provenance and immutable image identification.
• Integrate CI pipelines with Nexus and/or Artifactory for approved application dependencies and build artifacts, and establish clear separation between general artifacts and container images stored in Quay.
• Integrate ACS into the software supply chain and implement security policy gates, including blocking Critical and High vulnerability images from production promotion unless an approved exception process is used.
• Establish and operate Quay as the approved container image registry for applicable OpenShift workloads, including repository structure, access, promotion, lifecycle, and image traceability standards.
• Design and implement the Argo CD/Red Hat OpenShift GitOps deployment model, including desired state, reconciliation, environment promotion, drift management, and rollback.
• Establish practical Helm and Kustomize standards for OpenShift application deployment and environment-specific configuration.
• Integrate GitOps and CI/CD workflows with Entra ID/RBAC, CyberArk, ServiceNow change control, and Datadog observability as appropriate.
• Establish end-to-end deployment traceability from source commit and approval through pipeline execution, security results, image digest, GitOps synchronization, OpenShift deployment, and operational validation.
• Build and validate a representative application deployment as a reference implementation, then convert lessons learned into reusable templates, standards, documentation, and onboarding patterns.
• Design and test repeatable deployment recovery and rollback procedures, including validation of application health following deployment or rollback.
• Work closely with the Senior Infrastructure Automation Engineer and other engineering teams to establish an integrated application delivery and infrastructure automation capability.
• Document architecture, technical decisions, standards, interfaces, operating procedures, and implementation guidance for long-term Operations support.

Basic Qualification

.

• Typically requires a BS degree and 8-12 years of prior relevant experience, or a Master's degree with 6-10 years of prior relevant experience. Additional relevant experience may be considered in lieu of degree requirements where permitted by contract.
• Strong hands‑on experience designing, engineering, and operating enterprise CI/CD and/or GitOps solutions.
• Strong production experience with Kubernetes or Red Hat OpenShift environments.
• Demonstrated experience building and maintaining containerized application delivery workflows, including container image creation, registry management, deployment, and rollback.
• Experience with Git-based development and delivery workflows, including pull requests, branching, repository controls, and automated validation.
• Experience with CI/CD pipeline technologies such as Tekton, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI/CD, Jenkins, Azure DevOps, or comparable enterprise tooling.
• Experience with GitOps technologies such as Argo CD, Flux, or comparable Kubernetes-native GitOps platforms.
• Experience with container build technologies and registries such as Buildah, Docker/BuildKit, Quay, Harbor, or comparable technologies.
• Experience with Kubernetes configuration and packaging technologies such as Helm, Kustomize, or comparable approaches.
• Experience integrating CI/CD or platform automation with security controls, identity/RBAC, secrets management, or ITSM/change‑management systems.
• Strong troubleshooting, systems integration, and technical problem‑solving skills across applications, platforms, networks, and infrastructure.
• Ability to architect solutions, evaluate alternatives, document technical decisions, and communicate recommendations to technical teams and customer stakeholders.
• Must meet applicable contract citizenship and work authorization requirements and be able to obtain and maintain SEC Public Trust or other required clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience designing or operating enterprise OpenShift Pipelines/Tekton environments.
• Experience with Red Hat OpenShift GitOps/Argo CD.
• Experience with Buildah, OpenShift Pipelines, Quay, and Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security.
• Experience with Nexus and/or JFrog Artifactory and container image promotion workflows.
• Experience with Helm and Kustomize in production Kubernetes/OpenShift environments.
• Experience containerizing and migrating applications from virtual machines or other traditional deployment platforms to Kubernetes/OpenShift.
• Experience designing platform capabilities from the ground up, establishing standards, reference architectures, and reusable engineering patterns.
• Experience with secure software supply‑chain practices, including image scanning, provenance, signing, policy enforcement, and immutable deployments.
• Experience integrating CI/CD and GitOps with ServiceNow, CyberArk, Entra ID, or enterprise observability platforms.
• Experience in federal environments governed by FISMA, NIST, FedRAMP, or similar security requirements.
• Relevant certifications in Kubernetes, Red Hat OpenShift, cloud, DevOps, or related disciplines.

About Leidos

Leidos is an industry and technology leader serving government and commercial customers with smarter, more efficient digital and mission innovations. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with 47,000 global employees, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $16.7 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2025. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.

Pay and Benefits

Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision. That's why we craft compensation packages that reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers. Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement. More details are available at www.leidos.com/careers/pay-benefits.

Pay Range: Pay Range $107,900.00 - $195,050.00

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline onlyand not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.

Commitment to Non-Discrimination

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, age, national origin, citizenship, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, family structure, marital status, ancestry, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Leidos will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with relevant laws.

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