Senior Principal Platform Engineer (Lead) Herndon, VA

Clarity Innovations, LLC; Herndon (VA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a lead platform engineer to drive innovation in cyber network operations. This role involves architectural design leadership and the development of scalable infrastructure solutions across cloud-native and on-premises environments. You will mentor a talented team while engaging with customers to enhance platform capabilities. Join a people-focused organization committed to tackling complex national security challenges and fostering a collaborative environment where your contributions will be valued. If you are passionate about technology and thrive in a dynamic setting, this opportunity is perfect for you.

Qualifications

• Ability to obtain a TS security clearance; Bachelor's in Computer Engineering or equivalent experience.
• Proficient in Kubernetes, GitOps, CI/CD, and container orchestration.

Responsibilities

• Lead architectural discussions and design Kubernetes-based GitOps deployments.
• Implement robust and secure cloud infrastructure solutions.

Skills

Kubernetes

GitOps

CI/CD Pipelines

Containerization (Docker, Podman)

Linux Development

Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, Pulumi)

Network Troubleshooting

Agile Methodologies

Automated Testing

Security Clearance Management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering

4 years of hands-on experience in Software Engineering

Tools

Azure

AWS

GitLab

Crossplane

Terraform

Job description

Herndon, VA

Clarity Innovations is a trusted national security partner, dedicated to safeguarding our nation’s interests and delivering innovative solutions that empower the Intelligence Community (IC) and Department of Defense (DoD) to transform data into actionable intelligence, ensuring mission success in an evolving world.

Our mission-first software and data engineering platform modernizes data operations, utilizing advanced workflows, CI/CD, and secure DevSecOps practices. We focus on challenges in Information Warfare, Cyber Operations, Operational Security, and Data Structuring, enabling end-to-end solutions that drive operational impact.

We are committed to delivering cutting-edge tools and capabilities that address the most complex national security challenges, empowering our partners to stay ahead of emerging threats and ensuring the success of their critical missions. At Clarity, we are people-focused and set on being a destination employer for top talent, offering an environment where innovation thrives, careers grow, and individuals are valued. Join us as we continue to lead innovation and tackle the most pressing challenges in national security.

Position Overview

This position is the lead of a dynamic and senior platform engineering team at the forefront of prototyping infrastructure designs to support the next generation of cyber network operations. In this role, you will be expected to provide architectural design leadership, systems design leadership, and elegant solutions to pressing operational challenges. You will contribute to developing a platform that simplifies complex infrastructure management across cloud-native and on-premises environments. Your work will involve architecting scalable federated clusters, implementing GitOps workflows for version-controlled and automated operations, and designing declarative interfaces. The goal is to create tools and processes that bridge the gap between development and operations, enhancing productivity and reliability in diverse infrastructure settings. The role presents unique opportunities, such as regular customer interaction to iterate, streamline, and multiply platform capabilities to meet customer objectives of broad deployment and exceptional flexibility.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead architectural discussions and lead design of Kubernetes-based GitOps deployments
• Lead the designing and implementation of pipelines
• Ensure OCI hardening of container images lifecycle
• Manage the chain of custody of Container signature lifecycle provenance
• Communicate through thoughtful and thorough design documents for new initiatives.
• Design and implement robust, scalable, and secure infrastructure cloud solutions aligned with overall product vision
• Build and integrate automated testing into the product’s codebase
• Facilitate delivery and deployment of operational capabilities
• Foster a collaborative team environment, mentoring junior engineers and coordinating efforts across cross-functional teams to ensure project success

Qualifications

• Be able to obtain and maintain a TS security clearance (note, only US Citizens are eligible for security clearances)
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical discipline. (Degree requirement can be met with four years of hands-on experience in a Software Engineering or similar full-time position.)
• Ability to lead a senior team but execute independently
• Thrives in a high-trust, adaptable team environment
• Proficient in CNCF container networking ingress and egress
• Proficient with CI/CD Pipeline-based GitOps deployments
• Proficient with Kubernetes cluster lifecycle (deployment, troubleshooting, scaling)
• Proficient with container orchestration using Kubernetes (K8s)
• Proficient deploying and managing Kubernetes clusters on major cloud platforms, particularly Azure and AWS
• Proficient in containerization technologies (e.g., Docker, Podman)
• Proficient with Infrastructure as Code Utilities (e.g., Crossplane, Pulumi, Terraform)
• Proficient in Linux-based development environments (e.g., Ubuntu, RedHat Enterprise Linux, or derivatives)
• Experience implementing modern DevOps practices and tools (e.g., CI/CD, IaC, GitOps) in production deployment workflows
• Experience providing daily guidance and oversight to other engineers
• Experience contributing to or leading the design of new capabilities
• Experience leading communications with customers and end-users
• Experience troubleshooting network connectivity issues
• Experience with a version control code repositories, such as GitLab

Preferred Qualifications

• Current Top Secret security clearance SCI eligibility
• Familiarity with the Cyber Operations Domain
• Experience designing and implementing solutions on Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services (AWS)
• Familiarity with Scaled Agile Framework
• Experience writing Automated Tests (e.g., unit tests, acceptance tests, system/integration tests)
• Expertise in Cluster API and multi K8s cluster management using Liqo.io
• Experience using crossplane.io for Hyper Converged Infrastructure (HCI)
• Proficient in Open Policy Agent (OPA) policy management
• Proficient in Security Controls as Code (OSCAL etc.)
• Proficient in Software bill of materials (SBOM)
• Proficient in Software Supply Management to ensure attestation of code lifecycle
• Experience writing code in a general-purpose language such as Python, Go or Rust

We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.