Senior Solutions Architect - Kubernetes & DoD Pre-Sales

SUSE RGS; Reston (VA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Rancher Government Solutions (RGS) is seeking a Senior Solutions Architect in Reston, VA, to lead technical strategy and wins for key opportunities. The role demands deep Kubernetes and cloud-native expertise, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts for both engineers and executives.

You will own architecture designs, deliver POCs and reference architectures using Rancher, RKE2, and Harvester, and collaborate with account executives on GTM strategies while mentoring junior

Qualifications

• Deep hands-on experience with on prem Kubernetes and its ecosystem (CNCF tooling, Helm, Prometheus, GitOps frameworks, etc.).
• Strong background in DevOps, automation, and infrastructure-as-code (Ansible, Terraform, ArgoCD, Flux, etc.).
• Familiarity with container runtimes, networking (CNI), storage (CSI), and security in production environments.
• Experience architecting or operating in cloud and hybrid environments (AWS, Azure, on-prem).
• Proven ability to design and articulate solutions that meet customer technical and business objectives.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills with both engineering and executive audiences.
• Experience with U.S. Government customers
• Prior Experience in pre-sales technical roles
• U.S. Citizen and eligible for a U.S. Security Clearance.
• Reside within the Continental U.S.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical discovery, architecture design, and solution validation activities within assigned accounts.
• Present RGS solutions and demonstrate how they solve customer pain points across container orchestration, automation, and platform management.
• Develop and deliver POCs, demos, and reference architectures leveraging the Rancher, RKE2, and Harvester stack.
• Provide technical leadership during proposal and design phases, ensuring alignment with security and compliance requirements in DoD, IC, and civilian environments.
• Partner closely with account executives on go-to-market strategy, pipeline development, and QBRs.
• Mentor junior engineers and represent RGS at industry and customer events.

Skills

Kubernetes

Linux

DevOps

IaC

Pre-sales

Tools

Ansible

Terraform

ArgoCD

Flux

Helm

CNCF tools

Job description

Rancher Government Solutions (RGS) is seeking a Senior Solutions Architect in Reston, VA, to lead technical strategy and wins for key opportunities. The role demands deep Kubernetes and cloud-native expertise, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts for both engineers and executives.

You will own architecture designs, deliver POCs and reference architectures using Rancher, RKE2, and Harvester, and collaborate with account executives on GTM strategies while mentoring junior