DevOps Engineer (Kubernetes / OpenTofu / GitLab CI)

Pure Placements (PTY) LTD; Cape Town; Hybrid; ZAR 720,000 - 960,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading recruitment agency is looking for a seasoned DevOps Engineer in Cape Town. You will be pivotal in automating infrastructure and deploying applications in a sophisticated private cloud environment. The ideal candidate has over 5 years of experience, particularly in Kubernetes and CI/CD automation. This role offers a hybrid work model and a salary range of R 720,000 to R 960,000 annually.

Benefits

Medical Aid Contribution

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in a DevOps, Software Engineering, or Infrastructure role.
• At least 3 years of hands-on experience with Kubernetes management and CI/CD automation.
• Proven expertise with OpenTofu (or Terraform) for IaC.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain robust GitLab CI/CD pipelines.
• Develop and manage infrastructure using OpenTofu.
• Deploy, manage, and optimize Kubernetes clusters on private cloud infrastructure.

Skills

Kubernetes management

CI/CD automation

OpenTofu

GitLab CI/CD

Secrets management

Monitoring tools

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Prometheus

Grafana

OpenBao

Proxmox

Job description

Location: Cape Town (Century City), Hybrid (3 days in office)

Salary: R 720,000 – R 960,000 Annual CTC

Benefits: Medical Aid Contribution

The Role: Key Responsibilities & Daily Duties

We are seeking a seasoned DevOps Engineer to be the driving force behind automation, infrastructure, and seamless deployment workflows. You will be critical in bridging development and operations in a sophisticated private cloud environment.

Responsibilities

• CI/CD Pipeline Mastery: Design, build, and maintain robust GitLab CI/CD pipelines to fully automate the build, test, and deployment of applications and infrastructure.
• Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Develop and manage infrastructure using OpenTofu to provision and configure servers, VMs, and Kubernetes clusters, ensuring consistent and repeatable environments.
• Kubernetes Management: Deploy, manage, and optimize Kubernetes clusters on private cloud (Proxmox) infrastructure, configuring core components and networking with Antrea (CNI) and Project Contour (Ingress).
• Secrets Management: Implement and manage secure secrets storage and dynamic access for applications and pipelines using OpenBao.
• Infrastructure Integration: Collaborate with development teams to optimize application deployment, scalability, and reliability on the private cloud platform.
• Monitoring & Reliability: Implement and maintain monitoring, logging, and alerting systems using Prometheus and Grafana to ensure high availability and performance.
• Collaboration & Documentation: Work across teams to align DevOps practices with business goals and thoroughly document all workflows and configurations.

The Ideal Tech Stack & Experience

• Essential: 5+ years of experience in a DevOps, Software Engineering, or Infrastructure role.
• Essential: At least 3 years of hands-on experience with Kubernetes management and CI/CD automation.
• Essential: Proven expertise with OpenTofu (or Terraform) for IaC and GitLab CI/CD for pipeline automation.
• Essential: Strong experience managing Kubernetes and infrastructure in a private cloud/bare-metal environment (e.g., using Proxmox).
• Essential: Hands-on experience with secrets management using OpenBao or HashiCorp Vault in production.
• Highly Advantageous: Proficiency with container runtimes (CRI-O), monitoring tools (Prometheus/Grafana), and a deep understanding of networking concepts.

Qualifications & Skills

• A Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, OR equivalent practical experience.
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills to tackle complex automation and integration challenges.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills to work effectively in cross-functional teams.
• A proactive mindset and a passion for building reliable, secure, and scalable systems.

Why Join Our Client?

• Solve Complex Problems: Build and automate infrastructure for advanced robotics, a challenge far beyond typical web applications.
• Master a Modern Stack: Work with a leading-edge toolkit including Kubernetes, OpenTofu, GitLab CI, OpenBao, and Proxmox.
• End-to-End Ownership: Take full ownership of the CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure automation that are vital to the product's success.
• Pioneering Environment: Be part of a team that is solving real-world problems with technology and has a tangible global impact.
• Hybrid Flexibility: Enjoy a balanced work model that combines collaborative in-office days with focused remote work.