Lead DevOps Engineer

CloudSmiths; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 900 000 - 1 200 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading cloud technology firm in Johannesburg is seeking a Lead DevOps Engineer to architect and manage cloud infrastructure across GCP and AWS while leading a dedicated team. Ideal candidates will demonstrate expertise in CI/CD, Docker, and Kubernetes, along with a passion for automation. This position offers a full-time role with competitive salary and flexible work arrangements.

Benefits

Generous training budget

Top-tier salary

Comprehensive benefits package

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a senior or lead DevOps role.
• Hands-on expertise with GCP and AWS services.
• Deep proficiency with Terraform or similar IaC tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of skilled DevOps engineers.
• Architect scalable, secure infrastructure on GCP and AWS.
• Automate build, test, and deployment processes.

Skills

Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

CI/CD Pipeline Management

Docker

Kubernetes (K8s)

Python

Tools

Terraform

GitLab CI

Prometheus

Grafana

Job description

Are you an expert in cloud infrastructure who loves to build resilient scalable systems that serve millions of users daily? Do you want to lead a talented team at the intersection of media advertising and cutting‑edge technology? If so, we have the perfect opportunity for you!

As the Lead DevOps Engineer you will be the driving force behind our cloud infrastructure and deployment strategies. You will lead a dedicated DevOps team architecting robust multi‑cloud solutions across GCP and AWS to support our high‑traffic applications. Your mission is to foster a culture of automation, reliability, and continuous improvement, ensuring our developers can deliver value quickly and safely.

Key Responsibilities

• Leading and mentoring a team of skilled DevOps engineers, guiding their professional growth and setting technical direction.
• Architecting cloud solutions by designing and implementing scalable, secure, and cost‑effective infrastructure on both GCP and AWS.
• Owning the CI/CD pipeline to automate the build, test, and deployment of our applications, ensuring fast and reliable releases.
• Championing Infrastructure as Code (IaC) using tools like Terraform to manage our cloud resources declaratively.
• Driving containerization strategy by managing and optimizing our Kubernetes (K8s) clusters and container ecosystem.
• Enhancing system observability by implementing and maintaining robust monitoring, logging, and alerting systems.
• Collaborating across teams to work closely with software engineers to optimize performance, security, and reliability from development to production.

What You’ll Bring to the Table

We’re looking for a seasoned expert with a passion for automation and a proven ability to lead.

Essential Skills & Experience

• Demonstrable experience in a senior or lead DevOps role with a history of mentoring team members.
• Expert‑level hands‑on experience with both Google Cloud Platform (GCP) (e.g., GKE, Cloud Run, BigQuery, IAM) and Amazon Web Services (AWS) (e.g., EKS, EC2, S3, RDS, IAM).
• Infrastructure as Code (IaC): deep proficiency with tools like Terraform or CloudFormation.
• Strong experience designing and managing CI/CD pipelines using tools like GitLab CI, GitHub Actions, Jenkins, or similar.
• Deep understanding and practical experience with Docker and Kubernetes (K8s).
• Proficiency in a language like Python, Go, or Bash for automation.
• Experience with monitoring and logging tools such as Prometheus, Grafana, Datadog, or the ELK stack.
• The ability to articulate complex technical concepts to both technical and non‑technical stakeholders.

Bonus Points

• Experience working in the media advertising or ad‑tech industry.
• Familiarity with DevSecOps principles and security tooling.
• GCP or AWS professional‑level certifications.

Why Join CloudSmiths

• Work on high‑visibility platforms that are used by millions of people around the world.
• We embrace remote and hybrid work to help you achieve a healthy work‑life balance.
• We provide a generous budget for training, certifications, and conferences to help you stay at the top of your game.
• We offer a top‑tier salary and a comprehensive benefits package.

Required Experience: Senior IC

Employment Type: Full‑Time

Experience: years

Vacancy: 1