Kubernetes Platforms Principal Architect
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory conducting multidisciplinary research in computing, AI, energy, materials, nuclear science, neutron science, isotopes, and national security.
Funding history
Investors
About Oak Ridge National Laboratory
ORNL is a government-owned, contractor-operated U.S. Department of Energy research laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. UT-Battelle operates ORNL for DOE; the laboratory currently provides AI and high-performance-computing capabilities alongside science and engineering research infrastructure.
Skills
Candidate Availability
Required and preferred rules are kept separate and reflect the wording in the original posting.
About the Role
You will lead the architecture, implementation, lifecycle management, security hardening, and scalability planning of on-premises Kubernetes clusters. You will automate infrastructure and deployment workflows, evaluate platform technologies, support internal developer-platform capabilities, mentor engineers, and partner with cybersecurity, SRE, and development teams.
Requirements
- BS degree in computer science or a related field and at least 8 years of platform-engineering experience, including at least 5 years of Kubernetes experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience
- Experience designing, implementing, and operating highly available Kubernetes platforms or services in mission-critical production environments
- Knowledge of Linux or UNIX system fundamentals and Linux-based operating-system management
- Understanding of networking principles, network protocols, Linux networking, and Kubernetes networking
- Experience developing automation or deployment tooling with Bash and Python or Go
- Experience with infrastructure as code, configuration management, CI/CD, or GitOps using tools such as Puppet, Ansible, GitLab CI, or Argo CD
- Technical leadership, communication, collaboration, design guidance, code-review, and mentorship skills
- Ability to obtain and maintain a Department of Energy clearance
- Ability to pass a pre-placement drug test and participate in random drug testing
Responsibilities
- Lead the architecture, design, implementation, and lifecycle management of on-premises Kubernetes clusters
- Evaluate, integrate, and standardize platform components for networking, CI/CD, operating-system management, service mesh, and Kubernetes operators
- Build and maintain test environments for technology evaluation
- Lead cluster upgrades, security hardening, scalability planning, and monitoring integration
- Develop infrastructure, configuration, and deployment automation
- Establish reusable automation patterns and configuration standards
- Support internally developed Kubernetes operators and maintain designated controllers
- Collaborate on an internal developer platform
- Define secure container-image baselines and automate image workflows
- Provide architectural guidance, code reviews, pair programming, and mentorship
- Partner with cybersecurity, SRE, and development teams on platform requirements
Benefits
- Medical plans
- Retirement plans
- Flexible work hours
- On-site fitness facilities
- On-site banking facilities
- On-site cafeteria facilities
- Prescription Drug Plan
- Dental Plan
- Vision Plan
- 401(k) Retirement Plan
- Contributory Pension Plan
- Life Insurance
- Disability Benefits
- Vacation and holidays
- Parental Leave
- Legal Insurance with Identity Theft Protection
- Employee Assistance Plan
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Health Savings Accounts
- Wellness Programs
- Educational Assistance
- Relocation Assistance
- Employee Discounts