Sr. Kubernetes Engineer

Position Overview

Key Responsibilities

Platform Ownership & Strategy

• Architect and operationalize a Kubernetes platform(s) on AWS supporting multi-account multi-region deployments aligned with AWS Well-Architected principles.

• Define platform capabilities including compute autoscaling pod networking network policies load balancing and storage drivers.

• Define paved path container standards and support consumption of those standards.

• Lead platform roadmap development and cross-functional alignment with architecture security FinOps and product engineering.

Operational Responsibilities

• Operating System Kubelet CRI & AMI Configuration: Define and own lifecycle management patching and performance tuning of worker nodes.

• Worker Node Scaling: Design and manage autoscaling groups node pools and lifecycle automation.

• VPC Configuration: Architect secure and scalable VPCs subnets route tables NAT gateways and security groups.

• EKS Cluster Configuration: Manage cluster-level settings including version upgrades endpoint access audit logging and control plane integrations.

• Add-ons Management: Deploy and maintain cluster add-ons such as CoreDNS kube-proxy metrics server and custom controllers.

• Policies & Governance: Define and enforce RBAC network policies pod security standards and IAM roles for service accounts.

• Quotas & Budgets: Implement resource quotas tagging strategies and budget controls to support chargeback models and cost transparency.

Operational Excellence

• Drive standardization in tooling automation patching and observability across Kubernetes clusters.

• Own SLAs SLOs incident response playbooks and platform reliability engineering practices.

Developer Enablement

• Develop templates and automation to empower developers to build and run Kubernetes platform(s).

• Build and maintain reusable service catalog products CDK with Python and CI/CD pipelines to support self-service infrastructure provisioning.

• Champion developer experience through clear interfaces documentation and onboarding support.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with architecture security FinOps DevOps and product teams to align platform capabilities with business outcomes.

• Influence enterprise-wide infrastructure strategy through technical leadership and thought partnership.

Qualifications

• 10 years of experience in cloud-native infrastructure with deep expertise in Kubernetes (e.g. Native Amazon EKS and Amazon ECS).

• Proven track record of designing and operating production-grade Kubernetes platforms in multi-account AWS environments.

• Strong proficiency in infrastructure-as-code (CDK with Python) AWS DevOps native CI/CD tooling and observability stacks (e.g. CloudWatch).

• Experience implementing security controls RBAC and compliance frameworks (e.g. CIS Benchmarks).

• Demonstrated ability to influence technical direction across multiple teams and domains.

Preferred Experience

• Familiarity with GitOps workflows and container security.

• Exposure to platform engineering and internal developer platforms.

• Experience with Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) Azure Container Apps Azure Container Instances (ACI) and Azure App Service for Containers is a plus.

• Experience in regulated industries (e.g. healthcare finance) is a plus.

Base Salary Range

At Zelis we are committed to providing fair and equitable compensation packages. The base salary range allows us to make an offer that considers multiple individualized factors including experience education qualifications as well as job-related and industry-related knowledge and skills etc. Base pay is just one part of our Total Rewards package which may also include discretionary bonus plans commissions or other incentives depending on the role.

Zelis full-time associates are eligible for a highly competitive benefits package as well which demonstrates our commitment to our employees health well-being and financial protection. The US-based benefits include a 401k plan with employer match flexible paid time off holidays parental leaves life and disability insurance and health benefits including medical dental vision and prescription drug coverage.

Equal Employment Opportunity
Zelis is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race color religion age sex national origin disability status genetics protected veteran status sexual orientation gender identity or expression or any other characteristic protected by federal state or local laws.

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and encourage you to apply even if you dont meet 100% of the qualifications for the role. We believe in the value of diverse perspectives and experiences and are committed to building an inclusive workplace for all.

Accessibility Support
We are dedicated to ensuring our application process is accessible to all candidates. If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran and require a reasonable accommodation with any part of the application and/or interview process please email .

Disclaimer

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities duties and skills required of personnel so classified. All personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities duties and skills from time to time.