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Kubernetes Site Reliability Engineer


Job Location:

El Segundo, CA - USA

Monthly Salary: $ 129000 - 193500
Posted: 22 May 2026 (30+ days ago)
Application Deadline: 19 August 2026
Vacancies: 1 Vacancy
The job posting is outdated and position may be filled

Job Summary

The Aerospace Corporation is the trusted partner to the nations space programs solving the hardest problems and providing unmatched technical expertise. As the operator of a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) we are broadly engaged across all aspects of space delivering innovative solutions that span satellite launch ground and cyber systems for defense civil and commercial customers. When you join our team youll be part of a special collection of problem solvers thought leaders and innovators. Join us and take your place in space.

The Digital Innovation Division (DID) is accountable for integrating strategies providing governance and managing internal investments that form the foundation of Aerospacesdigital innovation and transformation. The DID Mission IT pillar supports engineering teams across Aerospace by deliveringtop-tier IT engineering and IT support servicestailored to meet the unique needs of our engineering community.

Mission IT Operationsis seeking a skilledSite ReliabilityEngineerwithdeepexpertisein Kubernetes Linux programming and this role you willbe responsible fordeveloping andmaintainingboth on-premisesand cloud-based Kubernetes clustersthat form the core of an overall Platform as a Service (PaaS) providing essential support to our engineering team.

As part of a multidisciplinaryplatform andinfrastructure team you will manage multipleKubernetesclusters used for technical analysessuchspace launch telemetryanalysisand modelingand simulation as well as for Artificial Intelligence (AI) Large Language Model(LLM)Training and inference services.Collaborating closely with rocket scientists and engineers you will contribute to the development of innovative solutions to complex challenges within the space enterprise supporting critical national space assets. This position requiresa strong senseof shared responsibility and ownership working alongside cross-functional team members to achieve our missionobjectives.

Work Model:This is a full-time position based in El Segundo CA whichrequires100% onsite work.

WhatYoullBe Doing

  • Developing and sustaining advanced services for our Kubernetes-based PaaS (e.g. Coder workspacesKueuebatching schedulingKnativeserverlessCrossplanecontrol planes)

  • ManagingKubernetes forproductionon-premisesandcloudenvironments(e.g. AWS Azure)with end-to-end responsibilities of deployment upgrade patching performance tuning capacity planningandbackups/DR.

  • Frequent full security patching of all layers of Kubernetes infrastructure whilemaintainingvery highuptime

  • Ownership and engineering responsibility of production AWS and Kubernetes services

  • Identifyingand resolvingfull Kubernetes stack engineering problems independently

  • Ensuringsuccessful real-time analysis of telemetry data from space launch partners such as SpaceX United Launch Alliance (ULA) and Blue Origin

  • Providingafter-hours support for Kubernetes infrastructure troubleshooting during launch events

  • Supportingscientists and engineers runningapplicationsin Kubernetes

  • ProvidingLinuxexpertiseand troubleshooting

  • Evaluatingand testingnew products and technologies

  • Usingcode to enhance and automate operations

What You Need to be Successful

MinimumRequirements forEngineering Specialist:

  • Bachelors degree in STEM Computer Science.or other related sciences/engineering discipline.

  • 8 or more years of relevant experiencedirectly relatedto developing and delivering complex large-scale distributed software systems solutions and technical products

  • Minimum of 5 years experience supporting highly available enterprise environments including maintaining system uptime and service availability targets.

  • At least 2 yearsofhands-on experience managing existing Kubernetes environments with responsibilities of deployment upgrade patching and backups

  • Full ownership and engineering responsibility of production Kubernetes services both on-premises and Cloud Service Providers such as AWS and Azure

  • Ability toidentifyand resolve engineering problems independently

  • Experience in Linux systems administration including configuration for an enterprise environment

  • Strong understanding of networkingand storagefundamentals

  • Experience automating repetitive tasks with scripting or DevOps tools

  • This position requires the ability to obtain a TS/SCI security clearance and polygraph which is issued by the U.S. government. U.S. citizenship isto obtain a security clearance.

In addition to the above theminimumrequirements forSenior Engineering Specialistinclude:

  • 12 or more years of relevant experiencedirectly relatedto developing and delivering complex large-scale distributed software systems solutions and technical products

  • 8yearsofexperience supportinga highly availableenterprise environment

  • Experience architecting and deploying securecloud (e.g. AWS Azure)and/or Kubernetes environments from scratch

  • Experience performance tuning and capacity planningcloud (e.g. AWS Azure)and/or Kubernetes environments

How You can Stand Out

It would be impressive if you have one or more of these:

  • A current and active U.S. GovernmentTS/SCI security clearanceand polygraph

  • Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) or Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE)

  • ExperiencemanagingKubernetes clusters usingRancher

  • Experience deploying/supportingpersistent container storage on Kubernetes(i.e.Portworx RookCephOpenEBS Longhorn)

  • Experience inLinux performance tuning and security hardening for an enterpriseDoWenvironment

  • Experience withVMwareor Harvestervirtualization infrastructures

  • Experience with automated provisioning configuration management Infrastructure-as-CodeGitOps(i.e.ArgoCD AnsibleTerraForm Puppet Packer Bash Golang Python)

  • Experience with Agile and Scrum

We offer a competitive compensation package where youll be rewarded based on your performance and recognized for the value you bring to our business. The grade-based pay range for this job is listed below. Individual salaries within that range are determined through a wide variety of factors including but not limited to education experience knowledge and skills.

(Min - Max)

$129000.00 - $193500.00

Pay Basis: Annual

Leadership Competencies

Our leadership philosophy is simple: every employee regardless of level and role can demonstrate leadership. At Aerospace our commitment is our people. To cultivate our talent and ensure that we have a strong pipeline of future leaders we want individuals who:

  • Operate Strategically
  • Lead Change
  • Engage with Impact
  • Foster Innovation
  • Deliver Results

Ways We Reward Our Employees

During your interview process our team will provide details of our industry-leading benefits.

Benefits vary and are applicable based on Job Type. A few highlights include:

  • Comprehensive health care and wellness plans

  • Paid holidays sick time and vacation

  • Standard and alternate work schedules including telework options

  • 401(k) Plan Employees receive a total company-paid benefit of 8% 10% or 12% of eligible compensation based on years of service and matching contributions; employees are immediately eligible and vested in the plan upon hire

  • Flexible spending accounts

  • Variable pay program for exceptional contributions

  • Relocation assistance

  • Professional growth and development programs to help advance your career

  • Education assistance programs

  • An inclusive work environment built on teamwork flexibility and respect

We are all unique from various backgrounds and all walks of life yet one thing bonds all of us to each otherthe belief that we can make a difference. This core belief empowers us to do our best work at The Aerospace Corporation.

Equal Opportunity Commitment

The Aerospace Corporation is an equalopportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race age sex (including pregnancy childbirth and related medical conditions) sexual orientation gender gender identity or expression colorreligiongeneticinformation marital status ancestry national origin protected veteran status physical disability medical condition mental disability or disability status and any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. If youre an individual with a disability or a disabled veteran who needs assistance using our online job search and application tools or need reasonable accommodation to complete the job application process please contact us by phone at 310.336.5432 or by emailat .You can also reviewKnow Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal.


Required Experience:

IC


About Company

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Aerospace operates the only federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) committed exclusively to the space enterprise. Our technical experts span every discipline of space-related science and engineering.

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