Platform Engineer

About the Role

Defense Unicorns is seeking a Platform Engineer to join its platform team, a combined DevOps and Site Reliability Engineering unit responsible for the development, maintenance, and reliability of a cloud-based platform environment. The ideal candidate is a proactive problem-solver with hands-on experience in Kubernetes, cloud infrastructure, and CI/CD, motivated by building and improving essential systems.

Responsibilities

• Build, maintain, and improve Kubernetes clusters and containerized application deployments across cloud environments (AWS, EKS, RKE2).
• Develop and manage infrastructure as code (IaC) for consistent and repeatable provisioning of platform resources.
• Own and enhance CI/CD pipelines, including GitLab CI configuration, runner deployments, and automated build/deployment workflows.
• Support identity and access management using tools like Keycloak (user onboarding, role configuration, troubleshooting).
• Implement and maintain monitoring, alerting, and logging systems to ensure platform health and aid incident investigation.
• Manage certificate lifecycle operations, including public certificate renewal and automation.
• Contribute to platform security through container security practices, Iron Bank image compliance, and support for ATO processes.
• Collaborate with application teams to troubleshoot deployment issues, pipeline failures, and platform integration problems.
• Author and maintain technical documentation, runbooks, architecture decision records (ADRs), and operational standards.
• Influence strategic vision by contributing to planning that aligns technological advancements with mission objectives.
• Participate in on-call rotations as a Tier 2 support for platform incidents.
• Mentor and support junior engineers through pairing, code reviews, and knowledge sharing.
• Note: Responsibilities are not exhaustive and may expand based on organizational needs. Adaptability and willingness to take on new tasks are essential.

Travel Expectations

• 5-10% travel required.

Minimum Experience and Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with Kubernetes (deployment, management, troubleshooting).
• Experience with infrastructure as code tools (e.g., Terraform, Pulumi).
• Proficiency with CI/CD tooling, particularly GitLab CI or equivalent.
• Working knowledge of Linux/Unix operating systems and command-line administration.
• Experience with cloud platforms, preferably AWS (EC2, EKS, IAM, S3, VPC).
• Familiarity with containerization (Docker, image builds, registry management).
• Fluent in reading and writing YAML for Kubernetes manifests, CRDs, Helm charts, and pipeline configurations.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to work independently in a remote, asynchronous environment.
• US citizenship required; eligible for CUI access.
• Possess or ability to obtain a DoD 8570 IAT II certification (e.g., Security+ CE).

Preferred Experience and Qualifications

• Hold or be eligible for a security clearance.
• Experience with UDS Core, Iron Bank, and/or Continuous Authority to Operate (C-ATO) processes.
• Familiarity with identity and access management platforms (e.g., Keycloak).
• Experience with monitoring and observability tooling (e.g., Prometheus, Grafana, ELK stack).
• Proficiency in one or more programming languages (Go, Python, Bash scripting).
• Experience in a DevSecOps model with secure coding practices and vulnerability remediation.
• Familiarity with GitOps workflows and tools (e.g., Flux, ArgoCD).
• Department of Defense experience, particularly with production ATO'd systems.
• Experience with distributed architectures and everything-as-code approaches.
• AWS certifications (Platform or Solutions Architecture).
• Experience writing architecture decision records (ADRs), operational runbooks, or engineering standards.

Compensation

• Full compensation packages are based on candidate experience.
• Compensation ranges are established using national benchmarking data.
• Salary Range: $123,250—$166,750 USD.

Location

• Remote - USA

Who We Are

Defense Unicorns delivers mission value by streamlining software delivery, enabling customers to focus on critical challenges. We envision freedom and security for progress and innovation, prioritizing speed, user experience, and optionality without compromising security. Our team comprises innovators, software engineers, and veterans with extensive experience in federal market technology programs.

What We Do

We create and deliver secure solutions for continuous software integration and delivery, consolidating best practices for security pipelines, testing, and deployment automation to meet high security requirements. Our agnostic solutions foster a robust ecosystem of secure, cloud-native software, simplifying software acquisition and integration for enterprise customers.

Who We Serve

Our customers are mission-focused leaders across public and private enterprises, including defense and civil agencies within the U.S. government. We collaborate with leading software solution creators to deliver value by enhancing the security and usability of commercial software products.

What We Work On

• Kubernetes
• Cloud Environments (AWS/GCP and Azure)
• Infrastructure-as-code (Terraform/Pulumi)
• Continuous Delivery and automation tooling
• GitOps
• Containers
• CNCF projects and open-source products
• Helm/Kustomize
• Value Stream Mapping
• Building and improving security delivery
• Building Kubernetes and cloud-native applications

Benefits Our Unicorns Enjoy

• Health: Medical/Dental/Vision (100% Company Paid Premiums), Health Savings Account, Life Insurance, Disability Insurance.
• Financial: 401k Retirement Plan, Company Stock Options, Home Office Budget.
• Leave: Flexible Time Off (FTO) plus all Federal Holidays, one week for Thanksgiving, two weeks for Christmas and New Year's, Paid Parental Leave.
• Learning: Reimbursement for approved trainings/subscriptions, Conferences (travel, lodging, fees).

Diversity & Inclusion

Defense Unicorns is committed to diversity and encourages applications from candidates who may not meet every preferred qualification. We are an equal opportunity employer.