Senior Kubernetes Platform Engineer

What You Will Own:

• Root-cause engineering across kernel cgroups v2, hugetlb issues, containerd runtime, netfilter, iptables chain behavior, certificate PKI lifecycle, CSI local-path storage provisioning, and observability.
• Maintain client fork of k3s-io/k3s and dependency forks via go.mod replace, rebasing cleanly against upstream tags each cadence, and backporting fixes across concurrently supported release lines without breaking changes.
• Assess latest K3s release each Program Increment, remediate vulnerabilities, and integrate within a strict footprint budget of 1GB or less RAM, under 5GB disk, and 30 seconds or less startup time.
• Maintain security and critical patches on release lines past upstream EOL, scoped to device qualification timelines.
• Participate in container-based build systems using make, Docker, BuildKit, install-test harnesses, and e2e performance suites.
• Author tested and documented Pull Requests to k3s-io, kube-router, and CNCF projects where applicable.
• Produce security and compliance evidence including CVE triage, SBOM, DSBOM, DHF-aligned traceability, and risk documentation for shipped changes.
• Rotate into field-incident coverage roster, closing Tier 2 root-cause fixes within committed SLA windows.
• Build Ansible-based install and config automation and monitoring that converts manual runbooks into repeatable, auditable controls.

Required Skills and Experience:

• Go Programming: Professional level reading and patching Go source inside kube-router and K3s core.
• Python: Working proficiency for automation and tooling.
• Ansible: Playbook authoring for installation and configuration.
• Linux Kernel and Networking: cgroups v2, systemd, iptables, netfilter restore vs save, chain ownership, nftables.
• Container Runtime: containerd internals, CRI config, socket and runtime setup.
• Kubernetes Internals: controller-manager, namespace lifecycle, finalizers, aggregated APIServices, Helm-based AddOn reconciliation.
• Certificates and PKI: CA lifecycle, rotation, renewal without service disruption.
• Fork and Dependency Management: Long-lived fork maintenance via Go modules, rebasing across upstream bumps.
• Build and Test Tooling: make, Docker, BuildKit, Vagrant, Terraform e2e and performance suites, table-driven Go testing.
• Open Source Practice: PR authorship against external OSS, DCO sign-off, working with maintainers.
• Regulated Delivery: Producing change evidence, traceability, and risk docs for a DHF-adjacent process.
• Agile Delivery: Program Increment planning and story-point estimation.
• Troubleshooting: Root-causing from partial evidence including logs, iptables-save, kubectl describe, and events.

Nice to Have:

• Prior contribution history to K3s, kube-router, containerd, or another CNCF project.
• Experience in medical device, aerospace, or financial services regulated environments.
• Familiarity with edge or embedded device constraints.