EMPLOYER IS A CONTRACTOR FOR THE U.S. GOVERNMENT. THIS POSITION WILL REQUIRE U.S. CITIZENSHIP.

* Please note that this position is required to perform duties on-site on an occasional in a government controlled Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) in Dayton Ohio, with expectations of the engineer to hold and attain Secret or Top Secret Clearance with the ability to access a Special Access Program (SAP).

* Relocation Assistance: if you are selected for the role, Defense Unicorns will provide relocation assistance to the Dayton, Ohio area. 

Role Description: 

We are seeking a talented and experienced Platform Engineer to join our team. The ideal candidate will play a crucial role in the development and maintenance of our platform, demonstrating a strong understanding of system architecture, problem-solving skills, and the ability to guide junior engineers.

As a Platform Engineer within our organization, you will join a team of dedicated unicorns who are focused on advancing freedom and independence globally. Our teams work on various different technical baselines depending on specific engagements. We focus our Products on the Platform layer, but to deliver for our Heroes, we also work IaC automation, security, and implementation.

Responsibilities: 

You will help us automate and build a runtime Production Environment and serve as a link between the Applications, either custom development, COTS, or OSS, and that environment, advocating best practices and facilitating communication between the application teams and platform teams. In addition, this position is required to perform duties on-site in the government controlled Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF), with expectations of the engineer to hold and attain Secret or Top Secret Clearance with the ability to access a Special Access Program (SAP). 

In this position, you will be expected to: 

• Validate Solutions/Implementations: Ensure that solutions and implementations align with the outlined tasks and business requirements. Conduct thorough validations to maintain the integrity and efficiency of the platform.
• Independently Problem Solve: Demonstrate the ability to identify and solve business problems independently. Develop small components to address specific challenges without relying on explicit architecture diagrams.
• Demonstrate Programming Language Proficiency: Possess familiarity with at least one programming language. Exhibit a basic understanding of when to use a programming language versus a shell for efficient task execution.
• Own the bridge between the Application Development team and the Production Environment:
  • Interject "best practices" to the application development team and facilitate collaboration between the application development and platform teams.
  • Lead discussions on the benefits of using cyber-secure tools.
  • Establish and facilitate automated Zarf builds as part of CI for multiple app dev teams.
  • Collaborate with the Platform team on End-to-End (E2E) and Integration testing.
• Contribute to CI/CD and other automation experiences: Build and maintain automated pipeline functions, leading teams towards delivery and sustainment options.
• Implement infrastructure as code and contribute to the build/maintenance of kubernetes clusters on various distributions, primarily Nutanix. 
• Apply extensive experience with cloud deployments, emphasizing secure coding practices and vulnerability remediation.
• Exhibit strong programming skills and deep familiarity with Linux/Unix operating systems.
• Create and maintain operational runbooks and alerts, ensuring API orchestration and cyber-secure approaches.

Travel Expectations: 10% 

The listed responsibilities are not exhaustive and additional responsibilities may be assigned based on the evolving needs of the organization. We are seeking a dynamic individual who is able to adapt and take on new responsibilities as they arise. 

Preferred Experience and Qualifications:

• Proven experience as a Platform Engineer or similar role, with a focus on system architecture and development.
• Demonstrated experience with cloud-native technologies such as Kubernetes, Google Cloud, and Docker.
• Familiarity with continuous delivery, distributed architectures, systems, everything-as-code, containerization, and cloud services.
• Proficiency in at least one programming language (e.g., Python, Go, Ansible) and a basic understanding of shell scripting.
• Proficient with YAML.
• Experienced in working on a team following an Agile framework in both  a remote and on-site SCIF environments.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.
• Experience with security automation and familiarity with API Security, Container Security, and Cloud Security.
• Familiar with architecture security design, monitoring, and performance instrumentation in a complex enterprise environment.
• Comfort with debugging systems and reading/writing code.
• Possess a DoD 8570 IAT II certification.
• Experienced in Department of Defense work, specifically working on a production Authority to Operate (ATO'd) system.
• Knowledgeable about DevSecOps/DevOps and CI/CD theory.

If you are a skilled Platform Engineer looking to contribute to the growth and success of a dynamic organization, we invite you to apply and join our team.

Mid Platform Engineer: $147,175 - $190,000

Senior Level Platform Engineer: $180,000 - $219,000