Job description

Job Title: Senior Kubernetes Platform Engineer Location: Washington, DC (On-site) Employment Type: Contract (W2 through ZipStaff — No C2C or 1099) About the Opportunity ZipStaff is seeking a Senior Kubernetes Platform Engineer to serve as a primary technical leader responsible for architecting, securing, and scaling multi-cloud Kubernetes infrastructure for a major transportation organization in the Washington, DC area. You will own platform capabilities end-to-end—driving GitOps automation via ArgoCD, streamlining enterprise CI/CD with GitHub Actions Runner Controller (ARC), and creating seamless developer “golden paths” through hardened IaC modules and progressive delivery pipelines. Operating in a high-standards enterprise setting, you will champion platform reliability, write clear Architectural Decision Records (ADRs), enforce robust security controls, and enable cross-functional engineering teams. What You’ll Do: • Design, build, and maintain production EKS and AKS platform standards, cluster lifecycles, cross-cloud networking, storage, disaster recovery, and multi-region portability. • Architect enterprise GitOps deployment patterns using ArgoCD and implement GitHub Actions Runner Controller (ARC) to automate release workflows, progressive delivery (canary/blue-green), and fail-forward/rollback mechanisms. • Establish enterprise RBAC, Network Policies, Pod Security Standards, and Kyverno or Gatekeeper policy enforcement; manage secret standards and automate release evidence capture for compliance. • Publish hardened base container images and reusable, golden Terraform modules to provide self-service platform capabilities and reduce cognitive load for application developers. • Define SLOs, error budgets, and central monitoring standards while integrating automated quality gates, security scans, and pre-production performance/chaos testing into CI/CD pipelines. • Own platform capabilities through their full lifecycle, mentor engineering teams on modern cloud-native practices, and author Architectural Decision Records (ADRs) to clarify design trade-offs. Required Qualifications: • 7+ years in DevOps, SRE, or Infrastructure/Platform Engineering, with at least 5+ years dedicated strictly to Kubernetes platform engineering at scale. • Deep hands-on experience with Kubernetes, AWS EKS, Azure AKS, ArgoCD, GitHub ARC, Terraform, and GitOps methodologies. • Proven background configuring cloud networking, ingress controllers, RBAC, network policies, and policy-as-code frameworks (Kyverno, OPA/Gatekeeper). • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience). • Ability to work on-site in Washington, DC. Preferred Qualifications: • Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA), Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist (CKS), or AWS/Azure Cloud Certifications. • Service Mesh experience (Istio/Linkerd). • Experience with Backstage IDP or similar internal developer platforms. • Prior background working in highly regulated or enterprise environments. • Experience supporting transportation or mission-critical systems. Benefits: • Health Insurance. • Dental Insurance. • Vision Insurance. • 401(k) + 401(k) matching. • Paid time off. • Referral Program. About ZipStaff ZipStaff partners with leading organizations to connect skilled technology professionals with high-impact contract opportunities. We focus on quality matches, clear communication, and long-term success for candidates and clients. To apply, submit your resume highlighting your Kubernetes platform engineering experience (5+ years at scale), multi-cloud EKS/AKS work, ArgoCD/GitOps, Terraform, and security/policy-as-code background. Pure research or junior experience will not be considered. Pay: $58 - $60 per hour

Requirements

Must-haves

Job Title: Senior Kubernetes Platform Engineer
Location: Washington, DC (On-site)
Employment Type: Contract (W2 through ZipStaff — No C2C or 1099)
Design, build, and maintain production EKS and AKS platform standards, cluster lifecycles, cross-cloud networking, storage, disaster recovery, and multi-region portability.
Establish enterprise RBAC, Network Policies, Pod Security Standards, and Kyverno or Gatekeeper policy enforcement; manage secret standards and automate release evidence capture for compliance.
Publish hardened base container images and reusable, golden Terraform modules to provide self-service platform capabilities and reduce cognitive load for application developers.
Define SLOs, error budgets, and central monitoring standards while integrating automated quality gates, security scans, and pre-production performance/chaos testing into CI/CD pipelines.
Own platform capabilities through their full lifecycle, mentor engineering teams on modern cloud-native practices, and author Architectural Decision Records (ADRs) to clarify design trade-offs.
7+ years in DevOps, SRE, or Infrastructure/Platform Engineering, with at least 5+ years dedicated strictly to Kubernetes platform engineering at scale.
Deep hands-on experience with Kubernetes, AWS EKS, Azure AKS, ArgoCD, GitHub ARC, Terraform, and GitOps methodologies.
Proven background configuring cloud networking, ingress controllers, RBAC, network policies, and policy-as-code frameworks (Kyverno, OPA/Gatekeeper).
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience).
Ability to work on-site in Washington, DC.

Nice-to-haves

Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA), Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist (CKS), or AWS/Azure Cloud Certifications.
Service Mesh experience (Istio/Linkerd).
Experience with Backstage IDP or similar internal developer platforms.
Prior background working in highly regulated or enterprise environments.
Experience supporting transportation or mission-critical systems.

Application prep

Use the role’s language and application details while tailoring your materials.

Keywords to mirror

kubernetesci/cdawsazure

Platform: betterteam
Effort: medium

Benefits

Benefits detected in the listing.

Health Insurance

Dental

Vision

401(K)

Paid Time Off