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Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Associate Principal, Cloud Engineering - **Company:** The Options Clearing Corporation - **Location:** Chicago, IL, United States (Remote available) - **Experience:** Expert - **Salary:** $124,500.0 - $196,900.0 - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Amazon Web Services, Application Lifecycle Management, Microsoft Azure, Cloud Computing, Cloud Engineering, Computer Networks, Continuous Delivery, Continuous Integration, DevOps, Github, Python (Programming Language), Open Source Technology, Role-Based Access Control, Cloud Services, Ansible, Google Cloud, Cloud Platform System, Istio, System Availability, Grafana, Event Driven Architecture, Containerization, Gitlab-ci, Kubernetes, Infrastructure Automation Frameworks, Information Technology, Rancher, Apache Kafka, Linkerd (Service Mesh), Puppet, Terraform, Software Version Control, Docker, Jenkins - **Published:** August 20, 2026 - **Apply:** https://jobs.localjobnetwork.com/apply/add/86998030/1 ## About the Role The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary functions. * [Required] Good consultative, communication, team player and analytical skills, with the ability to interact regularly with teams distributed across the US * [Required] Working knowledge of Kubernetes architecture, container orchestration, and cloud-native infrastructure design and components, such as: etcd, networking, storage, and container runtimes * [Required] Hands-on experience with Kubernetes cluster creation, maintenance, support, and administration in production environments * [Required] Practical experience with Kubernetes networking (CNI plugins, service types, ingress controllers), runtime security (Pod Security Standards, OPA/Gatekeeper, network policies), and Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) * [Required] Experience supporting highly available Kubernetes environments for 24/7 availability * [Required] Experience working in an environment with a defined production change control process * [Required] Demonstrated history of working within deadlines and ability to work well under pressure Technical Skills: * [Required] Hands-on experience with AWS cloud services and implementing Kubernetes on AWS (EKS or self-managed clusters) * [Required] Experience with Infrastructure as Code using Terraform for provisioning and managing cloud infrastructure and Kubernetes resources * [Required] Solid coding experience in Go or Python (Go preferred for Kubernetes operator/controller development), with the ability to discuss code you've written * [Required] Hands-on experience with Kubernetes ecosystem tools including: Helm, kubectl, container runtimes (containerd, CRI-O), and monitoring/observability tools * [Required] Experience with CI/CD tools such as Jenkins, GitLab CI, or GitHub Actions * [Required] Experience with version control using GitHub or similar platforms * [Preferred] Experience with configuration management tools such as Ansible, Puppet, or Chef * [Preferred] Exposure to Kubernetes operator/controller development using operator frameworks (Kubebuilder, Operator SDK, or similar) - via open-source CNCF contributions or in-house development * [Preferred] Experience with Rancher and RKE2 (Rancher Kubernetes Engine 2) Kubernetes distribution * [Preferred] Familiarity with service mesh technologies (Istio, Linkerd) and Envoy proxy configuration * [Preferred] Exposure to multi-tenancy architectures in Kubernetes environments * [Preferred] Experience with GitOps-based continuous deployment using FluxCD, ArgoCD, or Rancher Fleet * [Preferred] Experience with Kafka and event-driven architectures, * [Required] Bachelor's degree, preferably in a technical discipline (Computer Science, Mathematics, Engineering, etc.), or equivalent combination of education and experience * [Required] 4+ years' experience in IT systems installation, operations, administration, and maintenance of cloud systems / virtualized servers, with demonstrated experience in Kubernetes and container orchestration platforms * [Preferred] Experience working in a financial services or highly regulated environment Certificates or Licenses: * [Preferred] CKA, CKS certifications desired * [Preferred] AWS Solutions Architect Associate Certification or higher * [Preferred] Relevant industry certifications such as Microsoft Azure or Google Cloud Platform ## Description This role will perform a range of activities required to maintain and continuously automate a large, complex Kubernetes-based cloud computing environment. You'll work alongside the team to apply best practices for the management, configuration, high availability, and administration of Kubernetes clusters and containerized workloads with cloud-native technologies. This role supports the creation of new infrastructure and environments as part of the broader Kubernetes/container orchestration goals across the business. The ideal candidate is passionate about cloud-native technologies and the Kubernetes ecosystem, eager to grow into more complex project work, and mindful of the regulatory/compliance demands on our company (e.g. CIS, NIST, etc). Primary Duties and Responsibilities: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each primary duty satisfactorily. Reports to the Director of Platform Automation and Cloud Engineering * Configure, implement, and support Kubernetes clusters, contributing to a fully automated workflow for provisioning and managing a highly available container orchestration environment using infrastructure as code * Assist in developing and maintaining Kubernetes operators, controllers, and custom resources to extend cluster functionality and automate application lifecycle management * Support DevOps development activities involving tools such as Docker, Kafka, container runtimes, and Kubernetes ecosystem tools * Participate in Kubernetes cluster build-outs, upgrades, software installation, maintenance and support, including patches, security fixes, end-of-life preparation, and version upgrades * Assist in implementing and managing Kubernetes networking solutions, service mesh architectures, runtime security policies, and RBAC configurations * Help ensure the reliability of Kubernetes platforms and containerized services within your area of responsibility, contributing to internal and external SLA and quality standards * Contribute to capacity planning within Kubernetes clusters and the underlying cloud platform * Support the implementation of initiatives within your assigned area of responsibility, with accountability for compliance with controls and security requirements * Contribute to technology roadmaps and end-of-life plans for Kubernetes versions, container runtimes, and related cloud-native technologies * Write and maintain documentation of relevant Kubernetes architectures, systems, procedures and processes * Communicate project and operational service issues promptly, with observations and recommendations for corrective measures * Participate in the implementation of production changes during defined maintenance windows and support on-call rotation * Maintain appropriate work/personal balance within the team * Participate in rotational support schedules for afterhours and weekend work for area of responsibility * Foster an atmosphere of trust, respect, and high performance while displaying strong ethics and integrity * Manage own task planning and prioritization, meeting project deadlines while maintaining a high quality of work * Support corrective actions to address audit and other regulatory or compliance findings * Other duties as assigned ## Related Videos - [Rate-limiting using eBPF and Istio: How to protect your SaaS customers from themselves](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100220-rate-limiting-using-ebpf-and-istio-how-to-protect-your-saas-customers-from-themselves) - [Docker Compose: Rediscovered](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1978-docker-compose-rediscovered) - [Automate everything via NodeJS and Puppeteer](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/322-automate-everything-via-nodejs-and-puppeteer) - [Building a Cloud Platform Where Everything is Just Another Kubernetes Resource](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100137-building-a-cloud-platform-where-everything-is-just-another-kubernetes-resource) - [The Memory Leak That Ate Our Cluster: A Postmortem](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/2057-the-memory-leak-that-ate-our-cluster-a-postmortem) - [Get started with securing your cloud-native Java microservices applications](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/123-get-started-with-securing-your-cloud-native-java-microservices-applications) ## Related Articles - [Learning Kubernetes made easy with KubeCampus](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/348-learning-kubernetes-made-easy-with-kubecampus) - [What Are The Top Skills Required For Azure Developers?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/77-what-are-the-top-skills-required-for-azure-developers) - [How We Built a Worry-Free System That Runs for 10+ Years – And What We’d Do Again](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/751-how-we-built-a-worry-free-system-that-runs-for-10-years-and-what-we-d-do-again) - [Best US AI Conferences for CTOs in 2026: Build vs. Buy, Vendor Evaluation, and Peer Intelligence](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/736-best-us-ai-conferences-for-ctos-in-2026-build-vs-buy-vendor-evaluation-and-peer-intelligence) - [Highest Paying Tech Companies for Developers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/220-highest-paying-tech-companies-for-developers) - [From Prototype to Production: Build AI Agents with This Free 4-Course Learning Path](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/655-from-prototype-to-production-build-ai-agents-with-this-free-4-course-learning-path)