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Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Senior Kubernetes Engineer - Scientific & Agentic Workflow Platforms - **Company:** SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory - **Location:** Menlo Park, CA, United States - **Experience:** Expert - **Salary:** $162,779.0 - $221,466.0 - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), Artificial Intelligence, Airflow, Computing Platforms, Big Data, Cloud Computing, Cloud Engineering, Continuous Integration, Data Infrastructure, Distributed Systems, Ethernet, Experimental Data, InfiniBand, Job Scheduling, Python (Programming Language), Lightweight Directory Access Protocols (LDAP), NetCDF, OAuth, Open Source Technology, OpenID, Performance Tuning, Role-Based Access Control, Remote Direct Memory Access, Prometheus, JSON Web Token, Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML), Scientific Computating, Software Deployment, Data Streaming, Workflow Management Systems, AI Infrastructure, Reinforcement Learning, Data Logging, Model-Driven Development, Cloud Platform System, Data Ingestion, Istio, Large Language Models, Grafana, Multi-Agent Systems, Apache Spark, HybridCloud, Agentic-AI, AI Platforms, Kubernetes, Information Technology, Dask, Codebase, Slurm, Machine Learning Operations, Stream Processing, Data Pipelines, Dynatrace - **Published:** October 26, 2026 - **Apply:** https://www.techcareers.com/job.asp?id=3467518945&tx=KJ4949FFL&pt=1&aff=0B19D771-A501-4A5E-8338-2A822B784D54&utm_source=Job%20Feed&utm_medium=textkernel&utm_campaign=DE&utm_term=0B19D771-A501-4A5E-8338-2A822B784D54 ## About the Role * Minimum 8 years of software or infrastructure engineering experience with demonstrated expertise in distributed systems * Minimum 4 years of hands-on experience designing, deploying, and operating Kubernetes in production environments * Strong proficiency in Python and/or Go; comfort reading and contributing to multi-language codebases * Deep experience with container orchestration, networking, storage, and security in Kubernetes environments * Hands-on experience with Infrastructure-as-Code and GitOps tooling * Demonstrated ability to design and operate high-throughput or real-time data processing pipelines at scale * Experience with CI/CD pipeline design and implementation * Solid understanding of observability practices and tooling (Prometheus, Grafana, distributed tracing) Agentic / AI Platform Experience * Familiarity with AI/ML infrastructure: GPU scheduling, model serving, workflow orchestration for ML pipelines * Awareness of agentic workflow frameworks and patterns (e.g., multi-agent orchestration, LLM tool use, agent state management) * Understanding of the infrastructure requirements that distinguish agentic workloads from traditional batch or streaming pipelines Soft Skills * Exceptional communication skills with the ability to engage credibly with both scientists and engineers * Demonstrated ability to build trust and translate ambiguous research requirements into concrete technical designs * Strong customer-service orientation; patience and empathy when supporting users with diverse technical backgrounds * Self-directed and able to manage multiple high-priority projects in a fast-moving research environment * Collaborative and collegial team member who actively lifts others Education * Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience Preferred Qualifications * Master's degree or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, or a related field * Experience building or operating platforms specifically for agentic AI workflows (multi-agent systems, LLM pipelines, reinforcement learning environments) * Background in scientific research or experience embedded in a scientific computing or HPC environment * Experience with large-scale data processing frameworks: Dask, Ray, Spark, MPI * Knowledge of scientific data formats and ecosystems: HDF5, FITS, NetCDF * Experience integrating HPC job schedulers (Slurm, HTCondor) with Kubernetes-native workloads * Deep understanding of Kubernetes CNI and CSI * Knowledge of network fabrics relevant to HPC/science (InfiniBand, RDMA, high-bandwidth Ethernet) * Contributions to open-source projects in cloud-native computing, scientific computing, or AI infrastructure * Familiarity with workflow orchestration tools: Argo Workflows, Prefect, Dagster, Airflow, Kubeflow Pipelines * Experience operating large scale federated or multi-cluster Kubernetes environments * Experience with authentication and authorization systems and patterns as applied to cloud-native platforms: OAuth2, OIDC, JWT, RBAC, and related identity federation technologies (LDAP, SAML2, COManage, Grouper) * Hands-on experience with Kubernetes-native ingress and auth integration: Traefik ForwardAuth, OAuth2 Proxy, Kubernetes Gateway API, and/or service mesh auth policies (Istio, Envoy) ## Description * Design, build, and operate highly available Kubernetes-based platforms optimized for scientific and agentic workloads * Architect scalable solutions for high-throughput data pipelines, real-time streaming, and batch scientific computing * Design and implement platform primitives for agentic workflow orchestration ? enabling autonomous, multi-step AI-driven pipelines that support experimental science * Develop cloud-native architectures supporting on-premises, hybrid cloud, and multi-cluster deployments * Build and maintain Infrastructure-as-Code using tools such as Helm, Kustomize, and GitOps workflows * Evaluate and introduce new technologies and patterns that advance the platform's capabilities for the scientific community Agentic & AI Workflow Enablement * Lead platform design for agentic scientific workflows ? systems where AI agents autonomously orchestrate data acquisition, analysis, and experimental feedback loops * Collaborate with researchers and data scientists to define platform requirements for running large language model-driven and reinforcement learning agents at scale * Implement infrastructure patterns for agent orchestration frameworks (e.g., multi-agent pipelines, tool-use APIs, memory and state management) within Kubernetes * Ensure the platform supports the latency, throughput, and accelerator requirements of agentic workloads * Build guardrails, observability, and governance tooling suited to autonomous scientific agents operating on sensitive experimental data Scientific Project Support * Partner with scientists and researchers ? at SLAC and across DOE labs and universities ? to design and implement solutions for major scientific programs, including: * Vera C. Rubin Observatory / LSST : Petabyte-scale nightly sky surveys requiring real-time alert pipelines and long-running batch analysis for dark matter and dark energy research * LCLS (Linac Coherent Light Source) : Real-time analysis infrastructure for the world's brightest X-ray laser, capturing femtosecond-scale dynamics of matter * Cryo-EM : High-throughput 3D reconstruction pipelines for structural biology at near-atomic resolution * Accelerator Operations : Monitoring, control, and data acquisition infrastructure for particle accelerators * American Science Cloud : National-scale scientific data infrastructure to democratize access to computing resources across National Laboratories * Emerging Initiatives : Co-design of infrastructure for next-generation scientific computing programs not yet fully defined * Support the full project lifecycle ? from initial technical consultation through production deployment and ongoing operations User Collaboration & Support * Act as a senior technical partner to the scientific user community, translating complex experimental requirements into scalable platform solutions * Lead requirements-gathering sessions and technical consultations with research groups * Provide hands-on guidance and training to help users adopt platform capabilities effectively * Gather user feedback and advocate for user needs in platform planning and roadmap prioritization * Develop documentation, runbooks, and reference architectures to empower scientific teams Reliability & Operations * Define and maintain SLOs/SLAs for platform services supporting scientific workflows * Implement comprehensive monitoring, logging, and observability (Prometheus, Grafana, OpenTelemetry, Loki) * Design and implement CI/CD pipelines for scientific software, data processing workflows, and platform components * Lead incident response and post-mortem processes; participate in on-call rotation * Drive capacity planning and performance tuning for compute-intensive and data-intensive workloads * Optimize GPU and accelerator resource scheduling and utilization across the platform Collaboration & Community * Build and maintain strong relationships with scientific user communities across SLAC, Stanford, and the broader research ecosystem * Collaborate with counterparts at DOE National Laboratories (LBNL, Fermilab, Argonne, etc.) to share architectures and best practices * Lead technical workshops, training sessions, and working groups to advance cloud-native and agentic workflow adoption * Contribute to and represent SLAC in open-source communities relevant to scientific computing and Kubernetes * Mentor junior team members and support a culture of technical excellence within AUS, The Application and User Services (AUS) group is the bridge between SLAC's scientific ambitions and the computing platforms that make them real. We don't just provide support ? we are deeply embedded partners in science. Our team tackles some of the most demanding computing challenges on the planet: millisecond-latency requirements for X-ray laser experiments, petabyte-scale nightly data ingestion from a sky survey, and increasingly, the orchestration of intelligent agents that can autonomously steer complex experimental workflows. We value deep technical craft, genuine collaboration with our scientific users, and the kind of creative thinking that only emerges when computing meets frontier science. SLAC Employee Competencies * Effective Decisions : Uses job knowledge and sound judgment to make quality decisions in a timely manner * Self-Development : Pursues a variety of venues and opportunities to continue learning and growing * Dependability : Can be counted on to deliver results with a sense of personal responsibility for expected outcomes * Initiative : Pursues work proactively with optimism, positive energy, and motivation to move things forward * Adaptability : Flexes as needed when change occurs; maintains an open outlook while adjusting to new circumstances * Communication : Ensures effective information flow to diverse audiences; creates and delivers clear, appropriate written and spoken messages * Relationships : Builds relationships to foster trust, collaboration, and a positive climate in pursuit of common goals Physical Requirements and Working Conditions * Consistent with its obligations under the law, the University will provide reasonable accommodation to any employee with a disability who requires accommodation to perform the essential functions of the job. May work extended hours during peak business cycles. * Given the nature of this position, SLAC is open to on-site and hybrid work options. Work Standards * Interpersonal Skills : Demonstrates the ability to work well with Stanford colleagues and clients and with external organizations * Promote Culture of Safety : Demonstrates commitment to personal responsibility and value for environment, safety, and security; communicates related concerns; uses and promotes safe behaviors based on training and lessons learned. Meets the applicable roles and responsibilities as described in the ESH Manual, Chapter 1 ? General Policy and Responsibilities: http://www-group.slac.stanford.edu/esh/eshmanual/pdfs/ESHch01.pdf * Subject to and expected to comply with all applicable University policies and procedures, including but not limited to the personnel policies and other policies found in the University's Administrative Guide: http://adminguide.stanford.edu * As a national laboratory, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory is responsible for adhering to the Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) and Department of Energy (DOE) Order 473.1A, which require employees to obtain and maintain a HSPD-12 Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Credential. To obtain this credential, employees must successfully complete the applicable tier of federal background investigation post hire and receive a favorable federal adjudication.The tier of federal background investigation will be determined by job duties and national security or public trust responsibilities associated with the job. All tiers of investigation include a declaration of illegal drug activities, including use, supply, possession, or manufacture within the last 1 to 7 years (depending on the applicable tier of investigation). Illegal drug activities include marijuana and cannabis derivatives, which are still considered illegal under federal law, regardless of state laws.