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Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Cloud Architect, Senior Staff - **Company:** Qualcomm - **Location:** San Diego, CA, United States (Remote available) - **Experience:** Expert - **Salary:** $154,000.0 - $231,000.0 - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Amazon Web Services, Cloud Computing, Continuous Delivery, Continuous Integration, Linux, DevOps, Distributed Systems, Github, Identity and Access Management, IT Management, Networking Basics, Octopus Deploy, Prometheus, Datadog, Delivery Pipeline, Grafana, Kubernetes, Information Technology, Code Inspection, Terraform, Devsecops - **Published:** June 19, 2026 - **Apply:** https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=997e105f282ac85a ## About the Role Do you have experience in Terraform?, * 10+ years of IT-related experience with a bachelor's degree in computer science, Applied Mathematics, or Engineering OR 14+ years without, with clear progression from technical execution to organizational technical leadership * 5+ years operating Kubernetes at enterprise scale; deep EKS expertise required including multi-tenant architecture and cluster lifecycle ownership * Advanced Terraform expertise including module strategy, state management, and multi-environment governance * Strong CI/CD fundamentals using GitHub Actions or similar experience to build pipelines integrating building, linting, testing, DevSecOps , and Argo CD integration * Advanced AWS expertise across networking, IAM, and the EKS ecosystem in complex enterprise environments * Proven track record driving cross-organizational technical strategy and influencing senior stakeholders without direct authority * Strong Linux and distributed systems troubleshooting skills across Kubernetes, networking, and AWS * Experience with Helm / Kustomize , Kubernetes networking fundamentals, and Cilium * Clear written and verbal communication skills across both engineering and executive audiences * Platform product thinking, treating developer experience as a product with measurable outcomes Highly Desired: * Kubernetes certifications ( CKA / CKAD / CKS ) and/or AWS Solutions Architect Professional / DevOps Engineer Professional * Experience with Karpenter cost optimization, Kyverno policy-at-scale, and Crossplane concepts * Demonstrated success building self-service "paved road" platform capabilities at scale ## Description Qualcomm IT is seeking a Sr. Staff Cloud Architect to own the strategy, architecture, and execution of our GitOps -driven platform engineering capabilities. You will serve as a technical authority and organizational multiplier, setting the direction for our EKS platform today while building the foundation for future multi-cloud expansion. This is a high-impact, high-autonomy role for an IT architect who operates at the intersection of deep technical expertise and broad organizational leadership. This role requires full-time onsite work in San Diego, CA (5 days per week). **This role is not eligible for Qualcomm immigration sponsorship. What You Will Own: * Platform Strategy & Architecture: Define and drive the multi-year platform roadmap across EKS maturation and multi-cloud expansion; establish scalable platform patterns for multi-tenant environments including cluster lifecycle, upgrade strategies, and operational readiness; co-own architectural governance as a peer to others in IT. * Infrastructure as Code: Own the Terraform platform strategy across module design, state management, multi-environment patterns, and IaC governance; establish reference implementations and guardrails that enable distributed engineering teams to deliver infrastructure consistently and safely at scale. * Kubernetes Platform Engineering (EKS): Own end-to-end cluster provisioning and lifecycle management including autoscaling with Karpenter , add-on lifecycle management, and cluster upgrade and rollout strategies; establish organizational standards for cluster operations that scale across multiple teams and environments. * GitOps & CI/CD Operating Model: Establish and own the enterprise GitOps operating model using Argo CD as the primary continuous delivery platform; define multi-environment promotion strategies, deployment guardrails, and auditable delivery pipelines; extend GitOps standards across multiple application and platform teams using GitHub Actions for CI/CD orchestration. * Reliability, Observability & Cost: Own platform reliability and cost efficiency strategy; drive observability standards using Datadog and Prometheus/Grafana including dashboards, alerting, and SLO frameworks that measurably improve operational outcomes. * Security & Policy: Define secure-by-default platform patterns and own policy enforcement using Kyverno and Cilium ; serve as the technical authority partnering with security stakeholders on controls, exceptions, and governance. * Organizational Leadership & Communication: Communicate platform strategy, investment rationale, and operational health to senior IT leadership; represent platform engineering in architecture reviews and cross-organizational forums; build alignment across platform, security, and application teams without direct authority. * Technology Evaluation & Innovation: Lead structured build vs. buy assessments and proactively evaluate emerging platform technologies across the CNCF landscape; ensure the platform strategy remains forward-looking through disciplined evaluation of open-source projects, vendor capabilities, and multi-cloud control plane developments. * Technical Talent Development: Mentor senior and staff engineers; shape hiring bar standards; establish communities of practice that raise the platform engineering capability across the Qualcomm enterprise. * Operational Excellence: Own the on-call model, runbook standards, and incident response practices; lead high-severity incident resolution and long-term corrective action planning. On-call participation is required, including potential 24/7 coverage. ## Related Videos - [Docker network without Docker](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1418-docker-network-without-docker) - [From DevOps to Scaled DevOps: How We’re Rebuilding Continuous Delivery as a Platform](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100018-from-devops-to-scaled-devops-how-we-re-rebuilding-continuous-delivery-as-a-platform) - [Innovating Developer Tools with AI: Insights from GitHub Next](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1268-innovating-developer-tools-with-ai-insights-from-github-next) - [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) - [#90DaysOfDevOps - The DevOps Learning Journey](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/548-90daysofdevops-the-devops-learning-journey) - [Docker exec without Docker](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1094-docker-exec-without-docker) ## Related Articles - [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) - [Learning Kubernetes made easy with KubeCampus](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/348-learning-kubernetes-made-easy-with-kubecampus) - [Highest Paying Tech Companies for Developers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/220-highest-paying-tech-companies-for-developers) - [What Are The Top Skills Required For Azure Developers?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/77-what-are-the-top-skills-required-for-azure-developers) - [7 Cloud Computing Trends Coming in 2025 for Developers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/412-7-cloud-computing-trends-coming-in-2025-for-developers) - [Dev Digest 121 - AI goes offline](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/456-dev-digest-121-ai-goes-offline)