Job Description
Kubernetes Platform Engineer
Contract - W2/ C2C
Chicago, IL or Tempe, AZ- 3 days hybrid
Project Overview / Contractor's Role:
We are seeking a highly skilled Senior Kubernetes Platform Engineer to support and operate an enterprise VMware Tanzu Kubernetes platform consisting of 100+ Kubernetes clusters across multiple environments, including Production. This role will partner closely with the current platform owner to provide operational support, on-call backup, and platform sustainment, helping ensure platform stability, availability, and compliance for critical business applications.
Qualifications (must haves):
Kubernetes Experience
• Strong hands-on experience supporting Kubernetes in Production
• Solid understanding of Kubernetes fundamentals, including:
o Pods, Deployments, StatefulSets
o Services and Ingress
o Namespaces, RBAC, ConfigMaps, and Secrets
• Experience troubleshooting Kubernetes networking, scheduling, and resource issues
• Experience operating Kubernetes on enterprise platforms (VMware Tanzu, OpenShift, AKS, EKS, or similar)
• Strong Linux administration and troubleshooting skills
• Familiarity with container runtimes and container images
• Experience with VMware Tanzu Kubernetes or VMware-based Kubernetes platforms
• Scripting experience (Bash, Python) for operational automation
• Prior experience supporting large multi-cluster Kubernetes environments
Tasks & Responsibilities:
Kubernetes Platform Operations
• Support day-to-day operations of an enterprise Kubernetes platform (100+ clusters, ~50% production)
• Perform routine operational tasks including cluster maintenance, upgrades, patching, health checks, and capacity management
• Troubleshoot and resolve Kubernetes platform issues impacting cluster or application availability
• Participate in incident response, root-cause analysis, and post-incident reviews
On-Call & Backup Coverage
• Act as a backup platform engineer to enable on-call rotation and reduce key-person dependency
• Provide after-hours support as part of a shared on-call rotation
• Serve as a secondary escalation point for critical Production issues
Application & Platform Support
• Assist internal application teams with Kubernetes-related questions and issues
• Support common Kubernetes constructs such as Pods, Deployments, Services, Ingress, ConfigMaps, and Secrets
• Help teams troubleshoot networking, DNS, ingress, certificate, and resource-related issues
• Review application configurations for Kubernetes best practices and platform alignment
Enterprise Tooling & Integrations
• Work with integrated enterprise tools such as:
o Ingress controllers (e.g., Contour / Envoy)
o Logging platforms (e.g., Fluent Bit, centralized log aggregation)
o Monitoring/observability tools (e.g., Dynatrace or similar)
o Container registries (e.g., Harbor, JFrog, etc)
Documentation & Knowledge Sharing
• Help document operational procedures, runbooks, and troubleshooting guides
• Share Kubernetes knowledge and best practices with internal teams
• Assist in improving platform resiliency, operational maturity, and supportability
Contract - W2/ C2C
Chicago, IL or Tempe, AZ- 3 days hybrid
Project Overview / Contractor's Role:
We are seeking a highly skilled Senior Kubernetes Platform Engineer to support and operate an enterprise VMware Tanzu Kubernetes platform consisting of 100+ Kubernetes clusters across multiple environments, including Production. This role will partner closely with the current platform owner to provide operational support, on-call backup, and platform sustainment, helping ensure platform stability, availability, and compliance for critical business applications.
Qualifications (must haves):
Kubernetes Experience
• Strong hands-on experience supporting Kubernetes in Production
• Solid understanding of Kubernetes fundamentals, including:
o Pods, Deployments, StatefulSets
o Services and Ingress
o Namespaces, RBAC, ConfigMaps, and Secrets
• Experience troubleshooting Kubernetes networking, scheduling, and resource issues
• Experience operating Kubernetes on enterprise platforms (VMware Tanzu, OpenShift, AKS, EKS, or similar)
• Strong Linux administration and troubleshooting skills
• Familiarity with container runtimes and container images
• Experience with VMware Tanzu Kubernetes or VMware-based Kubernetes platforms
• Scripting experience (Bash, Python) for operational automation
• Prior experience supporting large multi-cluster Kubernetes environments
Tasks & Responsibilities:
Kubernetes Platform Operations
• Support day-to-day operations of an enterprise Kubernetes platform (100+ clusters, ~50% production)
• Perform routine operational tasks including cluster maintenance, upgrades, patching, health checks, and capacity management
• Troubleshoot and resolve Kubernetes platform issues impacting cluster or application availability
• Participate in incident response, root-cause analysis, and post-incident reviews
On-Call & Backup Coverage
• Act as a backup platform engineer to enable on-call rotation and reduce key-person dependency
• Provide after-hours support as part of a shared on-call rotation
• Serve as a secondary escalation point for critical Production issues
Application & Platform Support
• Assist internal application teams with Kubernetes-related questions and issues
• Support common Kubernetes constructs such as Pods, Deployments, Services, Ingress, ConfigMaps, and Secrets
• Help teams troubleshoot networking, DNS, ingress, certificate, and resource-related issues
• Review application configurations for Kubernetes best practices and platform alignment
Enterprise Tooling & Integrations
• Work with integrated enterprise tools such as:
o Ingress controllers (e.g., Contour / Envoy)
o Logging platforms (e.g., Fluent Bit, centralized log aggregation)
o Monitoring/observability tools (e.g., Dynatrace or similar)
o Container registries (e.g., Harbor, JFrog, etc)
Documentation & Knowledge Sharing
• Help document operational procedures, runbooks, and troubleshooting guides
• Share Kubernetes knowledge and best practices with internal teams
• Assist in improving platform resiliency, operational maturity, and supportability
💡 Quick Summary
Seeking a career-building opportunity? The Kubernetes Platform Engineer position is now open for candidates interested in the IT Engineer & Developer Jobs sector. This role in Chicago offers a professional environment and growth potential.
Requirement Snapshot: Candidates should possess basic communication skills, a proactive attitude, and the ability to work in a team. Experience in IT Engineer & Developer Jobs is a plus.
