Lead Kubernetes Architect – AKS, GKE

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States.

📋 Description

• Spearhead the architecture, design, and implementation of enterprise Kubernetes platforms utilizing AKS and GKE.

• Establish and uphold Kubernetes reference architectures, design standards, and reusable platform patterns.

• Create and implement a Kubernetes product maturity roadmap that aligns with Humana's Cloud Platform strategy.

• Architect multi-cluster, multi-region, highly available deployment models, incorporating failover and disaster recovery strategies.

• Oversee Kubernetes platform capabilities from initial concept through design, build, validation, release, and operational support.

• Promote the adoption of Infrastructure as Code, GitOps, and CI/CD delivery methodologies.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to onboard applications and enhance developer experience, security, and operational consistency.

• Conduct technical workshops, architecture reviews, roadmap sessions, whiteboarding activities, and design reviews.

• Implement AI/ML-driven improvements for incident detection, remediation, cost efficiency, and operational effectiveness.

• Utilize intelligent automation for capacity forecasting, workload placement, anomaly detection, rightsizing, and performance optimization.

• Refine Kubernetes CPU, memory, storage, node pools, autoscaling policies, and workload scheduling.

• Establish capacity planning methodologies and monitor cluster utilization, node health, and workload distribution.

• Collaborate with network and platform teams on ingress, egress, load balancing, DNS, traffic management, and cluster networking.

• Set thresholds, alerts, and remediation patterns to avert capacity-related incidents.

• Uphold Kubernetes best practices for networking, identity and access management, certificates, pod security, policies, and observability.

• Foster resiliency through autoscaling, upgrade planning, health monitoring, rollback strategies, and operational guardrails.

• Define and advance the Kubernetes lifecycle support model, including provisioning, upgrades, patching, deprecation, Day 2 operations, and service ownership.

• Direct troubleshooting and resolution of complex platform challenges, production incidents, and cross-team escalations.

• Enhance platform observability, logging, alerting, and operational readiness.

• Contribute to Kubernetes cost optimization through right-sizing, autoscaling, and non-production optimization.

• Mentor junior and mid-level engineers through technical guidance, coaching, and delegation.

• Provide architectural insights to application teams, product teams, and cloud engineers.

• Cultivate relationships with internal stakeholders, vendors, and engineering teams.

• Lead technical demonstrations and convey architecture decisions to both technical and non-technical audiences.

⛳️ Requirements

• A minimum of 5 years of experience in software engineering, platform engineering, cloud engineering, or infrastructure engineering.

• Proven experience in architecting, implementing, and supporting Kubernetes platforms at an enterprise level, including AKS, GKE, and/or EKS.

• Practical experience in constructing and deploying cloud infrastructure through CI/CD and Infrastructure as Code in Azure, GCP, or AWS.

• Expertise in developing and operationalizing a Kubernetes lifecycle support model, encompassing upgrades, support, reliability, and Day 2 operations.

• Strong foundation in Kubernetes architecture principles, including cluster design, provisioning, networking and ingress, load balancing, RBAC and identity integration, pod security and policy enforcement, certificate and secret management, monitoring, logging, and troubleshooting.

• Experience optimizing Kubernetes resource utilization, scaling strategies, and managing cluster capacity in enterprise settings.

• Proven experience leading engineering initiatives in Agile delivery settings and managing work using tools like Azure DevOps.

• Strong problem-solving capabilities.

• Exceptional written, verbal, presentation, and stakeholder communication skills.

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field is preferred.

• Advanced hands-on expertise with AKS and GKE in large-scale enterprise environments.

• Experience in supporting Day 2 operations for Kubernetes clusters in production.

• Familiarity with applying AI/ML, predictive analytics, or intelligent automation to cloud operations, cost optimization, observability, or capacity planning.

• Proficiency with GitHub, Terraform, and GitOps delivery models like ArgoCD.

• Familiarity with enterprise platform tools such as Dynatrace, Prisma Cloud/Twistlock, HashiCorp Vault, Splunk, JFrog Artifactory, and Apigee.

• Understanding of service mesh, backup/recovery tools, policy enforcement, and cluster security controls.

• Experience with Docker.

• Working knowledge of APIs and relational databases such as SQL.

• Cloud certifications in Azure, Google Cloud, or AWS are preferred.

• Kubernetes certifications such as CKA, CKAD, or CKS are preferred.

• Minimum home internet speed of 25 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload is required.

• Capability to work from a dedicated space without ongoing interruptions to safeguard member PHI/HIPAA information.

🏝️ Benefits

• Bonus incentive plan based on company and/or individual performance.

• Medical benefits.

• Dental benefits.

• Vision benefits.

• 401(k) retirement savings plan.

• Paid time off.

• Company holidays.

• Personal holidays.

• Paid parental leave.

• Paid caregiver leave.

• Short-term disability.

• Long-term disability.

• Life insurance.

• Work-from-home arrangement.

• Occasional travel to Humana offices for training or meetings.

• Dedicated workspace and internet service requirements to support remote work.