Principal Platform Engineer

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

📋 Description

• Design and manage comprehensive release infrastructure (Lunar) and GitOps delivery pipelines utilizing ArgoCD, EKS, GitHub Enterprise, and GitHub Actions.

• Oversee artifact security employing Harbor, Cosign, and Vault Transit Engine.

• Create automated pipelines that comply by default with NIST standards and include SBOM generation.

• Assist in building hardware OS images using Yocto and Manifold.

• Transform internal AI gateways, RAG tools, and developer AI workflows with Cursor.

• Draft RFCs and design documents, conduct architecture reviews, and strategize roadmaps.

• Mentor mid-level and senior engineers.

• Provide direct management, which includes 1:1 meetings, recruitment, and performance evaluations, during periods of transition or growth.

• Collaborate with security, embedded, and field teams in airgapped and edge environments.

⛳️ Requirements

• Over 10 years of experience in software/platform engineering.

• More than 5 years of managing large-scale production infrastructure.

• Demonstrated success in leading projects, designing architectures, mentoring engineers, and readiness for direct people management.

• Extensive hands-on experience with Kubernetes, ArgoCD, GitHub Actions/Earthly, and Infrastructure as Code (Terraform/OpenTofu, AWS/GovCloud).

• Strong expertise in artifact registries, container signing (Cosign/Sigstore), Vault, and SBOM generation.

• Capability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Security Clearance.

• U.S. Citizenship is mandatory.

• Preferred: experience in defense, aerospace, or regulated environments (NIST 800-53, IL4/IL5, CMMC).

• Preferred: familiarity with embedded Linux/OS (Yocto, SLE Micro) and airgapped/edge deployment models.

• Preferred: experience in deploying internal AI/LLM infrastructure (RAG, model gateways, governance).

• Preferred: proficiency in scripting languages such as Go, Python, and Bash.

🏝️ Benefits

• Bonus program and equity in a rapidly expanding startup.

• Competitive medical, dental, and vision benefits for employees and their families.

• Health Savings Account with annual contributions from the employer.

• Employer-paid Life and Disability Insurance.

• Unrestricted paid time off policy.

• Flexible and remote work options available.

• Tax-deferred public transit benefits through Metro SmartBenefits (DC/MD/VA).