Staff Kubernetes Engineer

Calix is seeking a Staff Kubernetes Administrator to join their Product Engineering Infrastructure team. This role involves delivering critical infrastructure services for next-generation networking and SaaS products. The ideal candidate will have deep expertise in Kubernetes administration, Linux systems, networking, security, and virtualization. Key responsibilities include modernizing infrastructure, migrating workloads to Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), establishing Kubernetes best practices, and ensuring secure, highly available systems. The role also involves mentoring junior administrators and collaborating with development and product teams.

Must Have

• Design, deploy, and maintain Kubernetes clusters in on-premises and Google Cloud (GKE).
• Lead migration of containerized workloads from on-premises Kubernetes to GKE.
• Implement and enforce Kubernetes security best practices (RBAC, network policies, secrets management, vulnerability scanning).
• Architect and support microservices and serverless applications on Kubernetes.
• Develop and maintain Infrastructure as Code (IaC) using Terraform and Helm, employing GitOps workflows.
• Monitor and optimize cluster performance and availability using observability tools.
• Participate in incident response and troubleshooting across the Kubernetes stack.
• 8-10 years of IT infrastructure experience, including 4+ years managing production Kubernetes clusters.
• Expertise in Linux systems administration (Ubuntu, Red Hat/CentOS), shell scripting, and system troubleshooting.
• Strong knowledge of container networking and services (CNI plugins, ingress controllers, DNS, load balancing, service mesh).
• Deep understanding of Kubernetes security models and best practices.
• Proficiency with IaC tools (Terraform, Helm) and experience with CI/CD/GitOps.
• Experience with monitoring and logging tools for Kubernetes.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field (or equivalent experience).

Good to Have

• Relevant industry certifications such as Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) or CKS, and cloud certifications (Google Cloud Professional Architect, GKE specialization) or Linux certifications (RHCSA/RHCE).
• Experience with hybrid cloud or multi-cluster Kubernetes environments and cloud networking.
• Familiarity with container security platforms (e.g., Aqua, Prisma, Sysdig) and configuration management/automation tools (Ansible, Puppet, Chef, Python/Bash scripting).
• Exposure to IT service management (ITIL practices) and Agile/Scrum development methodologies.
• A security-first and automation-first mindset; enthusiasm for adopting new technologies.

Perks & Benefits

• Eligible for a bonus
• Comprehensive benefits package

Calix is seeking a Staff Kubernetes Administrator to join our high-performing Product Engineering Infrastructure team. This team delivers critical infrastructure services to support the development of next-generation networking and SaaS products. The ideal candidate has deep expertise in Kubernetes administration, Linux systems (Ubuntu/Red Hat), networking, security, and virtualization. You will play a key role in modernizing our infrastructure and migrating workloads to Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) while ensuring our systems are secure and highly available.

This Staff Kubernetes Administrator role is critical to our team’s success. If you are passionate about Kubernetes, cloud technologies, and mentoring others in a fast-paced environment, we encourage you to apply and help us drive our infrastructure to the next level.

In this role, you will establish Kubernetes best practices and processes as we build out this capability. You will work closely with software development and product teams to deploy and support Kubernetes clusters on-premises and in the cloud (GCP). You will ensure our Kubernetes environments are secure, performant, and aligned with business needs. Additionally, you will mentor junior administrators and help develop the team’s Kubernetes skill set and operational practices.

Responsibilities

• Design, deploy, and maintain Kubernetes clusters in on-premises environments and in Google Cloud (GKE), ensuring scalable and reliable infrastructure.
• Lead the migration of containerized workloads from on-premises Kubernetes to GKE, with minimal downtime and optimal performance.
• Implement and enforce Kubernetes security best practices, including RBAC access controls, network policies, secrets management, and vulnerability scanning.
• Architect and support microservices and serverless applications on Kubernetes using cloud-native patterns and tooling.
• Develop and maintain Infrastructure as Code (IaC) using tools like Terraform and Helm, and employ GitOps workflows for automated deployments.
• Monitor and optimize cluster performance and availability, using observability tools (Prometheus, Grafana, ELK/EFK, etc.), and ensure high uptime through auto-scaling and resiliency best practices.
• Participate in incident response and troubleshooting to quickly resolve issues across the Kubernetes stack (applications, containers, nodes) and perform root cause analysis.
• Mentor and coach junior administrators and engineers, sharing Kubernetes best practices and fostering a culture of continuous learning.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with development, security, and other infrastructure teams to ensure Kubernetes platform alignment with application needs and security standards.
• Document configurations, procedures, and processes for Kubernetes environments to support knowledge transfer and consistency.

Required Qualifications & Skills

• 8-10 years of IT infrastructure experience, including 4+ years managing production Kubernetes clusters.
• Expertise in Linux systems administration, especially Ubuntu and Red Hat (or CentOS) systems, including strong shell scripting and system troubleshooting skills.
• Strong knowledge of container networking and services – e.g., CNI plugins, ingress controllers, DNS, load balancing, and service mesh (Istio or similar).
• Deep understanding of Kubernetes security models and best practices (RBAC, network policies, CIS benchmarks, etc.).
• Proficiency with Infrastructure as Code tools (Terraform, Helm) and experience with CI/CD pipelines and GitOps workflows for Kubernetes deployments.
• Experience with monitoring and logging tools for Kubernetes (Prometheus, Grafana, Fluentd/ELK or similar) and the ability to interpret metrics/logs to maintain system health.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work collaboratively and explain complex concepts to various stakeholders.
• Strong problem-solving abilities and capability to work independently, managing priorities in a dynamic environment.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field (or equivalent experience).
• Willingness to support off-hours needs (occasional meetings with offshore teams) and travel if required.

Desired Skills

• Certifications: Relevant industry certifications such as Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) or CKS, and cloud certifications (Google Cloud Professional Architect, GKE specialization) or Linux certifications (RHCSA/RHCE).
• Hybrid/Cloud Experience: Experience with hybrid cloud or multi-cluster Kubernetes environments and cloud networking.
• Security & Automation Tools: Familiarity with container security platforms (e.g., Aqua, Prisma, Sysdig) and configuration management/automation tools (Ansible, Puppet, Chef, Python/Bash scripting).
• Methodologies: Exposure to IT service management (ITIL practices) and Agile/Scrum development methodologies.
• Innovative Mindset: A security-first and automation-first mindset; enthusiasm for adopting new technologies (e.g., AI-assisted operations, advanced monitoring techniques) to continuously improve our infrastructure operations.

The base pay range for this position varies based on the geographic location. More information about the pay range specific to candidate location and other factors will be shared during the recruitment process. Individual pay is determined based on location of residence and multiple factors, including job-related knowledge, skills and experience.

San Francisco Bay Area:

156,400 - 265,700 USD Annual

All Other US Locations:

136,000 - 231,000 USD Annual

As a part of the total compensation package, this role may be eligible for a bonus. For information on our benefits click here.