Kubernetes Architect

Summit

11d

About The Position

As Summit’s Kubernetes Architect, you will own the architectural direction of our shared Kubernetes platform and related container infrastructure. This role is responsible for designing scalable, secure, and resilient Kubernetes environments that support Summit’s operational and client-facing needs. You will serve as the technical authority for Kubernetes platform design, guiding standards, tooling, automation strategy, and long-term platform evolution. Working closely with Engineering, Operations, Security, and other cross-functional teams, you will translate business and technical requirements into platform architecture decisions that improve reliability, consistency, and operational efficiency. You will also play a key role in defining best practices, documenting platform standards, and ensuring Kubernetes capabilities align with Summit’s broader infrastructure strategy.

Requirements

Have deep experience designing and evolving Kubernetes platforms in complex production environments.
Bring strong Linux systems knowledge across distributions such as Red Hat, CentOS, and Ubuntu.
Are highly skilled in infrastructure automation using tools such as Terraform, Ansible, and CI/CD technologies.
Understand Kubernetes architecture at a platform level, including networking, ingress, storage, security, scaling, and cluster operations.
Can balance strategic platform design with practical operational realities.
Communicate technical concepts clearly and can influence decisions across technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Take a thoughtful, standards-driven approach to architecture while remaining flexible and solutions-oriented.
Are passionate about platform engineering, automation, reliability, and continuous improvement.

Nice To Haves

Kubernetes certifications such as CKA, CKAD, or CKS.
Linux certifications such as RHCE or LFCS.
Experience designing shared platform services in regulated, high-availability, or enterprise environments.
Proficiency in scripting or development languages such as Python, Bash, or Go.
Familiarity with observability platforms and SRE-aligned practices.
Knowledge of networking, security architecture, and policy enforcement within Kubernetes environments.
Experience contributing to platform standards, governance models, or internal engineering enablement.
Familiarity with Agile methodologies and tools such as Jira.
Contributions to open-source projects or active participation in technical communities.

Responsibilities

Define and own the architectural vision, standards, and roadmap for Summit’s Kubernetes platform.
Design scalable, resilient, and secure Kubernetes environments to support internal and client-facing workloads.
Establish platform patterns, design principles, and governance for container orchestration, workload placement, networking, storage, and cluster lifecycle management.
Lead infrastructure automation strategy for Kubernetes and adjacent systems, including infrastructure as code, configuration management, and CI/CD integration.
Partner with Engineering, Operations, Security, and other stakeholders to assess requirements and translate them into effective platform solutions.
Evaluate current-state Kubernetes environments and identify opportunities to improve performance, reliability, scalability, and maintainability.
Provide architectural guidance for Kubernetes-based application deployments, ensuring alignment with platform standards and operational best practices.
Influence observability, monitoring, alerting, and incident readiness strategies within Kubernetes environments.
Troubleshoot complex platform-level issues and guide root cause analysis for critical Kubernetes and container-related incidents.
Drive modernization initiatives related to container platforms, orchestration strategy, and underlying Linux infrastructure.
Create and maintain architecture documentation, reference designs, platform standards, and technical guidance for internal teams.
Support security and compliance objectives by incorporating platform hardening, access controls, segmentation, and other Kubernetes security best practices into the architectural framework.