Lead Platform Engineering Architect
About The Position
Join GDIT’s mission‑driven team supporting the Department of Defense as we help unify the Air Force’s cyber defense to outpace threats with shared insight, faster decisions, and stronger mission protection. The Lead Platform Engineering SME leads the hybrid cloud and on-premises platform engineering effort underpinning all applications and services. The Lead Platform Engineer designs, builds, and manages baselines that are highly available, secure, and scalable (e.g., the PMO-prescribed Kubernetes distribution and Operating System(s)) across hybrid cloud and on-premises infrastructures. This role configures, integrates, hardens, and manages Kubernetes environments, including precise allocation of resources, namespaces, pod specifications, helm charts, and orchestration logic while adhering to best practices, and integrates DoW Iron Bank hardened containers and certificates to field applications as the foundational baseline for all platform services. The role also governs disaster recovery and patching strategy, as designing, sustaining, and governing the enterprise Disaster Recovery, Backup Solution, and Business Continuity strategy for the globally dispersed, hybrid environment, defining strict Recovery Point Objectives (RPO) and Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) for diverse data types and mission-critical systems. Technical acumen required: Expert AWS architecture and multi-cloud/hybrid infrastructure design, Kubernetes administration at scale, Infrastructure as Code / Configuration as Code (IaC/CaC) practices, software-defined networking (SDN/SD-WAN), and System Integration Lab (SIL) operations. Must be fluent in installing, configuring, integrating, and sustaining the Enterprise Hybrid Network Infrastructure, including advanced routing and switching, SDN, SD-WAN architectures, and network segmentation. Daily SCIF access reflects continuous hands-on platform build, patch validation, and infrastructure management Review Boards, and Change Control Boards. Daily SCIF access reflects the need for sustained hands-on engagement with classified architecture baselines and JCWA integration data. This role is central to the win theme of tested resilience and continuity, validating patch and updating execution in the SIL to reduce exposure windows.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and 10–12 years in platform engineering
- 5+ years Kubernetes and container orchestration
- 5+ years hybrid cloud (AWS/Azure/on‑prem) architecture
- Security Clearance Level: Top Secret with SCI eligibility
- US citizenship required
- Expert AWS architecture and multi-cloud/hybrid infrastructure design
- Kubernetes administration at scale
- Infrastructure as Code / Configuration as Code (IaC/CaC) practices
- Software-defined networking (SDN/SD-WAN)
- System Integration Lab (SIL) operations
- Fluent in installing, configuring, integrating, and sustaining the Enterprise Hybrid Network Infrastructure, including advanced routing and switching, SDN, SD-WAN architectures, and network segmentation.
- Deep expertise in designing, hardening, and operating Kubernetes environments at enterprise scale.
- Experience implementing DevSecOps CI/CD pipelines, IaC/CaC (e.g., Terraform, Ansible), and automated security gates.
- Strong mastery of hybrid network engineering (SDN, SD‑WAN, routing/switching, NAC, OOB management).
- Ability to integrate Iron Bank hardened containers, manage OS baselines, and operate boundary security systems (NGFW, IDS/IPS).
- Skilled in platform-level testing, system update orchestration, virtualization ecosystems, and SIL operations.
Nice To Haves
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect-Professional
Responsibilities
- Leads the hybrid cloud and on-premises platform engineering effort underpinning all applications and services.
- Designs, builds, and manages baselines that are highly available, secure, and scalable across hybrid cloud and on-premises infrastructures.
- Configures, integrates, hardens, and manages Kubernetes environments, including precise allocation of resources, namespaces, pod specifications, helm charts, and orchestration logic while adhering to best practices.
- Integrates DoW Iron Bank hardened containers and certificates to field applications as the foundational baseline for all platform services.
- Governs disaster recovery and patching strategy, designing, sustaining, and governing the enterprise Disaster Recovery, Backup Solution, and Business Continuity strategy for the globally dispersed, hybrid environment, defining strict Recovery Point Objectives (RPO) and Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) for diverse data types and mission-critical systems.
- Installs, configures, integrates, and sustains the Enterprise Hybrid Network Infrastructure, including advanced routing and switching, SDN, SD-WAN architectures, and network segmentation.
- Engages hands-on with classified architecture baselines and JCWA integration data.
- Validates patch and updating execution in the SIL to reduce exposure windows.
Benefits
- 401K with company match
- Comprehensive health and wellness packages
- Internal mobility team dedicated to helping you own your career
- Professional growth opportunities including paid education and certifications
- Cutting-edge technology you can learn from
- Rest and recharge with paid vacation and holidays
- Variety of medical plan options, some with Health Savings Accounts
- Dental plan options
- Vision plan
- Ability to contribute both pre and post-tax dollars up to the IRS annual limits and receive a company match
- Full flex work weeks where possible
- Variety of paid time off plans, including vacation, sick and personal time, holidays, paid parental, military, bereavement and jury duty leave
- Short and long-term disability benefits
- Life, accidental death and dismemberment, personal accident, critical illness and business travel and accident insurance are provided or available
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
