Principal DevOps Architect

MKS Instruments•Milpitas, MA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

As a Principal DevOps Architect, Engineering Services at MKS, you will shape how engineering teams across the company build, test, secure, and deliver software. This high-impact technical role combines strategic architecture with hands-on problem solving to address complex DevOps challenges at enterprise scale. You will partner with engineering teams, IT, and Security to modernize the DevOps ecosystem, simplify its tool landscape, create reusable engineering solutions, and establish dependable platforms. Approximately 20% of your time will be spent assisting with administration of tools such as GitHub Enterprise, Azure DevOps, GitLab, and Jenkins. You will influence the future direction of DevOps at MKS across CI/CD architecture, developer workflows, DevSecOps, automation, reliability, and software delivery standards. The position reports to the Manager, Engineering Services and is hybrid, with two days per week in the office. The role owns the technical vision and architecture for MKS's enterprise DevOps capability, including source control, CI/CD, artifact management, release automation, DevSecOps, reliability, and platform governance. It modernizes and simplifies a complex ecosystem of engineering platforms and develops reusable CI/CD solutions that teams can adopt at scale. The role also partners with Security and IT to incorporate secure practices into engineering workflows, establishes technical direction across teams and sites, leads the DevOps Center of Excellence, advises engineering teams on complex technical challenges, and improves platform reliability and supportability. The work is primarily performed in a professional office or remote-office environment. It involves regular use of a computer and standard office productivity equipment, and may require sitting, standing, or typing for extended periods. Collaboration may span global time zones. Occasional urgent incident, platform-support, or escalation discussions and business-related travel may occur. Travel is less than 15%. Applicants must be eligible to work in the United States; MKS will not sponsor work visas for this position at this time. The salary range is $140,000 to $185,000 per year. The position is eligible for a discretionary annual bonus. MKS offers a benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision insurance; a 401(k) with company match; life and disability insurance; 12 paid holidays; sick time; 15 paid vacation days; six weeks of fully paid parental leave; adoption assistance; and tuition reimbursement.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, Management Information Systems, or equivalent practical experience.
At least 8 years of progressive experience in DevOps, DevSecOps, platform engineering, software engineering, cloud engineering, infrastructure engineering, or a related technical discipline.
At least 5 years of hands-on experience architecting, building, administering, or modernizing enterprise CI/CD and DevOps platforms that support multiple engineering teams, sites, or business units.
Deep understanding of CI/CD architecture, software development lifecycle practices, source control, branching and pull-request models, build and test automation, artifact management, release engineering, and platform reliability.
Hands-on experience with several of GitHub Enterprise, Azure DevOps, GitLab CI/CD, Jenkins, CloudBees CI, Perforce, Bitbucket, Nexus Repository, Jira, and Confluence.
Experience creating reusable automation, pipelines, templates, frameworks, or platform capabilities that reduce developer friction and improve consistency at scale.
Strong understanding of DevSecOps and secure software delivery, including identity, secrets, vulnerability management, access controls, auditability, and software supply-chain security.
Ability to move between architecture and hands-on technical problem solving while influencing engineering teams and technical leaders without direct authority.
Strong communication skills and ability to translate complex technical decisions into practical solutions for engineers, IT, Security, vendors, and business leaders.
Eligible to work in the United States; work visa sponsorship is not available for this position.
Ability to work in states where MKS is registered to do business, as MKS is generally hiring candidates who reside in those states.

Nice To Haves

Experience integrating source code management, CI/CD pipelines, DevSecOps tooling, secure artifact management, software supply-chain controls, and AI-assisted development capabilities into enterprise engineering workflows.
Experience supporting firmware, embedded software, FPGA, robotics, IoT, operational technology, hardware validation, lab-connected testing, or other physical-product engineering environments.
Experience establishing or participating in a DevOps Center of Excellence, platform engineering function, or enterprise architecture governance model.

Responsibilities

Own the technical vision and architecture for MKS's enterprise DevOps capability, including source control, CI/CD, artifact management, release automation, DevSecOps, reliability, and platform governance.
Modernize and simplify the enterprise DevOps ecosystem, including GitHub Enterprise, Azure DevOps, GitLab, Jenkins, CloudBees CI, Nexus, Perforce, Bitbucket, and related engineering platforms.
Architect reusable CI/CD solutions, including pipeline templates, shared libraries, automated testing, quality gates, artifact promotion, and repeatable release patterns.
Identify developer friction, technical debt, reliability gaps, and opportunities for automation and standardization, and solve resulting platform and developer-experience problems.
Partner with Security and IT to incorporate identity management, secrets management, least-privilege access, vulnerability scanning, auditability, and software supply-chain controls into engineering workflows.
Set technical direction and influence engineering practices across teams and sites while allowing flexibility for different products and engineering environments.
Establish and lead the DevOps Center of Excellence, developing standards, reference architectures, documentation, training, mentoring, and a community of practice.
Serve as a principal-level technical advisor to engineering teams on CI/CD, platform, reliability, release, and DevSecOps challenges.
Improve the reliability and supportability of engineering platforms through automation, ownership, documentation, observability, and operational practices.
Assist with administration of tools such as GitHub Enterprise, Azure DevOps, GitLab, and Jenkins for approximately 20% of the role.
Collaborate across global time zones and occasionally participate in urgent incidents, platform support, escalations, workshops, or platform reviews.
Follow directions and interact with employees, customers, suppliers, vendors, and the public in a safe, professional, and respectful manner; exercise trustworthiness, reliability, and good judgment when accessing sensitive systems and information.