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Penguin Solutions · 2 weeks ago

Kubernetes System Architect

United States

Full-time

Remote

Senior Level

$136K/yr - $165K/yr

7+ years exp

Penguin Solutions is a company that specializes in software products for managing large computational systems. The Kubernetes System Architect will focus on Kubernetes and container orchestration technologies, working closely with engineering teams to design and implement robust integrations that enhance capabilities for AI and HPC environments.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)Cloud ComputingEnterprise Software

Responsibilities

Define and architect Kubernetes integration strategies within the ICE ClusterWare platform to enable containerized workloads and hybrid cluster orchestration

Design scalable, secure, and resilient Kubernetes-based infrastructure for HPC and AI compute environments

Develop architectural blueprints for cluster lifecycle management, service discovery, and workload scheduling across on-premise and hybrid infrastructures

Evaluate emerging CNCF ecosystem technologies (e.g., operators, CRDs, service meshes, observability stacks) and guide adoption strategies

Provide technical leadership in Kubernetes administration, troubleshooting, and performance optimization

Define best practices for all aspects of Kubernetes cluster configuration, scaling, and upgrade strategies

Collaborate with software engineering teams to integrate Kubernetes APIs and services into ICE ClusterWare’s management and monitoring subsystems

Enable seamless integration of Kubernetes with existing cluster management workflows, job schedulers, and monitoring frameworks

Administer and maintain Kubernetes clusters, including cluster creation, upgrades, node management, and scaling

Drive consistency in configuration, security, and policy enforcement across multi-cluster deployments

Implement observability and reliability frameworks for monitoring, logging, and alerting using leveraging Kubernetes-native tools such as Prometheus, Grafana, and OpenTelemetry

Manage and optimize cluster networking, including CNI plugin configuration (e.g., Calico, Cilium), ingress controllers, and service meshes

Configure and maintain persistent storage solutions in Kubernetes using dynamic provisioning, CSI drivers, and storage classes

Manage authentication, authorization, and access control through RBAC, service accounts, and integration with external identity providers

Serve as the internal Kubernetes subject matter expert and mentor for engineering peers

Partner with automation teams to ensure system reliability through automation and Infrastructure-as-Code methodologies

Partner with software engineers to guide Kubernetes-aware feature design and API development

Work alongside Product Architects and Product Managers to align architectural decisions with product roadmap and customer use cases

Qualification

KubernetesLinux-based environmentsInfrastructure as CodeScripting languagesKubernetes certificationsMicroservices architecturesCommunication skillsTeam collaboration

Required

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related technical field—or equivalent experience

Minimum 7–10 years of experience in software or systems engineering, with at least 4 years of hands-on Kubernetes cluster administration and architecture experience

Deep understanding of Kubernetes control plane, networking, security, and storage subsystems

Proven experience designing and operating multi-node, multi-cluster Kubernetes environments in production

Strong familiarity with Linux-based environments and cluster management systems

Understanding of microservices architectures, container runtime interfaces, and cloud-native design principles

Experience with Infrastructure as Code (e.g., Terraform, Ansible, or equivalent) and automation frameworks

Ability to translate system-level requirements into practical, scalable Kubernetes solutions

Proficiency in at least one scripting or programming language (e.g., Python, Go, Bash, etc.)

Excellent communication skills, capable of conveying complex infrastructure concepts to software development teams

Self-motivated and capable of working independently while maintaining strong team collaboration

Preferred

Understanding of microservices architectures, container runtime interfaces, and cloud-native design principles

Experience with HPC and AI cluster workloads in Kubernetes environments

Knowledge of GPU scheduling, device plugins, and high-performance networking within Kubernetes

Familiarity with Helm and other deployment automation tools

Experience with various Kubernetes distributions and vendor platforms (e.g., Red Hat OpenShift, Rancher RKE2, Canonical MicroK8s, VMware Tanzu, or similar enterprise-managed Kubernetes solutions)

Kubernetes certifications (CKA, CKAD, or CKS) highly valued

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision benefits

401k saving plan

Paid Time Off

Life Insurance

Employee Assistance Plan

Company

Penguin Solutions

At Penguin Solutions, we understand the boundless potential of technology and support our customers in turning cutting-edge ideas into outcomes—faster, and at any scale.

Founded in 1999

Fremont, California, USA

1001-5000 employees