OpenShift Platform Engineer (Systems)

Job#: 3022191

Job Description:

This position is for a Platform Engineer supporting a Department of Defense (DoD) program operating a containerized, Kubernetes-based, multitenant hosting environment used for enterprise and distributed applications across multiple global locations. The environment uses Kubernetes and may incorporate distributions such as Red Hat OpenShift to deliver a cloud-native, software-defined infrastructure and managed hosting services.

The Platform Engineer will play a critical role in designing, building, operating, and securing the Kubernetes platform that underpins mission-critical DoD workloads.

Candidates must be capable of acquiring/maintaining an active DoD clearance for employment.
Position Duties

• Work with engineering teams to design, develop, and maintain a Kubernetes-based enterprise hosting architecture.
• Develop, deploy, and maintain Infrastructure as Code (IaC) to support provisioning, configuration, and lifecycle management of Kubernetes clusters and platform services.
• Use IaC to provision customer namespaces, workloads, and supporting platform components for hosted applications.
• Provide daily administration of Kubernetes clusters, including patching, upgrades, and maintenance of all core components (control plane, worker nodes, CNI plugins, CSI drivers, CRI runtimes).
• Configure and manage Container Network Interface (CNI) plugins such as Calico, Cilium, or OpenShift SDN to enable secure, efficient networking workflows.
• Deploy and maintain Container Storage Interface (CSI) drivers (e.g., OpenShift Data Foundation, Ceph) to support dynamic provisioning of persistent storage.
• Monitor consumption of compute, storage, and networking resources and notify leadership when additional capacity is required.
• Harden Kubernetes clusters and associated components in accordance with cloud-native best practices and required DoD cybersecurity controls.
• Troubleshoot and resolve platform issues related to Kubernetes networking, container workloads, persistent storage, and runtime environments.
• Develop and maintain operational documentation, including architectures, diagrams, configurations, storage/network standards, and SOPs.
• Provide on-call production support for after-hours incidents and escalation.
• Recommend improvements to security, performance, scalability, and operational efficiency across containerized compute, network, and storage services.
• Build, configure, and administer Kubernetes clusters end-to-end.
• Implement and manage container registries such as Harbor, Red Hat Quay, or Docker Hub for secure container image management.
• Deploy, manage, and optimize persistent storage services for Kubernetes workloads (e.g., Ceph, NFS, ODF).

Required Skills

• Senior-level hands-on experience with Kubernetes-based platforms such as Red Hat OpenShift, Rancher, or upstream Kubernetes.
• Experience deploying and managing CSI drivers for dynamic persistent storage provisioning (ODF, Ceph, AWS EBS, Azure Disks, etc.).
• Strong IaC experience using Helm, Kustomize, Terraform, and GitOps tools such as Argo CD or Flux.
• Strong troubleshooting skills across Kubernetes networking, container runtimes, persistent storage, servers, and platform services.
• Familiarity with Kubernetes persistent storage ecosystems (ODF, Ceph, NFS, etc.).
• Experience with Kubernetes observability tools (Prometheus, Grafana, Elasticsearch, Fluentd, Kibana, etc.).

Desired Skills

• Strong understanding of Kubernetes networking concepts including CNIs (Calico, Cilium, OpenShift SDN), service discovery, ingress controllers, DNS, and network policies.
• Proven experience building and administering enterprise-grade Kubernetes clusters.
• Experience with container orchestration technologies such as Docker, Podman, or Kubernetes.
• Experience managing container registries (Harbor, Quay, Docker Hub).
• Strong automation proficiency using Ansible, Terraform, Python, Pulumi, or similar tools.
• Working knowledge of DoD STIGs, IAVM requirements, and/or industry-standard hardening practices.
• Familiarity with DevSecOps processes and integrating Kubernetes workloads into CI/CD pipelines.

Required Certifications

• Security+ or equivalent DoD 8570.01-M IAT Level II certification.
• Must obtain (within 6 months of hire) a relevant Computing Environment certification such as:
  • Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)
  • Red Hat Certified Specialist in OpenShift Administration
  • Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist (CKS)
  • Or other equivalent Kubernetes/container certification

Clearance Requirement

• Active DoD clearance is required.

Position Location

• Radford, VA (Hybrid - telework with onsite as needed)

Education

• Bachelor's degree or higher in an IT-related field.

#clearance

EEO Employer

Apex Systems is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate or allow discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, genetic information, registered domestic partner status, marital status, disability, status as a crime victim, protected veteran status, political affiliation, union membership, or any other characteristic protected by law. Apex will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable law. If you have visited our website in search of information on employment opportunities or to apply for a position, and you require an accommodation in using our website for a search or application, please contact our Employee Services Department at or .

Apex Systems is a world-class IT services company that serves thousands of clients across the globe. When you join Apex, you become part of a team that values innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning. We offer quality career resources, training, certifications, development opportunities, and a comprehensive benefits package. Our commitment to excellence is reflected in many awards, including ClearlyRated's Best of Staffing in Talent Satisfaction in the United States and Great Place to Work in the United Kingdom and Mexico. Apex uses a virtual recruiter as part of the application process. Click for more details.

Apex Benefits Overview: Apex offers a range of supplemental benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and other insurance plans that offer an optional layer of financial protection. We offer an ESPP (employee stock purchase program) and a 401K program which allows you to contribute typically within 30 days of starting, with a company match after 12 months of tenure. Apex also offers a HSA (Health Savings Account on the HDHP plan), a SupportLinc Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with up to 8 free counseling sessions, a corporate discount savings program and other discounts. In terms of professional development, Apex hosts an on-demand training program, provides access to certification prep and a library of technical and leadership courses/books/seminars once you have 6+ months of tenure, and certification discounts and other perks to associations that include CompTIA and IIBA. Apex has a dedicated customer service team for our Consultants that can address questions around benefits and other resources, as well as a certified Career Coach. You can access a full list of our benefits, programs, support teams and resources within our 'Welcome Packet' as well, which an Apex team member can provide.