Kubernetes Site Reliability Engineer (mid-level) at The Aerospace Corporation in El Segundo, CA

Job description

The Aerospace Corporation is the trusted partner to the nation’s space programs, solving the hardest problems and providing unmatched technical expertise. As the operator of a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC), we are broadly engaged across all aspects of space— delivering innovative solutions that span satellite, launch, ground, and cyber systems for defense, civil and commercial customers. When you join our team, you’ll be part of a special collection of problem solvers, thought leaders, and innovators. Join us and take your place in space. The Digital Innovation Division (DID) is accountable for integrating strategies, providing governance, and managing internal investments that form the foundation of Aerospace’s digital innovation and transformation . The DID Mission IT pillar supports engineering teams across Aerospace by delivering top-tier IT engineering and IT support services tailored to meet the unique needs of our engineering community. Mission IT Operations is seeking a skilled Site Reliability Engineer with expertise in Kubernetes, Linux, scripting, and automation. In this role, you will be a contributor developing and maintaining both on-premises and cloud-based Kubernetes clusters that form the core of an overall Platform as a Service (PaaS), providing essential support to our engineering team. These are not conventional business IT systems: they are specialized computing environments supporting engineers and scientists whose work contributes directly to the success of the nation's space enterprise. As part of a multidisciplinary platform and infrastructure team, you will work with senior engineers to manage multiple Kubernetes clusters used for scientific analyses such as space launch telemetry analysis and modeling and simulation, as well as for Artificial Intelligence (AI) Large Language Model (LLM) Training and inference services. You will contribute to the development of innovative solutions to complex challenges within the space enterprise by collaborating with rocket scientists and aerospace engineers in support of our nation’s most critical space assets. This position requires a strong sense of shared responsibility and ownership, working alongside cross-functional team members to achieve our mission objectives. Work Model: This is a full-time position based in El Segundo, CA or Chantilly, VA which requires 100% onsite work. What You’ll Be Doing Developing and sustaining advanced services for our Kubernetes-based PaaS (e.g., Coder workspaces, Kueue batching scheduling, Knative serverless, Crossplane control planes) Frequent full security patching of all layers of Kubernetes infrastructure while maintaining very high uptime Contributing to the ownership and engineering responsibility of production Kubernetes and cloud environments (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP) Collaborating with Kubernetes technical leads resolving full-stack engineering problems Ensuring successful real-time analysis of telemetry data from space launch partners, such as SpaceX, United Launch Alliance (ULA), and Blue Origin Providing after-hours support for Kubernetes infrastructure troubleshooting (e.g., rocket launch events) Supporting scientists and engineers running applications in Kubernetes Applying Linux systems knowledge to support infrastructure troubleshooting Evaluating and testing new products and technologies Using code to enhance and automate operations What You Need to be Successful Minimum Requirements for Sr. Member Technical Staff (Sr MTS): Bachelor’s degree in STEM disciplines 5 or more years of relevant experience directly related to developing and delivering complex large-scale distributed software systems solutions and technical products including at least: 3 years supporting a highly available enterprise environment 2 years hands-on managing or administering existing Kubernetes environments Shared ownership and engineering responsibility of production on-premises Kubernetes services and cloud enviro