Platform Principal Engineer

ViaPath is seeking a Principal-level Platform Engineer to design, build, and operate the core infrastructure and developer platforms that power our products. This role is highly hands-on and technical, with ownership across Kubernetes platforms, CI/CD pipelines, automation, observability, and reliability in a hybrid environment spanning public cloud and on-premises data centers. You will serve as a technical leader, partnering closely with application engineering, security, data, and operations teams to improve scalability, reliability, and developer productivity. This is a remote based position in CA.

Architect, build, and operate Kubernetes platforms at scale, including:
• AWS EKS
• Rancher RKE2 / on-prem Kubernetes
• Multi-cluster, multi-environment deployments
• Own and evolve CI/CD platforms, with a strong emphasis on GitLab CI, supporting build, test, security scanning, and deployment pipelines
• Design and implement Infrastructure-as-Code using tools such as Terraform, CloudFormation, and Helm
• Drive platform automation initiatives that reduce operational toil and improve developer velocity
• Design, implement, and operate observability platforms, including metrics, logging, and alerting
• Define and manage SLIs, SLOs, and SLAs for production systems
• Support and optimize hybrid cloud architectures, balancing workloads across cloud and private data centers
• Partner with security teams on secrets management, identity and access controls, and CI/CD supply-chain security
• Troubleshoot complex production issues across Kubernetes, networking, storage, CI/CD, and cloud infrastructure
• Act as a technical leader and mentor for other Platform, SRE, and DevOps engineers
• Contribute to long-term platform strategy, reliability improvements, and cost governance

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field; equivalent practical experience may be substituted in lieu of a degree
• 10+ years of hands-on experience with Linux-based systems in production environments, including system administration, troubleshooting, and performance analysis
• 7+ years of experience designing and operating cloud infrastructure, with deep expertise in AWS, including EKS, IAM, networking, and core compute services
• 5+ years of hands-on experience operating Kubernetes in production, including multi-cluster and multi-environment deployments
• 5+ years of experience designing and maintaining CI/CD pipelines, with strong preference for GitLab CI
• Strong experience with Infrastructure-as-Code tools such as Terraform, Terragrunt, CloudFormation, and/or Ansible
• Proven experience supporting hybrid environments, including both public cloud and on-premises infrastructure
• Strong understanding of networking fundamentals, including VPCs, routing, DNS, load balancing, TLS, and ingress/egress
• Experience designing and operating observability and monitoring systems, including metrics, logging, and alerting
• Proficiency with containerization technologies such as Docker and Helm
• Strong scripting and automation skills (e.g., Bash, Python, Go, or equivalent)
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot and resolve complex production issues across multiple layers of the stack
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work effectively across engineering, security, and operations teams

• Advanced degree in Computer Science or a related field
• Background in Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) or large-scale production operations
• Experience operating Rancher RKE2 or other on-prem Kubernetes distributions
• Experience supporting regulated, compliance-driven, or high-availability environments
• Experience supporting data platforms, streaming systems, or AI/ML workloads on Kubernetes
• Prior experience in a Principal, Staff, or technical leadership role

• Kubernetes platforms are stable, scalable, secure, and observable across cloud and on-prem environments
• CI/CD pipelines are reliable, fast, and easy for application teams to adopt
• Infrastructure changes are automated, repeatable, and auditable
• Developers spend less time fighting infrastructure and more time delivering features
• The platform is viewed as an accelerator for engineering teams, not a bottleneck

ViaPath is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified individuals and to maintaining a workplace free from discrimination and harassment. Employment decisions are based on individual merit, qualifications, performance, and business needs. In accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws, ViaPath does not discriminate or permit harassment against any employee or applicant based on any characteristic protected by law. ViaPath's commitment applies to the fullest extent required by federal, state, and local laws applicable to its contracts and operations.

Salary Range is 185-205k.

Benefits Overview

ViaPath is committed to supporting the health, well-being, and security of our employees. Eligible full-time employees have access to a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance - Multiple plan options designed to support a variety of coverage needs.
• Health Saving Accounts (HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) - Employer provided contribution to the HSA for eligible medical plans. Healthcare and dependent care spending accounts available.
• Flexible Time Off (FTO) - Including vacation and sick time
• Company Holidays
• Retirement Plan (401(k)) - Traditional and Roth 401(k) options available including employer matching contributions.
• Life & Disability Insurance - Company-paid basic life insurance and short-term disability; additional voluntary coverage available.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) - Free, confidential support for personal, financial, and family matters.
• Additional Well-Being Resources - Includes access to Care.com, Calm, Active&Fit, Telavet, LegalShield, and other lifestyle resources and discounted services.

Eligibility for certain benefits may depend on employee status, work location, and applicable plan documents. Benefits and terms are subject to change. The information above provides a brief summary of our benefit programs. Actual coverage details are governed by the official plan documents, which control in the event of conflict. ViaPath reserves the right to modify or terminate any benefit program at any time.