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Platform Engineer (FedD145)

AI Summary
This Platform Engineer role builds and operates secure cloud-native production platforms for U.S. government-related engagements. The position centers on Kubernetes, infrastructure as code, CI/CD, container security, cloud services, and the integration of application teams with production environments. It requires independent problem solving, task estimation, system debugging, and close collaboration across engineering teams. Candidates need a Secret clearance, DoD 8570 IAT II certification, and prior experience supporting an authorized DoD production system. The role is remote within the United States and includes approximately 10% to 25% travel.
Remote from
USA
Salary
USD 123,250–166,750 / yr
Employment
Full Time
Experience
Entry-Level, Junior
Published
Apply before
14 Dec 2026
Listing views
31
Application actions
3
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Opportunity details

About this role.

EMPLOYER IS A CONTRACTOR FOR THE U.S. GOVERNMENT.

Role Description

We are seeking a talented and experienced Platform Engineer to join our team. Possessing strong proficiency with Kubernetes, the ideal candidate will play a crucial role in the development and maintenance of our platform, demonstrating a strong understanding of system architecture, problem-solving skills, and the ability to guide junior engineers.

As a Platform Engineer within our organization, you will join a team of dedicated unicorns who are focused on advancing freedom and independence globally. Our teams work on various different technical baselines depending on specific engagements. We focus our Products on the Platform layer, but to deliver for our Heroes, we also work IaC automation, security, and implementation.

Responsibilities:

You will help us automate and build a runtime Production Environment and serve as a link between the Applications, either custom development, COTS, or OSS, and that environment, advocating best practices and facilitating communication between the application teams and platform teams.

In this position, you will be expected to:

  • Validate Solutions/Implementations: Ensure that solutions and implementations align with the outlined tasks and business requirements. Conduct thorough validations to maintain the integrity and efficiency of the platform.
  • Independently Problem Solve: Demonstrate the ability to identify and solve business problems independently. Develop small components to address specific challenges without relying on explicit architecture diagrams.
  • Understand Medium-Level Tasking: Comprehend how medium-level tasks contribute to the achievement of overall goals. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate various components into a cohesive and functional platform.
  • Estimate Time and Effort: Provide accurate time and effort estimates for medium-sized tasks. Assist in project planning and resource allocation based on estimated timelines.
  • Demonstrate Programming Language Proficiency: Possess familiarity with at least one programming language. Exhibit a basic understanding of when to use a programming language versus a shell for efficient task execution.
  • Own the bridge between the Application Development team(s) and the Production Environment

Travel Expectations: 10%-25%

The listed responsibilities are not exhaustive and additional responsibilities may be assigned based on the evolving needs of the organization. We are seeking a dynamic individual who is able to adapt and take on new responsibilities as they arise.

Preferred Experience and Qualifications:

  • Proven experience as a Platform Engineer or similar role, with a focus on system architecture and development.
  • Demonstrated experience with cloud-native technologies such as Kubernetes, Google Cloud, and Docker.
  • Familiarity with continuous delivery, distributed architectures, systems, everything-as-code, containerization, and cloud services.
  • Proficiency in at least one programming language (e.g., Python, Go, Ansible) and a basic understanding of shell scripting.
  • Proficient with YAML.
  • Experienced in working on a team following an Agile framework in a remote environment.
  • Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently.
  • Excellent communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.
  • Experience with security automation and familiarity with API Security, Container Security, and Cloud Security.
  • Familiar with architecture security design, monitoring, and performance instrumentation in a complex enterprise environment.
  • Comfort with debugging systems and reading/writing code.
  • Secret Clearance required.
  • Possess a DoD 8570 IAT II certification.
  • Experienced in Department of Defense work, specifically working on a production Authority to Operate (ATO’d) system.
  • Knowledgeable about DevSecOps/DevOps and CI/CD theory.

Remote – USA

Salary range: $123,250 – $166,750

Who We Are

Defense Unicorns delivers mission value by streamlining software delivery so our customers can focus on the most important challenges. We share a vision of freedom and security for the advancement of progress and innovation. Our commitment to this vision, and to our mission-driven customers, means a commitment to speed, user experience and optionality, without compromising security. Our team is composed of innovators, software engineers, and veterans with decades of experience delivering technology programs across the federal market.

What We Do

We create and deliver secure solutions for continuous software integration and delivery. Defense Unicorns consolidates the best practices for security pipelines, testing, and deployment automation in order to meet the high security requirements valued by mission owners. Our solutions are agnostic by design and we believe that growing a robust ecosystem of secure, cloud-native software solutions can help enterprise customers inside and outside the federal market buy and integrate software more easily.

Who We Serve

Defense Unicorns’ customers are mission-focused leaders across public and private enterprises. We proudly support defense and civil agencies across the U.S. government and we work closely with the creators of leading-edge software solutions to deliver value to the mission-owner by improving the security and consumability of commercial software products.

What We Work On

  • Kubernetes
  • Cloud Environments (AWS/GCP and Azure)
  • Infrastructure-as-code (like Terraform/Pulumi)
  • Continuous Delivery and automation tooling
  • GitOps
  • Containers
  • CNCF projects and open source products and packages
  • Helm/Kustomize-Value Stream Mapping
  • Building and improving security delivery
  • Building Kubernetes and cloud native applications

Benefits Our Unicorns Enjoy

Health:

  • Medical/Dental/Vision
  • Premiums are 100% Company Paid
  • Health Savings Account
  • Life Insurance
  • Disability Insurance

Financial:

  • 401k Retirement Plan
  • Company Stock Options
  • Home Office Budget

Leave:

  • We offer all full-time Unicorns Flexible Time Off (FTO) plus all Federal Holidays, one week for Thanksgiving, and two weeks for Christmas and New Year’s
  • Paid Parental Leave

Learning:

  • Reimbursement for approved trainings/subscriptions
  • Conferences (travel, lodging, and fees)

Don’t have all the preferred experience or qualifications? Studies show that underrepresented groups like women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs if they don’t meet every requirement listed.

At Defense Unicorns, we’re committed to diversity. If you’re enthusiastic about the role but don’t match every criteria, we encourage you to apply. You could be the perfect fit for this or another role! Defense Unicorns is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

CCPA DISCLOSURE

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This job listing has been manually reviewed by the Jobicy Trust & Safety Team for compliance with our posting guidelines, including verification of the company's legitimacy, accuracy of job details, clarity of remote work policy, and absence of misleading or fraudulent content.

Role DNA

A quick view of the complexity, pace, ownership and collaboration implied by the job description.

Job Complexity

5/5
EasyHard

Pace & Pressure

4/5
RelaxedFast-paced

Autonomy Level

5/5
GuidedFull ownership

Communication Load

4/5
IndependentCollaborative
AI insightThe role combines advanced platform engineering with security automation, regulated DoD delivery, and production ATO system experience. Required clearance and certification materially narrow the qualified candidate pool.

Salary analysis

Estimated compensation compared with the broader US market for similar roles.

Estimated job median (per year)Market rate
$145,000
US market range (per year)$120k–$180k
AI insightThe yearly pay period is inferred from the job context; it was not explicitly stated by the employer. The employer discloses a base salary range of USD 123,250 to USD 166,750. The yearly period is inferred from the compensation scale, US location, and full-time senior technical role because the posting does not explicitly state the pay cadence. The midpoint is USD 145,000 per year; the estimated US market range for a cleared Kubernetes-focused Platform Engineer is USD 120,000 to USD 180,000 per year.

Core skills

Skills and capabilities most closely associated with this opportunity.

Sample interview questions
How would you design a secure Kubernetes platform for a regulated production environment?

I would begin with clear security and compliance requirements, then implement hardened cluster baselines, least-privilege RBAC, network policies, image scanning, secrets management, audit logging, and continuous policy enforcement. I would codify the platform through infrastructure as code and establish monitoring, incident response, and evidence collection processes that support authorization requirements.

Describe how you would diagnose a production application that is failing after deployment to Kubernetes.

I would first assess user impact and stabilize the service through rollback, scaling, or traffic controls where appropriate. Then I would inspect deployment events, pod status, logs, resource metrics, configuration changes, service connectivity, and recent pipeline outputs to isolate the failure. After identifying the cause, I would implement a tested fix and document preventive controls such as improved health checks, validation, or alerting.

When should a platform engineer use a programming language instead of shell scripting?

Shell scripting is suitable for straightforward orchestration and small system tasks, while a programming language is preferable for complex business logic, reusable tooling, structured error handling, testing, API integrations, and maintainable larger codebases. I choose the simplest solution that remains secure, testable, and understandable for the team.

How do you enable productive collaboration between application developers and platform teams?

I establish clear platform interfaces, self-service documentation, reusable deployment templates, and shared operational standards. I also use regular feedback loops to understand developer friction, prioritize platform improvements, and ensure that security and reliability requirements are integrated early rather than introduced as late-stage gates.

What approach would you take to estimate a medium-sized platform engineering task?

I would clarify the desired outcome, dependencies, acceptance criteria, security constraints, and operational risks. I would break the work into design, implementation, testing, documentation, and rollout activities, identify unknowns, and provide a range with explicit assumptions. I would update the estimate as discovery reduces uncertainty.

This analysis is generated from the job description. Salary estimates, role characteristics and sample answers are guidance, not employer-provided facts.
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