Cloud Specialist

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) Administrator to join our team. The ideal candidate will be responsible for the end-to-end management, administration, and optimization of our AKS environments, serving as the go-to expert for all operational aspects. This role requires deep expertise in Kubernetes architecture, strong operational principles, and the ability to translate business requirements into scalable, reliable, and secure cloud-native solutions.

Key Responsibilities:

• Administer and maintain Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) clusters across production and non-production environments.
• Ensure platform stability, scalability, and security through proactive monitoring and optimization.
• Implement automation for deployments, upgrades, and operational tasks using tools like Terraform, Ansible, and CDKTF (Cloud Development Kit for Terraform).
• Collaborate with development and infrastructure teams to support containerized applications and CI/CD workflows using Azure DevOps and GitOps practices.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex issues related to AKS clusters, Kubernetes workloads, networking, and storage.
• Monitor and optimize the performance of AKS systems to ensure they meet service level agreements (SLAs).
• Drive operational excellence by defining and enforcing best practices for AKS administration and Kubernetes operations.
• Provide SME-level guidance on AKS architecture, upgrades, and integration with Azure cloud services.
• Design, develop, and deploy tools and scripts as needed, with proficiency in Golang for automation and tooling.
• Manage incident tickets within established ticketing systems.
• Install, upgrade, patch, and monitor AKS clusters and associated components.
• Use Infrastructure as Code (IaC) to automate provisioning and capacity management.
• Respond, remediate, and resolve alerts promptly to maintain system health.
• Keep knowledge base up to date and elevate DevSecOps practices across the organization.
• Champion and stay up to date on best practices for Kubernetes and cloud-native technologies.
• Provide technical guidance and knowledge transfer to team members and stakeholders.
• Lead and mentor a team, providing guidance on best practices and technical issues.
• Act as a subject matter expert for AKS and Kubernetes, staying current with the latest services, tools, and best practices.
• Oversee the deployment, management, and maintenance of containerized cloud applications.
• Develop disaster recovery and business continuity plans for distributed AKS environments.
• Communicate effectively with stakeholders to understand business requirements and provide solutions that meet their needs.
• Ensure that all AKS systems comply with security policies and industry regulations.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance the performance, reliability, and scalability of AKS-based solutions.
• Participate in architecture reviews and provide recommendations for improvements.
• Preferred : Knowledge of Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) for multi-cloud or hybrid Kubernetes deployments.

Technical Skills:

• Extensive hands-on experience in the full lifecycle administration of AKS clusters including installation, upgrades, patching, and configuration management.
• Deep technical knowledge of core Kubernetes concepts, architecture, object management and operations
• Experience of Azure cloud services and Azure DevOps
• Expert command of Infrastructure as Code principles and tools, specifically Terraform, Ansible
• Experience in implementing and managing CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions and ADO)
• Experience in implementing GitOps.
• Experience in building monitoring solutions
• Experience performance optimization, capacity planning, and ensuring systems meet defined Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
• Troubleshooting issues related to AKS clusters, Kubernetes workloads, networking, and storage components.
• Experience implementing and enforcing DevSecOps practices
• Expertise in developing and implementing disaster recovery and business continuity plans for distributed container environments.
• Ability to act as a Subject Matter Expert, providing guidance on AKS architecture, upgrades, and participating in architecture reviews to drive continuous improvement.
• Proven experience in leading, mentoring, and providing technical guidance/knowledge transfer to engineering teams and stakeholders.
• Familiarity with Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) platforms for potential hybrid/multi-cloud deployments.
• Golang knowledge will be beneficial.

Qualifications:

• Education:
• bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Technology, or a related field. Master’s degree preferred.
• Experience:
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in AKS and cloud architecture with a focus on Microsoft Azure.
• Proven track record of designing and deploying large-scale cloud solutions.
• Certifications:
• Relevant Container AKS certification