Senior Systems Architect (OpenShift & k8s)

Responsibilities • Collaborate with stakeholders to understand business requirements and translate them into technical solutions. • Communicate architectural decisions and strategies to both technical and non-technical audiences. Preparing and delivering presentations on the proposed solutions. • Prepare, review, and maintain high-level and low-level design documents, scope of work, RFIs, RFPs and RFQs. • Ensure alignment of solutions with organizational goals and industry best practices. • Create architectural blueprints and technical documentation for proposed solutions. • Ensure seamless integration of RedHat OpenShift with OpenStack and other private cloud and/or HPC platforms and services. • Providing requirements for equipment specifications, estimating project labor efforts, and liaising with vendors on technical issues. • Lead the deployment and configuration of Kubernetes and/or OpenShift clusters, ensuring scalability, reliability, and performance according to project documentation and design specifications. • Oversee the integration of Kubernetes and/or OpenShift with existing systems and infrastructure. • Ensure the solutions and environments adhere to security best practices and organizational policies. • Stay updated with the latest trends and advancements in OpenShift and container technologies. Engage with vendors and community to stay informed about new features, updates, and best practices. • Identify opportunities for process improvements and implement enhancements to the architecture. • Evaluate and recommend new tools and technologies to enhance the OpenShift ecosystem. • Engaging in pilot testing and commissioning activities, along with designing and conducting various types of tests: functional, load, and others. • Maintain comprehensive documentation for the new and live Kubernetes and OpenShift environments. • Develop and deliver training sessions to engineering teams on OpenShift best practices and usage. Qualification, Experience, Competence and Certifications • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Software Engineering or related degree in a technology discipline. • 7+ years of experience and deep expertise in designing, implementing, and managing private cloud stacks and 5+ of experience in designing large-scale Kubernetes and OpenShift-based environments. • Advanced knowledge of Data Center network design and related technologies [OSI model, TCP/IP stack, routing, VLAN/VxLAN, etc]. • Expert knowledge of Software-Defined Networking (SDN) technologies, specifically Open Virtual Network (OVN), CNIs. • Solid understanding of cloud computing principles (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS). • Extensive experience with Kubernetes and OpenShift, including designing, deploying, and managing Kubernetes and OpenShift clusters. • Experience in Advanced Cluster Management for OpenShift • Understanding of service mesh technologies (e.g., Istio) and their implementation in OpenShift. • Experience in Design and Implementation of Kubernetes and OpenShift Operators. • Experience with OpenStack, including designing, deploying, and managing is highly desirable. • Knowledge of AI/ML platforms (e.g. OpenShiftAI, Kubeflow, MLFlow) is highly desirable • Familiarity with AI/ML environments and the specific requirements for deploying AI/ML workloads on Kubernetes and OpenShift is highly desirable • Strong hands-on experience and expertise in designing monitoring, logging, and observability solutions for Kubernetes and OpenShift.
Ability to identify important metrics and implement tools such as Prometheus, Grafana, and the ELK stack to ensure comprehensive cluster visibility and performance monitoring. • Understanding of both SQL and NoSQL database management and optimization. • Solid knowledge of Linux systems administration and scripting (Bash, Python, etc.). • Experience in designing High-Performance Computing environments for HPC workloads is a plus. • Knowledge of and experience in using architectural frameworks and methodologies such as TOGAF and Zachman. • Familiarity with Agile methodologies (Scrum or Kanban), and an understanding of DevOps principles. • Proven track record of successfully completing large-scale infrastructure projects with focus on Kubernetes and OpenShift. • Excellent problem-solving and troubleshooting skills with a strong attention to detail. • Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams. • Openness to continuous learning and adaptation in a rapidly evolving technology landscape. • Relevant certification in cloud computing, virtualization, container technologies and systems architecture are advantageous.