DevOps Engineer

Description
Position Description
The Dev Ops Engineer - Database Emphasis position in the Dev Ops team is a leader in creating software deployment strategies by designing patterns, processes, and methodologies that support the deployment, security, quality, stability, monitoring, and resiliency of application software.
The Dev Ops Engineer will have a strong understanding of database technologies and will play a key part in automating, optimizing, and ensuring the reliability of the team's database infrastructure and related database tools and applications. The candidate will also provide knowledge and guidance on the database masking infrastructure owned by the Dev Ops team while ensuring our compliance with data privacy regulations.
What is the reason for the position being open?
This is a net-new initiative to build and productionalize a Kubernetes platform for the organization. They need two platform engineers immediately, with a third added once the team is up to speed.
What project/initiative/product will this person be aligned to and impact?
The engineers will be aligned to the Kubernetes platform build-out and observability rollout.

• Phase 1 (first 6 months):
  Productionalize Kubernetes and implement Grafana dashboards for visibility and metrics.
• Phase 2 (second half of the year):
  Begin compute at the edge, build images for deployment to local computers and restaurants, and integrate Terraform for infrastructure automation.
• Long-term:
  Pilot at the end of 2026, scale in 2027.

What Business Challenges will this role help solve?

• Lack of a production-ready Kubernetes environment for containerized workloads.
• Limited visibility into system performance and health.
• Need for edge computing capabilities to support distributed restaurant operations.

What is the problem they are needing to solve?

• They need to establish a scalable, observable Kubernetes platform and prepare for edge compute deployment to support future growth and operational efficiency.

What happens if they don't solve the problem?

• Delays in modernization and edge compute rollout.
• Operational inefficiencies in systems.
• Increased risk of outages and lack of visibility into production environments.

What is the impact of them solving the problem?

• A fully productionalized Kubernetes stack enabling faster deployments and scalability.
• Improved observability and proactive issue resolution.
• Foundation for edge computing and future innovation across restaurant operations.

Top 3 must-have skills:

Kubernetes (building and productionalizing a Kubernetes stack).

Terraform (infrastructure as code for automation).

Grafana (observability dashboards and metrics).

Nice-to-have skills:

• Dev Ops experience (CI/CD pipelines, automation).
• AWS expertise (preferred), but Google Cloud Platform or Azure acceptable.
• Edge computing experience.

What will this person be doing on a day-to-day basis (10k-foot view)?

• Building and configuring Kubernetes clusters.
• Implementing observability with Grafana dashboards and metrics.
• Writing Terraform scripts for infrastructure automation.
• Collaborating with platform lead and other engineers.
• Later in the year:
  Developing edge compute solutions and container images for deployment to restaurants.

Why would someone want this job?

• Opportunity to own a greenfield Kubernetes platform build.
• Work on cutting-edge edge computing initiatives.
• Approved budgets for 2026 and 2027 ensure stability and long-term roadmap.
• High-impact role with visibility and leadership support.

Current Environment Status

• Kubernetes and Grafana already deployed.
• Focus now is stabilization and moving into production readiness.
• Observability is improving; production work expected in April.
• After stabilization shift focus to compute at the edge.

Grafana / Pyroscope Needs

• Additional components still needed.
• Goal: improve visibility and coordination across metrics and logs.
• Build better dashboards for developers and train support teams.
• March target to have Grafana fully operational.

Cluster & Infrastructure Objectives

• Develop cluster autoscaling strategy.
• Deploy across multi-region environments.
• Execute against already-defined architecture.

Experience Level
Expert Level
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract position based out of Washington, DC.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $60.00 - $80.00/hr.
Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:
Medical, dental & vision Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital 401(k) Retirement Plan - Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) Short and long-term disability Health Spending Account (HSA) Transportation benefits Employee Assistance Program Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)
Workplace Type
This is a fully remote position.
Final date to…