Job Description

Role: Kubernetes Engineer
Company: Kubegrade
Location: Remote (global)
Type: Full-time

What Kubegrade Does

Kubegrade automates Kubernetes upgrades, maintenance, drift detection, and troubleshooting using AI agents and GitOps workflows. We build for platform teams running real production clusters at scale. This is not a toy environment. This role assumes deep, hands-on Kubernetes experience.

Mandatory Pre-Interview Requirement (Non-Negotiable)

Before any interview:

• Access and create account on app.kubegrade.com
• Connect at least one Kubernetes cluster (cloud, on-prem, or local)
• Use the product hands-on:
  • Cluster and namespace visualization
  • Signals, issues, and context surfaced by the platform
  • AI agents for troubleshooting and remediation actions
• Come prepared to discuss:
  • What the product does well
  • What is unclear or broken
  • How it fits (or doesnt) into real Kubernetes operations
  • How you would improve it for platform teams

This is a filter. If you cannot do this independently, this role is not a fit.

Responsibilities

• Design, operate, and troubleshoot Kubernetes clusters in production environments
• Work directly with Kubegrades platform to validate real-world Kubernetes workflows
• Collaborate with product and engineering to:
  • Improve cluster visibility and UX
  • Define troubleshooting and remediation logic
  • Translate Kubernetes operational pain into product requirements
• Analyze failures related to:
  • Upgrades and API deprecations
  • Configuration drift
  • Misconfigured workloads, networking, storage, or security
• Contribute to internal tooling, automation, and best practices
• Act as a Kubernetes domain expert in product discussions

Required Experience

• Strong, practical Kubernetes experience (not theoretical)
• Proven ability to:
  • Debug production incidents
  • Reason about control plane vs workload issues
  • Understand real upgrade and lifecycle challenges
• Solid knowledge of:
  • Kubernetes internals
  • Helm, Kustomize, or GitOps workflows
  • Observability stacks (Prometheus, Grafana, logs, traces)
• Comfortable working autonomously in a remote, async environment

Strong Plus

• Platform / SRE / DevOps background in regulated or large-scale environments
• Experience operating 10+ clusters
• Familiarity with:
  • Kubernetes upgrades across multiple versions
  • API deprecation management
  • Multi-cloud or hybrid environments
• Opinionated views on how Kubernetes tooling should work

What We Care About

• Depth of Kubernetes understanding
• Ability to reason clearly about complex systems
• Direct, technical communication
• Independent problem-solving
• Product thinking grounded in real operational pain

What We Dont Care About

• Buzzwords
• Shallow certifications without hands-on experience
• Passive users of managed platforms with no understanding of whats underneath

Interview Focus

The interview is a technical discussion centered on:

• Your Kubernetes experience
• Your hands-on usage of Kubegrade
• Your ability to critique, reason, and propose improvements

If you cannot meaningfully discuss the product after using it, you will not pass.