Senior Platform Engineering Specialist
Role summary
CANARIE is seeking a Senior Platform Engineering Specialist to lead the evolution of its managed cloud infrastructure. This new full-time role focuses on automating and governing the cloud platform to ensure it is reliable, scalable, and secure for hosting containerized applications. The specialist will define platform direction, set standards, drive optimization, and mentor teams on modern practices. Key responsibilities include developing and maintaining high-availability infrastructure, collaborating with cross-functional teams, and ensuring platform uptime and scalability. The ideal candidate has a minimum of 10 years of DevOps/Platform Engineering experience, expertise in CI/CD, cloud architecture (private, AWS, Azure) with IaC tools, and container orchestration. A strong understanding of cybersecurity vulnerabilities and observability tools is also required.
About Us
CANARIE connects Canada to the world. Our programs equip researchers, students, and startups in Canada to excel on the global stage.
Together with our 13 provincial and territorial partners, we form Canada’s National Research and Education Network (NREN). This ultra-high-speed network connects Canada’s researchers, educators, and innovators to each other and to global data, technology, and colleagues.
To strengthen the security of Canada’s research and education sector, we collaborate with our partners in the NREN, government, academia, and the private sector to fund, implement, and support cybersecurity initiatives. We also provide identity management services to the academic community through eduroam and identity and access management services.
Established in 1993, CANARIE is a non-profit corporation, with most of our funding provided by the Government of Canada.
Who We Are
We’re a small team of dedicated thinkers, innovators, and problem-solvers. Our team is positive, passionate, and collaborative.
We work with Canada’s higher-ed community and government partners to ensure that Canada’s researchers benefit from the technologies and tools that are critical to their success. Together with our partners across the country, we work to ensure that Canada leads in research and innovation.
The Position: Senior Platform Engineering Specialist
CANARIE has an immediate opening for a Senior Platform Engineering Specialist. The Senior Platform Engineering Specialist is accountable for advising and leading the evolution of managed cloud infrastructure automation and governance, ensuring a reliable, scalable and secure platform to host our containerized applications and services.
This is a new full-time, permanent position that reports to CANARIE’s Manager, Software Development.
The salary range for this role is between $125,000 to $162,000.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop and maintain platform infrastructure for high availability applications that power CANARIE’s ability to offer networking, cybersecurity and identity management services for the benefit of research and higher education in Canada
- Define platform direction, set standards and align with business goals
- Drive optimization and ensure platform uptime and scalability
- Guide and mentor teams and champion modern practices
- Collaborate with Development, IT, and Security teams to deliver robust, observable solutions
- Travel may occasionally be required
- Other related duties and responsibilities, as required
The Ideal Candidate
To excel at CANARIE, you have a demonstrated capacity to work collaboratively on teams and are also an energetic self-starter with the self-motivation to work independently. You have excellent oral and written communication skills, and can count time management, problem solving, and managing multiple priorities as your strengths. You also share a dedication to CANARIE’s core values: Service, trust, Resilience, Inclusion, Discovery and Excellence.
What You Bring
Education and Experience
- College diploma or university degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a suitable combination of education, experience, or other relevant training
- Minimum of 10 years of relevant work experience in DevOps/Platform Engineering
- Experience in designing and maintaining CI/CD automation with operational support (monitoring/alerting) of one or more hosted services
- Experience architecting, building, and maintaining scalable cloud infrastructure (Private cloud, and AWS or Azure) using IaC tools like Terraform/OpenTofu
Skills
- Ability to clearly communicate technical information
- Proven ability to communicate effectively with all levels in the organization
- Excellent consultative, analytical, and problem-solving skills
- Demonstrated ability to gain trust and credibility from stakeholders
Technical Proficiencies
- Expert in engineering secure, reliable and scalable platforms for cloud native applications and services
- Automation expertise (programing/scripting)
- Advanced working knowledge of the following:
- Docker, Orchestration/Management (Kubernetes/Rancher), Provisioning/DevSecOps (GitLab/Fleet/Helm), Observability/Analysis (Prometheus/Grafana/Nagios)
- Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) Projects
- Private cloud (VMware, OpenShift) and public cloud (AWS, Azure)
- Detection and mitigation of cybersecurity vulnerabilities
- Strong working knowledge of the Microsoft Office suite
Come Work with Us
We are committed to employment equity and encourage anyone who can contribute to the diversification of ideas and perspectives to apply. For applicants with disabilities, accommodation is available upon request throughout the recruitment and assessment process.
If this seems to be the right fit for you, please send a note and your resume to careers@canarie.ca, and include the position title in your subject line.
We thank all applicants; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.