Your mission
What to ExpectAt Steadforce, we build platforms that development teams can rely on. As a Senior Platform Engineer (m/f/d), you’ll design internal developer platforms and streaming infrastructures for enterprise clients and guide them from initial concept through to production.
- You’ll design and develop self-service platforms based on Kubernetes, GitOps, and CNCF tools such as Argo CD, Crossplane, Istio, and Kyverno.
- You’ll build developer portals (e.g., Backstage) and build and deployment pipelines that significantly ease developers’ day-to-day workloads.
- You operate and expand streaming platforms using Apache Kafka, Kafka Connect, and Kafka Streams.
- You make architectural and technological decisions that have a real impact on customers and confidently advocate for them with stakeholders.
- You’ll advise clients in workshops, assist with proposals and effort estimates, and share your knowledge with the team through code reviews, mentoring, and interviews.
- You’ll actively help shape our Center of Competence (CoC) for Platform Engineering through tech talks, presentations, and your own topics.
Your profile
Here are the technical requirements you’ll need:
- Several years of experience in platform engineering or the Kubernetes environment, with a total of 8+ years in IT
- In-depth knowledge of Kubernetes (on-premises and cloud), Helm, and GitOps; experience operating multiple clusters
- Practical experience with Infrastructure as Code and cloud-native control planes (Terraform, Crossplane, and/or kro)
- CI/CD experience (GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Azure Pipelines) as well as observability (Prometheus, Grafana, Loki, OpenTelemetry)
- Knowledge of event streaming, particularly Apache Kafka
- Solid programming skills in Java, Python, or TypeScript
- Experience with Azure or AWS
Your personal strengths:
- You think in terms of abstractions and context and can explain technical concepts in a way that’s understandable to non-technical people.
- You’re curious, enjoy trying out new things in practice, and adapt quickly to changing topics and roles.
- You enjoy interacting with clients, participating in workshops and meetings, and speaking at conferences.
These are pluses:
- Certifications such as CKA, CKAD, or CKS
- Experience with Apache Flink, Redpanda Connect/Bento, Confluent, or Aiven
- Experience with Security by Design (Keycloak, Istio, Policy-as-Code)
- Project experience in the industrial, chemical, or automotive sectors
- Gen AI tools (e.g., AI coding assistants) in day-to-day engineering work
- Experience with Flink and Redpanda Connect
Your benefits
- Fair Compensation & Full Flexibility: Competitive salary, flexible work hours with a work-time account, and part-time options. You decide how much time you spend working in the office or remotely.
- Extras on top of your salary: A subsidy for the Deutschlandticket, an EGYM Wellpass, or an Edenred gift card, plus optional JobRad and Corporate Benefits.
- Retirement planning included: An annual contribution to the company pension plan and private accident insurance.
- Professional development with a time budget: A fixed number of hours at the Steadforce “Campus” and in our “Center of Competence” for your professional growth, plus participation in conferences and summits.
- Your setup: You choose your device—whether a MacBook or ThinkPad—and your operating system—macOS, Linux, or Windows.
- Workation: Work from another EU country from time to time while staying closely connected to your team.
- Family-friendly: As an award-winning family-friendly company, we support you at every stage of life, for example through our Family Office.
- Office in Westend: Modern office space with a gaming room, active office, and relaxation room—right next to the U4/U5. Alternatively, free parking is available.
- Team & Events: A collegial team that supports one another, and shared events such as the New Year’s kick-off party, Salad Wednesday, White Sausage Thursday, and a visit to Oktoberfest.