What is a Kubernetes engineer?
A Kubernetes engineer is a specialized tech role responsible for the design, deployment, and maintenance of container orchestration platforms. Unlike traditional system administrators who manually configure servers, these engineers use code to automate infrastructure management. This approach ensures that systems are consistent, reliable, and scalable.
The core focus of this role includes designing cluster architecture, deploying workloads, and hardening security. Kubernetes engineers work to ensure that the platform is operational and that applications remain available. They often report to DevOps, Platform Engineering, or Cloud Infrastructure teams.
This position sits at the intersection of development, operations, and security. Kubernetes engineers evolved from Docker specialists to become vital players in modern cloud environments. They ensure that the infrastructure supports fast development while maintaining strict security standards.
Container Security Best Practices [Cheat Sheet]
What's included in this 9 page cheat sheet? 1. Actionable best practices w/ code examples + diagrams 2. List of the top open-source tools for each best practice 3. Environment-specific best practices
Core responsibilities of a Kubernetes engineer
Cluster architecture and deployment
Kubernetes engineers design and implement cluster architectures across multi-cloud and hybrid environments. For self-managed clusters, you configure control plane components like the API server, etcd, and scheduler. In managed services (Amazon EKS, Google GKE, Azure AKS), you tune control plane settings and focus on cluster configuration, node pools, and add-ons.
High availability and disaster recovery are critical for production clusters. Use multi-zone node pools to survive data center failures. For self-managed control planes, maintain an odd-member etcd quorum (3 or 5 nodes) with regular encrypted snapshots and tested restore procedures to ensure data durability.
Workload orchestration and management
Engineers deploy and manage containerized applications using Kubernetes manifests, Helm charts, or Kustomize, with consistent overlays for development, staging, and production environments. You configure pod specifications and resource limits to prevent one application from consuming all available memory or CPU. According to Komodor's 2025 Enterprise Kubernetes Report, 82% of workloads are over-provisioned, wasting cloud spend and reducing cluster efficiency.
Managing stateful applications requires handling PersistentVolumes and StorageClasses with Container Storage Interface (CSI) drivers, plus snapshot and restore policies for data protection. You also automate deployment pipelines to integrate these processes with CI/CD systems for faster delivery.
Security implementation and hardening
You implement Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) policies to ensure users and services have the least privilege necessary. Network policies control traffic flow between pods and external networks. You scan container images for vulnerabilities before they are ever deployed.
Enforce Kubernetes Pod Security Standards via Pod Security Admission (PSA) to block insecure configurations at admission time. Enable at-rest encryption for Secrets using a Key Management Service (KMS) provider, and integrate external secret managers like AWS Secrets Manager, Azure Key Vault, or the External Secrets Operator.
Implement supply chain security following SLSA framework levels and NIST SSDF practices. This includes signing images with Sigstore Cosign, generating and attaching Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) to images, verifying provenance metadata, and enforcing signature verification at admission with policy controllers.
Defense-in-depth means applying security controls at every layer of your stack. You implement network segmentation to isolate workloads. Configuring admission controllers prevents insecure deployments from ever starting. Sign container images using tools like Sigstore Cosign and enforce signature verification at admission with policy controllers such as Kyverno or OPA Gatekeeper to ensure only trusted, signed images run in your clusters.
Vulnerability management and runtime security
Integrating vulnerability scanning into CI/CD pipelines catches issues early. Continuously assess images in registries and deployed workloads with periodic rescans to detect newly disclosed vulnerabilities. Where needed, deploy a DaemonSet or eBPF-based sensor to enrich runtime context without material performance overhead.
Prioritize vulnerabilities by combining multiple risk factors like exploitability, internet exposure, access to sensitive data, and lateral movement potential to avoid alert fatigue. Focus on toxic combinations where multiple risks intersect, not just isolated findings.
Deploying runtime security monitoring detects anomalous behavior in real-time. Use admission webhooks to validate configurations before admission, and pair with runtime controls like eBPF-based detection, seccomp profiles, AppArmor or SELinux policies, read-only root filesystems, and dropped Linux capabilities to harden running workloads.
Access control and identity management
Designing granular RBAC policies restricts access to sensitive resources. Integrate clusters with identity providers via OpenID Connect (OIDC) for user SSO, and use workload identity, such as IAM Roles for Service Accounts (IRSA) on Amazon EKS, Workload Identity on Google GKE, and Azure AD Workload Identity on AKS, to grant least-privilege cloud access to pods.
You audit access patterns to detect if someone is trying to escalate their privileges. Service mesh authorization adds another layer of security for service-to-service communication.
Infrastructure as Code and automation
You write and maintain Infrastructure as Code (IaC) with Terraform, CloudFormation, or Pulumi, and manage cluster add-ons and application configurations declaratively with GitOps tools like Argo CD or Flux. This allows you to provision clusters and manage configurations automatically, eliminating manual errors and speeding up deployment.
You implement GitOps workflows, where the desired state of your infrastructure is stored in a code repository. Developing custom operators allows you to automate complex, application-specific tasks. You also build self-service platforms that empower development teams to deploy their own workloads safely without needing deep infrastructure knowledge.
Monitoring, logging, and observability
Implement comprehensive observability: metrics (Prometheus), logs (centralized collectors like Fluentd or Fluent Bit), traces (OpenTelemetry), and a Kubernetes audit policy to capture security-relevant API events for compliance and incident response. You configure centralized logging systems to collect data from all distributed workloads.
Setting up alerting workflows ensures you know immediately when production issues occur. You create dashboards to visualize capacity and costs. Troubleshooting performance bottlenecks is a frequent responsibility—you identify when resources are contended and resolve issues to keep applications fast.
Compliance and audit logging
Enabling audit logging records every action taken in the cluster. You implement log retention policies to meet compliance requirements. This data is vital for forensic investigations.
Automated compliance checks compare your cluster against frameworks like CIS. You generate reports to prove security posture to auditors. Detecting drift ensures your configurations stay secure over time.
Container Security Scanning: From Detection to Deployment
Container security scanning detects vulnerabilities early for an efficient DevSecOps process. Discover how it safeguards containers throughout the lifecycle.
En savoir plus
Essential skills and qualifications
Technical skills
Kubernetes architecture: You need a deep understanding of components like the API server and how API resources function.
Container technologies: Proficiency with Docker, containerd, or CRI-O is mandatory for managing the container lifecycle.
Linux and networking: Strong system administration skills and knowledge of networking protocols are the foundation of cluster management.
Cloud platforms: Experience with AWS, Azure, or GCP and their managed Kubernetes services (Amazon EKS, Google GKE, or Azure AKS), including workload identity (IRSA/Workload Identity) and cluster networking (VPC CNI, Calico, or Cilium).
Programming: Skills in Go, Python, or Bash are necessary for writing automation scripts.
Infrastructure as Code: You must know tools like Terraform or Ansible to define infrastructure programmatically.
CI/CD: Understanding pipelines and DevOps practices helps you integrate deployment workflows.
Observability: Experience with Prometheus, Grafana, or the ELK stack is required for monitoring.
Common Tools and Technology Stack
Kubernetes engineers typically work with:
Container runtimes: Docker, containerd, CRI-O
Networking/CNI: Calico, Cilium, Flannel, Weave
GitOps: Argo CD, Flux, Jenkins X
Policy enforcement: Kyverno, OPA Gatekeeper, Kubewarden
Service mesh: Istio, Linkerd, Consul
Observability: Prometheus, Grafana, OpenTelemetry, Jaeger
Package management: Helm, Kustomize
Supply chain security: Sigstore Cosign, SBOM tools, Trivy
Autoscaling: Horizontal Pod Autoscaler (HPA), Vertical Pod Autoscaler (VPA), Karpenter, Cluster Autoscaler
Infrastructure as Code: Terraform, Pulumi, Crossplane
Secret management: External Secrets Operator, Sealed Secrets, Vault
Security expertise
Container security: You must understand best practices for securing container images and runtimes.
Kubernetes security features: Knowledge of RBAC, network policies, and pod security standards is essential.
Scanning tools: Familiarity with tools that scan images and IaC templates helps you catch vulnerabilities early.
Secrets management: Experience implementing encryption and managing secrets securely is a core requirement.
Compliance frameworks: Understanding benchmarks like CIS or NIST helps you meet regulatory standards.
Auditing: The ability to perform security audits and threat modeling ensures continuous protection.
Soft skills and certifications
Problem-solving: You need strong troubleshooting abilities to resolve complex system issues.
Communication: Collaborating with development and security teams requires clear verbal and written communication.
Documentation: Maintaining runbooks and diagrams ensures knowledge is shared and systems are maintainable.
Kubernetes certifications: CKA, CKAD, and CKS are highly valued proofs of expertise.
Cloud certifications: AWS Solutions Architect or similar cloud provider certifications demonstrate broader platform knowledge.
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How to evaluate Kubernetes engineer candidates
Technical assessment approaches
Conduct hands-on exercises where candidates deploy and troubleshoot a cluster. This tests practical knowledge over theory. Present real-world scenarios involving security incidents to see how they think under pressure.
Review their understanding of architecture patterns. Assess their IaC skills by asking them to review Terraform code. Evaluate how they solve complex distributed system problems.
Security-focused evaluation criteria
Test their knowledge of Kubernetes security best practices. Ask about their experience with RBAC and network policies. Evaluate their ability to identify misconfigurations in a sample manifest.
Review their experience with vulnerability scanning. Check if they are familiar with compliance frameworks like CIS benchmarks. This ensures they can build secure systems from day one.
Practical skills validation
Request examples of production architectures they have designed. Discuss their approach to disaster recovery. Evaluate their scripting skills through code samples.
Assess their choice of monitoring tools. Review their experience integrating Kubernetes with CI/CD pipelines. This confirms they can handle the operational side of the role.
Cultural fit and collaboration
Assess their communication skills with non-technical stakeholders. Evaluate how they collaborate with security and development teams. Discuss their philosophy on balancing security with developer speed.
Review their approach to documentation. Assess their continuous learning mindset. A good engineer engages with the community and keeps skills sharp.
Kubernetes engineer job description template
Company introduction
[Company Name] is a leader in [Industry], dedicated to [Mission]. We are transforming our technology stack with cloud-native initiatives. Our team values innovation, security, and collaboration.
Role summary
We are looking for a [Seniority Level] Kubernetes Engineer. You will focus on designing and securing our container platforms. You will work closely with DevOps and Security teams to drive our cloud-native transformation.
Core responsibilities
Design and maintain production Kubernetes clusters across [Cloud Provider].
Implement security controls and hardening measures for all workloads.
Automate infrastructure provisioning using Terraform or Ansible.
Collaborate with developers to optimize deployment pipelines.
Monitor cluster health and respond to production incidents.
Troubleshoot complex networking and container issues.
Maintain comprehensive documentation for operational procedures.
Participate in an on-call rotation for support.
Required qualifications
[X] years of experience managing Kubernetes in production.
Strong Linux administration and networking knowledge.
Proficiency with Docker and container technologies.
Experience with [Cloud Platform] and its managed services.
Deep understanding of Kubernetes security best practices.
Experience with Infrastructure as Code tools.
Scripting skills in Python, Go, or Bash.
Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and GitOps.
Preferred qualifications
Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) or Security Specialist (CKS).
Cloud provider certifications.
Experience with service mesh technologies like Istio.
Knowledge of vulnerability management tools.
Experience with Prometheus and Grafana.
Understanding of SOC 2 or NIST compliance.
Open-source contributions.
What we offer
Competitive salary and benefits.
Professional development budget.
Flexible remote work options.
A collaborative and innovative culture.
Access to the latest cloud technologies.
High-impact work on critical security initiatives.
Compensation and Location
Base salary range: $130,000–$200,000 USD (varies by geography and seniority level)
Senior roles (5+ years): $160,000–$220,000 USD
Staff/Principal roles (8+ years): $190,000–$260,000 USD
Remote-friendly with preference for [time zones]
On-call rotation: typically 1 week every 6–8 weeks with escalation support
How Wiz empowers security-focused Kubernetes engineering
Wiz provides agentless visibility across Kubernetes by inventorying clusters, nodes, and workloads via cloud provider APIs and runs Kubernetes Security Posture Management (KSPM) checks including CIS benchmarks without agents, giving immediate insight into misconfigurations and security posture without performance impact.
Wiz Code scans Infrastructure as Code files and Helm charts in your CI/CD pipeline, enforcing policies before merge to prevent risky configurations from reaching clusters. Wiz Cloud covers container vulnerability scanning for both registries and running containers.
The Wiz Security Graph maps relationships across code repositories, CI/CD pipelines, cloud infrastructure, and runtime workloads to reveal attack paths. For example, it shows when an internet-exposed pod with a critical vulnerability also has access to a production database, helping you prioritize toxic combinations instead of chasing isolated alerts. Wiz Defend adds runtime threat detection using a lightweight eBPF-based sensor to spot attacks in realtime without kernel modules or significant performance impact.
Code-to-cloud traceability links production issues back to the originating repository, pull request, and team that owns it, accelerating ownership assignment and fixes. This bidirectional visibility reduces Mean Time to Resolution (MTTR) by 60–80% by eliminating the manual investigation phase.
Request a demo to explore how Wiz can secure your cloud environment. See how a unified platform reduces tool sprawl and speeds remediation across Development, Cloud, and Security Operations teams.
