Senior Principal Platform Engineer

Clarity Innovations is a trusted national security partner, dedicated to safeguarding our nation's interests and delivering innovative solutions that empower the Intelligence Community (IC) and Department of Defense (DoD) to transform data into actionable intelligence, ensuring mission success in an evolving world.

Our mission-first software and data engineering platform modernizes data operations, utilizing advanced workflows, CI/CD, and secure DevSecOps practices. We focus on challenges in Information Warfare, Cyber Operations, Operational Security, and Data Structuring, enabling end-to-end solutions that drive operational impact.

We are committed to delivering cutting-edge tools and capabilities that address the most complex national security challenges, empowering our partners to stay ahead of emerging threats and ensuring the success of their critical missions. At Clarity, we are people-focused and set on being a destination employer for top talent, offering an environment where innovation thrives, careers grow, and individuals are valued. Join us as we continue to lead innovation and tackle the most pressing challenges in national security.

As a Platform Engineering Architect you will focus on operationalizing, securing, and maturing artificial intelligence capabilities by building and maintaining the AI "path-to-prod" and a scalable AI run stack-the AI "plumbing." Your work centers on providing a unified interface for AI model access, integrating foundational and reasoning models, AI agents, and generative AI. Key responsibilities include contributing to the K8s-based AI access platform, managing deployment of core AI services, integrating frontier models (e.g., Claude, GPT) and local inference engines (e.g., vLLM) along with designing MLOps pipelines. The role also requires providing expert recommendations for enterprise AI adoption, specifically in agentic orchestration and spec-driven development.

Core Requirements

•       Professional Experience: 7+ years of combined experience in DevSecOps, Platform Engineering, or SRE.
•       Kubernetes Mastery: Deep expertise in Administration and Development of Kubernetes clusters.
•       Containerization: Advanced knowledge of Docker or equivalent container build tools.
•       Cloud & IaC: Experience with Azure or AWS architecture and Infrastructure as Code (Terraform/Crossplane).
•       Software Development: Proficiency in at least one backend or scripting language-ideally Python, Go, or Bash-to drive systems automation.
•       Core Networking: Solid understanding of OSI Layer 4-7, including VPC/VNET configuration, DNS, Load Balancing, and SSL/TLS management.
•       AI Ecosystem: Practical experience with modern AI/ML frameworks and tooling such as PyTorch, Hugging Face, LangChain, vLLM, Ray, MLflow, or equivalent open-source ecosystems.
•       LLM & AI Infrastructure: Hands-on experience deploying, scaling, and securing AI/ML workloads on Kubernetes, including GPU-enabled clusters, model-serving platforms, and distributed inference/training systems.
•       AI Platform Operations: Experience building internal AI platforms or developer enablement tooling that supports model lifecycle management, experimentation, inference endpoints, and reproducible AI workflows.
•       MLOps & AI Delivery Pipelines: Familiarity with MLOps concepts and tooling, including automated model deployment, versioning, evaluation, observability, rollback strategies, and CI/CD integration for AI systems.Vector & Retrieval Systems: Working knowledge of vector databases, embedding pipelines, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and semantic search architectures.
•       AI Security & Governance: Understanding of AI security concerns including model isolation, data handling controls, prompt injection risks, supply-chain security, and governance requirements for sensitive or regulated environments.

Primary Technical Focus

Heavy emphasis is placed on the GitLab ecosystem and GitOps workflows:

•       GitLab Expert: Mastery of GitLab CI/CD (including Runners, Templates, and Security Scanners).
•       GitOps & Continuous Delivery: Hands-on experience with ArgoCD or equivalent declarative CD tools.
•       Package Management: Proficiency with Helm for templating and deploying Kubernetes applications.

Preferred Skills & Certifications

•       Security Compliance: Possession of DoD 8570 certifications (e.g., Security+ or CASP+/SecurityX).
•       Advanced Networking: Experience with Service Mesh technologies (e.g., Istio, Cilium) and CNI plugins.
•       Identity & Access: Configuration and management of Keycloak or OIDC/SAML providers.
•       Observability: Experience with the Grafana / Prometheus stack or similar.
•       Database Administration: Functional knowledge of PostgreSQL and MySQL.

Bonus Qualifications

•       Data Engineering: Experience maintaining data pipelines or high-throughput data infrastructure.
•       Cybersecurity: Background in threat modeling, vulnerability management, or SOC operations.
•       API Design: Experience designing or maintaining RESTful or RPC APIs.

Salary Range: $123,000 - $322,000

Pay Range

The posted pay range reflects the anticipated base salary range for this position and is provided to give candidates a general understanding of the compensation opportunity. The actual salary offered will be determined based on the requirements of the position and a variety of job-related factors, which may include geographic location, applicable Federal Government contract labor categories and wage rates, relevant experience, skills and competencies, education, certifications, and the scope and responsibilities of the role.

Because this position may be performed in multiple locations and may be subject to different contract requirements, the salary ultimately offered may vary based on the applicable location and contract. The posted range is not a guarantee of a specific starting salary or an indication that an offer will be made at any particular point within the range.

Total Rewards

In addition to competitive base pay, Clarity provides a Total Rewards package designed to attract and retain exceptional professionals committed to excellence. Our benefits reflect the value we place on skilled individuals who drive our impact in critical digital missions.

At Clarity, a career means joining a high-performing team advancing vital work in the digital landscape. We encourage you to consider the total value of joining us-competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and resources that support your growth and impact.

Our Total Rewards package includes performance-based bonuses, extensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, a 401(k) plan with company match, substantial paid time off and holidays, flexible work arrangements where possible, and a range of income protection benefits. We are committed to supporting your well-being, professional growth, and ability to contribute to essential digital missions.

We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.