Principal Platform Engineer

ASRC Federal is a premier provider of systems engineering, software engineering, system integration, and project management services for real-time, mission-critical defense systems. We are seeking a highly motivated Principal Platform Engineer in Moorestown, NJ.    As a Principal Platform Engineer, you will evolve secure, automated platforms powering an upstream Kubernetes-based virtual development environment that enables teams to deliver software using industry best practices. Solutions must deploy across air-gapped on-prem, secure private networks, commercial cloud, and regulated cloud environments using portable, repeatable, self-hosted automation (no SaaS).   Responsibilities: Engineer and sustaining upstream (vanilla) Kubernetes environments that enable reliable, repeatable software delivery environments Python scripting and Helm-based Kubernetes packaging to automate platform workflows and deployments Engineer secure-by-default Kubernetes platform capabilities, embedding security controls into automation, delivery workflows, and operational practices Translate platform capabilities into repeatable PaaS services that accelerate internal delivery and enable customer-targeted outcomes Operate container runtimes (Docker/Podman) and containerization to support CI/CD execution and cloud-native tooling deployments Develop secure end-to-end CI/CD pipelines and provide organization-wide CI/CD tooling expertise, guidance, and support Implement Kubernetes observability (logs, metrics, traces) and embed it into GitOps-driven automation to validate deployments, detect regressions, and accelerate incident response Partner with development and infrastructure teams to automate deployments and release validation, applying best practices in delivery, testing, security, performance, and disaster recovery Evaluate and adopt cloud-native OSS/COTS tools to meet platform needs, enable teams through knowledge transfer, and integrate new capabilities into standard workflows   Requirements: Bachelor’s degree or higher (in Engineering, Computer Science, Math, Physics, or related field) or equivalent related work experience This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a government secret clearance, U.S. Citizenship is required This position requires the successful applicant to obtain and maintain the required security clearance or other authorization(s) within the necessary timeframe required by applicable contract(s) Minimum of 8 years of professional experience in Sr DevOps, Platform Development, Sr Software Engineering or Sr Systems Administration in both on-prem, air-gapped and cloud-based environments Understanding of core web technologies, including HTTPS, TLS/SSL, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, JSON, and common delivery components Experience with automation or development in C++, Rust or equivalent