Principal Kubernetes DevOps Engineer
Zoom · San Jose, CA
- On site
- Full-time
- $339,300 / year
- San Jose, CA
Job highlights
- Lead investigations into complex systems and infrastructure.
- Design and implement CI/CD and containerization improvements.
- Modernize hybrid cloud and colocation infrastructures.
- Drive system reliability with SLAs and fault isolation.
- Mentor DevOps engineers and champion best practices.
About the role
Principal Kubernetes DevOps Engineer - Zoom
We are seeking a Principal Kubernetes DevOps Engineer who combines deep technical expertise with broad system understanding. This engineer should be capable of diving into a wide range of services and identifying systemic issues across architecture, CI/CD flow, and containerization environments. This role requires technical leadership, analytical skill, and cross-team collaboration to drive reliability, scalability, and modernization.
About The Team
At Zoom, we’re building the next generation of Cloud and Colocation (Colo) infrastructure that powers seamless communication and collaboration for millions of users worldwide.
Responsibilities
- Leading deep-dive investigations across diverse services and environments. Working on real time media systems to web, team chat and AI to uncover architectural or operational bottlenecks.
- Designing and implementing improvements in deployment pipelines, orchestration frameworks, and CI/CD automation to increase reliability and release velocity.
- Working closely with product and service owners to enhance containerization strategy, improve resource efficiency, and reduce operational friction.
- Partnering with the Meeting DevOps and Cloud Infra teams to modernize hybrid infrastructures spanning colocation data centers, AWS, OCI, and other cloud providers.
- Driving system observability, fault isolation, and resilience engineering, ensuring services meet strict availability and latency SLAs.
- Providing technical mentorship to DevOps engineers and influence best practices in automation, monitoring, and release engineering.
- Champion a culture of data-driven reliability through postmortems, SLIs/ SLO's, and continuous performance optimization.
What We’re Looking For
- 15+ years in DevOps, SRE for large-scale, production systems.
- Successful hands-on background in Linux systems, networking, and distributed systems.
- Possess experience operating and designing low-latency, high-throughput backend services at global scale.
- Knowledge of media or real-time communication systems (e.g., MMR, WebRTC).
- Recognize knowledge of TCP/IP, routing, DNS, load balancing, and packet capture tools.
- Familiarity with colocation data center operations, including hardware provisioning and troubleshooting.
- Demonstrate experience with Terraform, Ansible, Kubernetes, Docker, and modern CI/CD pipelines.
- Successful problem-solving, debugging, and systems-level design skills.
- Occasional weekend work may be required.
- Ability to work across the globe or multiple time zones.
Key skills/competency
- Kubernetes
- DevOps
- SRE
- CI/CD
- Containerization
- Cloud Infrastructure
- System Observability
- Resilience Engineering
- Automation
- Linux Systems
Skills & topics
- Principal Kubernetes DevOps Engineer
- Kubernetes
- DevOps
- SRE
- CI/CD
- Containerization
- Cloud Infrastructure
- System Observability
- Resilience Engineering
- Automation
- Linux Systems
- Networking
- Distributed Systems
- Terraform
- Ansible
- Docker
- Real-time communication
- Large-scale systems
- High-throughput services
- Global scale
How to get hired
- Tailor your resume: Highlight your 15+ years of DevOps/SRE experience, focusing on large-scale systems, Kubernetes, and CI/CD.
- Showcase technical depth: Emphasize your hands-on Linux, networking, distributed systems, and specific tool experience (Terraform, Ansible, Docker).
- Demonstrate leadership: Provide examples of technical mentorship, cross-team collaboration, and driving reliability initiatives.
- Address hybrid work: Mention your ability to work across time zones and willingness for occasional weekend work.
- Prepare for interviews: Be ready to discuss deep-dive investigations, system design, and problem-solving in high-throughput environments.
Technical preparation
Master Kubernetes architecture and operations.,Deepen knowledge of CI/CD tools and practices.,Practice Linux system administration and networking.,Study distributed systems and high-throughput design.
Behavioral questions
Describe a complex system issue you resolved.,How do you mentor junior engineers?,Explain your approach to driving reliability.,How do you collaborate with product owners?
Frequently asked questions
- What is the salary range for a Principal Kubernetes DevOps Engineer at Zoom?
- The salary range for a Principal Kubernetes DevOps Engineer at Zoom is between $146,700.00 and $339,300.00 annually. The final offer will depend on factors such as qualifications, experience, and location-based compensation structures.
- What is the work arrangement for this Principal Kubernetes DevOps Engineer role at Zoom?
- This role follows Zoom's structured hybrid approach, indicating a blend of office and remote work. The specific work style (Hybrid, Remote, or In-Person) is typically indicated in the job posting.
- What kind of technical skills are most important for this Principal Kubernetes DevOps Engineer position at Zoom?
- Key technical skills include extensive experience with Kubernetes, DevOps practices, SRE principles, CI/CD pipelines, containerization (Docker), Linux systems, networking, and distributed systems. Experience with Terraform, Ansible, and real-time communication systems is also highly valued.
- How many years of experience are required for the Principal Kubernetes DevOps Engineer role at Zoom?
- Zoom is looking for candidates with a minimum of 15 years in DevOps or SRE for large-scale, production systems.
- Does Zoom offer benefits for this Principal Kubernetes DevOps Engineer position?
- Yes, Zoom offers a comprehensive benefits program aimed at supporting employees' physical, mental, emotional, and financial health, promoting work-life balance, and encouraging community contribution.
- What is the application deadline for the Principal Kubernetes DevOps Engineer role at Zoom?
- The anticipated closing date for applications for this role is June 9, 2026.
- What are some of the core responsibilities of a Principal Kubernetes DevOps Engineer at Zoom?
- Core responsibilities include leading technical investigations, designing CI/CD and containerization improvements, modernizing hybrid infrastructures, ensuring system observability, and mentoring other DevOps engineers.
- Does Zoom have a specific process for accommodation requests during the hiring process for the Principal Kubernetes DevOps Engineer role?
- Yes, Zoom is committed to fair hiring practices and offers accommodations for candidates needing assistance due to a medical disability. An Accommodations Request Form is available for this purpose.
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