Senior devops engineer (eks/kubernetes)

At Caris, we understand that cancer is an ugly word—a word no one wants to hear, but one that connects us all. That’s why we’re not just transforming cancer care—we’re changing lives.

We introduced precision medicine to the world and built an industry around the idea that every patient deserves answers as unique as their DNA. Backed by cutting-edge molecular science and AI, we ask ourselves every day: “What would I do if this patient were my mom?” That question drives everything we do.

But our mission doesn’t stop with cancer. We're pushing the frontiers of medicine and leading a revolution in healthcare—driven by innovation, compassion, and purpose.

Join us in our mission to improve the human condition across multiple diseases. If you're passionate about meaningful work and want to be part of something bigger than yourself, Caris is where your impact begins.

Position Summary

The Sr DevOps Engineer is responsible for designing, implementing, and operating secure, scalable Linux-based infrastructure across on-premises and cloud environments, with a primary focus on architecting and running production workloads on Kubernetes/AWS EKS. This role centers on Kubernetes/AWS EKS cluster design, automation, reliability, and compliance initiatives, supporting modern DevOps practices including Infrastructure as Code, CI/CD, and containerization at scale.

Job Responsibilities

• Design, deploy, and maintain Linux infrastructure in on-premises and cloud environments.
• Automate infrastructure provisioning and configuration using tools such as Terraform, Ansible, or CloudFormation.
• Manage and optimize AWS environments with a focus on performance, scalability, security, and cost efficiency.
• Implement and maintain monitoring, logging, and alerting solutions (e.g., Datadog, Prometheus, Grafana, ELK, CloudWatch).
• Architect, deploy, and operate production Kubernetes/AWS EKS clusters, including node group strategy, cluster upgrades, multi-tenant workload isolation, and cross-region disaster recovery (DR) architecture and build outs.
• Define and lead cluster upgrade, security hardening, and disaster recovery strategies for production Kubernetes/AWS EKS environments at scale, while serving as a senior technical resource for complex production incidents.
• Manage Kubernetes networking, including VPC CNI configuration and ingress controllers (ALB/NGINX/Traefik).
• Implement IAM Roles for pod security standards, and network policies to secure EKS workloads.
• Configure and tune cluster autoscaling (Cluster Autoscaler or Karpenter) and workload autoscaling (HPA/VPA) to optimize performance and cost.
• Build and maintain Helm charts and GitOps-based deployment pipelines (e.g., ArgoCD, Flux) for Kubernetes workloads.
• Manage Docker container builds and registries in support of EKS-based application deployment.
• Deploy, scale, and maintain GitLab Runners (including Kubernetes executor runners on EKS) to support CI/CD pipeline throughput and reliability.
• Support and help operate database platforms on AWS RDS (MySQL, PostgreSQL), collaborating with data owners on performance and reliability.
• Ensure systems meet security and compliance requirements, including SOX and SOC 2 initiatives.
• Execute and maintain Linux patching strategies, addressing security updates and CVEs in a timely manner.
• Participate in incident response, root cause analysis, and recovery efforts.
• Collaborate with development, QA, and cross-functional teams to improve reliability, release processes, and operational standards.
• Participate in on-call rotations and provide after-hours support as required.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Technology or related field.
• 8+ years of experience in Linux Systems Administration, DevOps, or Site Reliability Engineering roles.
• 5+ years of experience with AWS services, including EC2, VPC, IAM, RDS, S3, and CloudWatch.
• 5+ years of hands-on experience designing and operating production workloads on Kubernetes/AWS EKS, including cluster upgrades, networking, and autoscaling.
• Proficiency in scripting and automation using Python and Bash.
• Strong hands-on experience with Infrastructure as Code using Terraform, and with CI/CD pipelines (GitLab CI/CD), including running CI/CD workloads on Kubernetes/EKS.
• Proficiency with Docker, Helm, and Kubernetes troubleshooting in a production environment.
• Solid understanding of networking fundamentals and cloud security best practices.
• CKA (Certified Kubernetes Administrator) certification expected or actively in progress;

Preferred Qualifications

• CKAD and AWS certifications (e.g., AWS Certified DevOps Engineer, Solutions Architect) a plus.
• Experience with Karpenter, Kyverno, OPA/Gatekeeper, Falco, and multi-cluster/multitenant EKS environments.
• Experience using AI and automation tools including Claude, Cursor, and OpenAI to streamline DevOps workflows through AI-assisted CI/CD, self-healing operations, and automated incident response.
• Experience with microservices, serverless architectures, and DevSecOps practices.

Physical Demands

Ability to sit for extended periods while working on a computer.

Training

All job specific, safety, and compliance training are assigned based on the job functions associated with this employee.

Other

This position may require periodic travel and some evenings, weekends, and/or holidays. The job may require after-hours response to emergency issues and on-call availability as required. Willingness to pursue ongoing professional development and stay current with emerging technologies in the field. Job responsibilities may be modified or expanded at the discretion of management to meet changing business needs and organizational requirements.

Annual Hiring Range

$122,000 - $148,000. Actual compensation offer to candidate may vary from posted hiring range based upon geographic location, work experience, education, and/or skill level. The pay ratio between base pay and target incentive (if applicable) will be finalized at offer.

Description of Benefits

Highly competitive and inclusive medical, dental and vision coverage options. Health Savings Account for medical expenses and dependent care expenses. Flexible Spending Account to pay for certain out-of-pocket expenses. Paid time off, including: vacation, sick time and holidays. 401k match and Financial Planning tools. LTD and STD insurance coverages, as well as voluntary benefit options. Employee Assistance Program. Pet Insurance. Legal Assistance. Tuition Assistance.

Conditions of Employment

Individual must successfully complete pre-employment process, which includes criminal background check, drug screening, credit check ( applicable for certain positions) and reference verification. This job description reflects management’s assignment of essential functions. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

Caris Life Sciences is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with disability.