Freelance Developer Operations Engineer Jobs in Minnesota

Job Title: Sr. DevOps Engineer/ Architect

Location: Onsite – Hopkins, MN

Contract: Long Term Contract

Key Skills

• DevOps
• Kubernetes
• Jenkins
• Automation using Python/Shell scripting

Job Summary

Architect role for an experienced professional with deep hands on expertise in Kubernetes, Jenkins and end to end CI CD automation in a hybrid work model with day shift and no travel expectations. The role focuses on designing enterprise scale cloud native platforms, optimizing software delivery pipelines, and guiding teams to deliver secure, resilient and efficient solutions that create measurable business value.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement scalable Kubernetes based platforms that support highly available and resilient applications while aligning with enterprise architecture guidelines.
• Define and optimize Jenkins based CI CD pipelines that standardize build test and deployment workflows across multiple application teams and technology stacks.
• Develop reusable CI CD templates and automation patterns that accelerate onboarding of new applications and reduce manual interventions during software delivery.
• Coordinate with cross functional teams to understand application requirements and translate them into robust Kubernetes deployment architectures that meet performance and reliability goals.
• Establish security controls within Kubernetes clusters and CI CD pipelines to protect secrets, manage access and ensure compliance with internal and external regulations.
• Create observability strategies for Kubernetes and CI CD environments by defining logging metrics and alerting to quickly detect and remediate platform or pipeline issues.
• Guide teams in containerization best practices including image design, resource configuration and dependency management to enhance portability and operational efficiency.
• Drive continuous improvement of build and release processes by analyzing pipeline metrics, identifying bottlenecks and implementing automation or process changes that reduce lead time.
• Document reference architectures standards and runbooks for Kubernetes and Jenkins so that implementation teams can consistently follow approved patterns and reduce operational risk.
• Collaborate with product and delivery stakeholders to ensure CI CD and platform architectures enable faster, safe and reliable feature releases that directly support business outcomes.
• Perform technical reviews of Kubernetes manifests, Helm charts and Jenkins configurations to ensure adherence to quality, security and reliability standards before promotion to production environments.
• Mentor engineering teams on modern DevOps practices including infrastructure as code, automated testing and continuous delivery to foster a culture of ownership and accountability.
• Coordinate with infrastructure and security partners to plan capacity upgrades, disaster recovery strategies and change windows for Kubernetes clusters and CI CD components in a controlled manner.

Qualifications

• Develop advanced proficiency in Kubernetes architecture including control plane components, networking, storage integration and cluster lifecycle management based on extensive practical experience.
• Demonstrate deep hands on expertise in Jenkins administration, pipeline as code, shared libraries and integration with version control systems, artifact repositories and quality tools.
• Apply comprehensive knowledge of CI CD principles including branching strategies, automated testing, environments and progressive deployment techniques to complex enterprise solutions.
• Utilize experience in scripting and automation using tools such as shell scripting, Python or similar technologies to streamline repetitive operational tasks within pipelines.
• Exhibit strong understanding of containerization concepts including image hardening, registry management and runtime configuration to ensure secure and reliable deployments.
• Apply familiarity with cloud native ecosystems such as service meshes, monitoring stacks and configuration management tools to design end to end delivery platforms.
• Demonstrate ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly to diverse stakeholders while fostering collaboration in a hybrid working environment and supporting teams during day shifts.
• Utilize prior background in large scale distributed systems and enterprise environments to design solutions that balance innovation, risk management, cost efficiency and long term maintainability.