Senior Cloud Engineer / DevOps Engineer – Kubernetes, Terraform & Google Cloud / Azure

Project overview

Senior Cloud Engineer / DevOps Engineer – Kubernetes, Terraform & Google Cloud / Azure

For a demanding infrastructure project, we are looking for an experienced freelance Cloud Engineer / DevOps Engineer with in-depth knowledge of Kubernetes, Terraform, and the design and implementation of modern cloud infrastructures.

As part of the project, existing cloud and Kubernetes environments are to be further developed and optimized, and new infrastructure components built. The focus is on Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Microsoft Azure, and Kubernetes, both in the cloud and in on-premises environments.

In addition to technical implementation, we are seeking an expert who can independently develop architectural concepts, establish best practices, and pass on their knowledge through training.

Responsibilities

Design, build, and further develop modern cloud infrastructures based on Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure

Provision and automate new infrastructure using Terraform (Infrastructure as Code)

Refactor, optimize, and expand existing cloud infrastructures

Build, administer, and further develop Kubernetes clusters in cloud and on-premises environments

Implement and optimize GitOps and CI/CD processes

Further develop existing container and deployment architectures

Integrate and optimize monitoring, logging, and observability solutions

Implement security, network, service mesh, and secrets management concepts

Consider regulatory and security requirements, especially NIS2 and BSI

Independent design and implementation of technical solutions

Conduct technical training and knowledge transfer to internal teams

Requirements

At least 4 years of experience with one of the hyperscalers Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, or AWS

Practical project experience with both Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and Microsoft Azure

At least 5 years of practical experience with Kubernetes

Very good knowledge of Terraform and Infrastructure as Code

In-depth experience with Docker, Linux, and Git

Very good knowledge of GitOps, e.g., Argo CD or Flux

Experience with CI/CD technologies such as GitLab CI, GitHub Actions, Jenkins, or Azure Pipelines

Observability: In-depth knowledge of Prometheus, Grafana, OpenTelemetry, or Loki

Kubernetes Networking & Service Mesh: Experience with Cilium, Calico, or Istio

Policy as Code: Knowledge of Kyverno or Open Policy Agent (OPA)

Secrets Management & PKI: Experience with HashiCorp Vault, External Secrets, SOPS, or cert-manager

Kubernetes Manifest Management: Experience in managing and deploying Kubernetes configurations

IT Security & Compliance: Knowledge of the NIS2 directive and relevant BSI requirements

Experience in the design, implementation, and optimization of complex cloud and Kubernetes infrastructures

Independent, structured, and solution-oriented way of working

Ability to convey technical concepts and conduct training

Nice to have

Experience with other cloud platforms such as Hetzner or STACKIT

Knowledge of Ansible

Experience with RabbitMQ, Elasticsearch, Redis, PostgreSQL, or MySQL

Framework Conditions

Project details

09.11.2026

Project End: 30.04.2027

Project Volume: 770 hours

Utilization: 3–4 days per week

Remote Policy: 100% remote planned

Contract Type: Freelance project basis

Positions Sought: 1

Project Goal

The goal of the project is the setup, modernization, and sustainable optimization of existing cloud and Kubernetes infrastructures. By using Terraform, GitOps, and modern DevOps practices, scalable, automated, and maintainable infrastructure environments are to be created.

A special focus is on the integration of modern security, networking, and observability solutions, as well as consideration of NIS2 and BSI requirements.

We are looking for an experienced cloud and DevOps expert who is active at both conceptual and hands-on levels, critically questions existing architectures, and independently drives technical development. Another focus is on knowledge transfer to support internal teams in the long-term maintenance and further development of the infrastructure.

• Start: ab sofort
• Remote: remote
• Location: remote, Deutschland, DE
• Languages: German