DevOps Data Platform Developer

Job Summary

Work type: Administrative & Professional
Senior management: Vice President for Research
Department: Virginia Tech Transportation Institute
Location: Blacksburg, Virginia
Categories: Information Systems / Technology, Research / Scientific, Transportation
Salary: Starting rate $75,000; commensurate with experience
Hours per week: 40
Review Date: 11/26/2025
Appointment Type: Restricted

• Deploy and maintain infrastructure and data platforms for research projects.
• Apply Dev Ops best practices to design, develop, and manage production systems.
• Engineer on-premise and cloud infrastructure and data platforms built around Kubernetes.
• Engage with developers and researchers to understand requirements and architect solutions.
• Document systems and cross-train colleagues to ensure effective knowledge sharing.
• Support large-scale systems powering data‑driven transportation research and smart city innovation.
• Operate the Smart Cities Data Exchange, a secure cloud‑native platform for sharing transportation and environmental data.
• Automate Dev Ops and infrastructure supporting Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and Automated Driving System (ADS) research, ensuring reliability, scalability, and observability of mission‑critical services.

• M.S. degree in Computer Science or engineering (exception for a lesser degree with significant related professional experience).
• Proficient in Kubernetes and related technologies with multiple years of experience.
• Experience with Kafka and related streaming data technologies.
• Experience with basic Linux system administration.
• Experience with authentication and authorization, particularly OAuth2 and OIDC.
• Experience working with product owners to develop requirements.
• Familiarity with relational database technologies and SQL.
• Familiarity with data lake architecture.

• Experience with Apache NiFi.
• Experience with Apache Trino.
• Experience with Apache Iceberg.
• Experience using Git Lab and CI/CD pipelines.
• Experience with end‑to‑end testing.
• Experience with Ceph.
• Experience with Grafana’s monitoring stack.
• Experience with Keycloak.
• Experience with Infrastructure as Code.
• Experience with GPU clustering technologies and frameworks.
• Familiarity with networking in an on‑prem environment.

Applications open until filled. The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.

Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, ethnicity or national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or military status, or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected by law.
If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Natalie Jett at Njett.edu during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.