Kubernetes Architect (AKS) (Toronto)

Role

Kubernetes Architect (AKS)

Hybrid: 3 days a week on-site - MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO

Long Term Contract (6 Months to start with)

Job Requirements

• 10+ Years of experience on Azure and 6+ years’ experience on AKS, istio mesh

Key Responsibilities

• Define the target reference architecture for greenfield AKS clusters along with engineering team and ensure how bluefield cluster remain undisruptive: control plane choices, private clusters, node pool strategy, upgrade/runway, and regional topology.
• Lead design for NGINX to Azure Managed Gateway API: modeling, TLS/WAF strategy, policy attachments, and weighted/canary traffic for cutover.
• Architect Kubernetes to Azure CNI (Cilium) migration with new clusters with Engineering team: IP planning, subnet sizing, pod density, surge capacity, cordon/drain and service-by-service move plan.
• Choose and validate dataplane features: Cilium network policy, kube proxy replacement (if enabled), Hubble visibility, and implications on performance/SNAT.
• Standardize identity and secrets: Azure Key Vault + CSI; certificate lifecycle (Key Vault and/or Gateway API).
• Establish platform guardrails: Azure Policy, RBAC least privilege, multi tenancy boundaries (namespace/project isolation).
• Define and follow GitHub standards: reusable workflows, CODEOWNERS, branch protections, setting approvals, and artifact provenance/signing.
• Own non functional requirements: SLOs, HA/DR, capacity modeling, performance budgets, and failover patterns for ingress and data plane.
• Govern delivery: roadmap, cutover criteria, readiness gates; mentor Platform/DevOps on architectural compliance.