Lead DevOps Engineer

Lead · Remote · Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Belarus

About the Role

We're looking for a skilled Lead DevOps Engineer to guide the development and delivery of a Unified Automation Platform. This person will drive technical strategy for the Backstage developer portal, infrastructure automation, cloud provisioning (Azure & VMware), security integration, and observability. The ideal candidate blends great technical skills with leadership abilities to advance Platform Engineering and enterprise-scale self-service automation.

Responsibilities

• Support the design and build-out of an internal developer platform using Backstage (Software Catalog, Scaffolder, TechDocs, Search)
• Build multi-tenancy structures with org hierarchy and detailed RBAC that go beyond basic authentication
• Connect Azure DevOps (ADO) for CI/CD pipelines, announcements, and notifications
• Create golden path templates and self-service workflows for development teams
• Deliver Infrastructure as Code with Terraform/OpenTofu and Configuration as Code with Ansible
• Set up GitOps workflows to manage continuous deployment and drift
• Automate the provisioning and management of Azure services, including VNets, Application Gateway, WAF, Azure Firewall, NSGs, App Services, Container Apps, Function Apps, and databases (Azure SQL, Cosmos DB, Postgres)
• Direct Kubernetes (AKS) provisioning, cluster management, and operational dashboards
• Develop and maintain image factory pipelines for VM and container golden images

Requirements

• Over 5 years of DevOps engineering experience, with strong skills in Terraform/OpenTofu and Ansible
• At least 1 year of leadership experience
• Solid understanding of Azure networking and security services, such as VNets, Application Gateway, WAF, Azure Firewall, NSGs, Subnets, and Route Tables
• Hands-on experience with Azure compute services, including App Services, Container Apps, and Function Apps
• Strong knowledge of Azure databases, such as Azure SQL, Cosmos DB, and Azure Postgres
• Deep expertise in Kubernetes/AKS provisioning, cluster management, ops dashboards, and Docker
• Proven skills in Azure DevOps (ADO) pipeline automation and integration
• English proficiency at B2 level or above

Nice to Have

• Experience with Backstage, including developer portals, plugins, Scaffolder, TechDocs, Software Catalog, and Search, plus self-service platform design and multi-tenancy/RBAC models
• Familiarity with GitOps tools like ArgoCD or Flux, along with continuous deployment and drift management
• Background in Identity & Access Management, covering Entra ID, Active Directory, Group Policy Objects (AD), M365 groups, and RBAC
• Knowledge of Secrets Management tools such as Azure Key Vault, OpenBao/HashiCorp Vault, and dynamic secrets
• Scripting and automation skills in Python, Bash, PowerShell, and REST API integration
• Understanding of networking tools, including DNS automation and IPAM (NetBox)
• Awareness of observability practices, such as monitoring, metrics, logging, and basic tooling
• Experience with VMware virtualization, including vSphere, vSAN, NSX-T, SRM, and DRS
• Exposure to Azure VMware Solution (AVS) for hybrid/on-prem workload management
• Expertise in Image Factory pipelines for VM and container golden images
• Knowledge of Certificate Management tools like Venafi
• Experience implementing Policy as Code using OPA or similar policy engines
• Familiarity with Privileged Access Management (PAM), including break-the-glass integration
• Understanding of DevSecOps tooling, such as SAST, DAST, SCA, IAST, and ASPM integration
• Experience with Security Alerting through SIEM and WAF integrations
• Knowledge of firewall platforms like PaloAlto, F5, and Cloudflare
• Familiarity with ITSM/CMDB integration, including component request workflows and artifact repositories
• Experience with Vulnerability Management dashboards and reporting
• Skills in Documentation Automation, including generating Solution Design Documents (SDD)

What We Offer

We connect like-minded people: Delivering innovative solutions to industry leaders, making a global impact. Enjoyable working environment, whether it is the vibrant office or the comfort of your own home. Opportunity to work abroad for up to two months per year. Relocation opportunities within our offices in 55+ countries. Corporate and social events.

We invest in your growth: Leadership development, career advising, soft skills and well-being programs. Certifications, including GCP, Azure and AWS. Unlimited access to EPAM's internal learning database. Free English classes with certified teachers.

We cover it all: Participation in the Employee Stock Purchase Plan. Monetary bonuses for engaging in the referral program. Comprehensive medical & family care package. Four trust days per year for personal needs. Discounts for fitness clubs. Benefits package (hotels, restaurants, stores and services).