Kubernetes Systems Engineer (m/f/d)

The role We're looking for an engineer to help us build our Kubernetes story; someone who works on Kubernetes, not just with it. You understand what actually happens between kubectl apply and a running pod, and you can reason about, extend, and debug the machinery underneath. You'll build core pieces of our stack and integrate Kubernetes with our immutable, attested Linux base. Just as importantly, you've operated what you've built. We want someone who carries production experience back into design, so the systems we ship are built to be run, not just to demo. The role will evolve as the company and product do, and we're looking for someone who can evolve with it. What you'll do: Build core parts of our Kubernetes components, working at the level of the control plane, kubelet, CRI, scheduling, and networking — not just assembling existing components. Integrate Kubernetes with our immutable, image-based Linux foundation. Design and reason about distributed systems — coordination, consensus, failure modes, and behavior at scale. Operate what you build, and let that operational reality shape how you design. Contribute upstream where it makes sense. We're active in the projects this work touches, and we'd rather fix things at the source than paper over. Write production code primarily in Go, and when needed, dropping into a systems language like Rust or C where the problem calls for it. Your profile A deep, mechanical understanding of how Kubernetes works internally — enough to extend it and to debug it when it breaks in ways the docs don't cover. Strong distributed-systems foundations. Real Linux depth: namespaces, cgroups, systemd, networking, storage. You're comfortable working below the container abstraction. Strong proficiency in Go, plus working ability in a systems-level language such as Rust or C — or the skill and appetite to get there quickly. Hands-on experience operating Kubernetes in production, and the instinct to design for operability. This role demands senior-level engineering judgment. That said, we don't screen on job titles or years of experience. If you can do the work, we want to talk. Nice to have: Upstream contributions to Kubernetes, container runtimes, or the wider Linux and Kubernetes ecosystem. Experience with immutable or image-based Linux distributions. Familiarity with lightweight Kubernetes distributions such as k3s or RKE2. Why us? Work directly on the technologies you care about, alongside a team that creates and maintains them upstream. Hard problems that matter: verifiable, deterministic infrastructure, built properly from the ground up. Fully remote or based in our Berlin office. Participation in our virtual share program. About us Amutable is a Berlin-based deep-tech startup launched in 2026 building minimal, immutable, deterministic Linux-based systems — infrastructure that lets organizations run systems they can cryptographically verify and trust. We're a small team (14 people today) including a founding team of creators, contributors, and maintainers of open-source system components including systemd, the Linux kernel, Kubernetes, runc, and containerd. It's early, and a great time to join.