(Senior) Software Engineer, Infrastructure (Kubernetes Platform) at pony.ai

Fremont, California, United States

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Not SpecifiedCompensation

Senior (5 to 8 years)Experience Level

Full TimeJob Type

UnknownVisa

Autonomous Driving, Autonomous MobilityIndustries

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field, or equivalent experience
3+ years of hands-on experience managing Kubernetes clusters in production (EKS/GKE/AKS and/or bare-metal)
Strong Linux systems background and distributed systems fundamentals (scheduling, reliability, scaling)
Proven experience with hybrid cloud environments (AWS, GCP, Azure, and on-prem)
Expertise in containerization (Docker) and Infrastructure-as-Code tools (Terraform, Helm, Ansible, or similar)
Experience developing and maintaining Kubernetes platform features (operators, CRDs, APIs)
Solid knowledge of Kubernetes networking (CNI, ingress, service discovery), storage, and compute integrations
Strong understanding of security best practices (RBAC, network policies, secrets)
Effective communication skills and ability to work cross-functionally in a fast-paced environment
Preferred Experience
Programming skills in Go and/or Python for operator development, platform automation, and tooling
Experience with observability and SRE practices (Prometheus, Grafana, ELK, Datadog; SLOs, incident response, postmortems)
Familiarity with workloads common to AI/ML systems (training, inference)

Responsibilities

Design, operate, and optimize Kubernetes clusters across hybrid cloud environments (public cloud and on-prem datacenter)
Support diverse workloads including large-scale model training and low-latency inference services
Develop, maintain, and extend Kubernetes platform features (operators, CRDs, APIs) to automate and productize internal use cases
Own cluster lifecycle management including upgrades, patching, configuration, and governance
Define and enforce best practices for service deployments, security policies, and operational guidelines
Contribute to observability and SRE practices to ensure reliability at scale (SLOs, incident reviews, metrics-driven improvements)
Collaborate with storage, compute, and networking teams (CNI, ingress, service discovery) to enhance automation, availability, and performance
Provide technical mentorship, documentation, and on-call support for cluster-related incidents

Skills

Key technologies and capabilities for this role

KubernetesOperatorsCRDsAPIsHybrid CloudPublic CloudOn-Prem DatacenterCluster Lifecycle ManagementSRESLOsCNIIngressService DiscoveryObservability

Questions & Answers

Common questions about this position

Is this position remote or on-site?

This is an on-site position.

What salary or compensation does this role offer?

This information is not specified in the job description.

What are the key skills required for this Kubernetes Engineer role?

Key requirements include 3+ years managing Kubernetes clusters in production, strong Linux and distributed systems knowledge, expertise in containerization with Docker and IaC tools like Terraform/Helm/Ansible, and experience with hybrid cloud environments.

What is the work environment like at Pony.ai?

The role involves working cross-functionally in a fast-paced environment, collaborating with storage, compute, and networking teams.

What makes a strong candidate for this position?

Candidates with a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent, 3+ years of production Kubernetes experience, hybrid cloud expertise, and programming skills in Go or Python stand out; experience developing Kubernetes operators, CRDs, and APIs is highly valued.

pony.ai

Develops autonomous driving technology solutions

About pony.ai

Pony.ai develops technology for autonomous driving, focusing on creating systems that can operate vehicles without human intervention. Their main product, the "virtual driver," is tested extensively in various driving conditions to ensure reliability. This technology is utilized in three main areas: Robotaxi services for passengers, Robotruck services for logistics and freight, and Personally Owned Vehicles for individual users. Unlike many competitors, Pony.ai tailors its solutions to meet the needs of different customer segments, including everyday travelers and commercial logistics companies. The company's goal is to advance autonomous mobility, making it accessible and efficient for everyone.

Fremont, CaliforniaHeadquarters

2016Year Founded

$718.8MTotal Funding

IPOCompany Stage

Robotics & Automation, Automotive & TransportationIndustries

501-1,000Employees

Benefits

Health Insurance

401(k) Retirement Plan

401(k) Company Match

Life Insurance

Paid Vacation

Parental Leave

Disability Insurance

Risks

Competition from Baidu in Hong Kong may impact Pony.ai's market share.

Regulatory changes in China could challenge Pony.ai's compliance and operations.

Tesla's expansion into China poses a competitive threat to Pony.ai.

Differentiation

Pony.ai's 'virtual driver' technology is a leader in autonomous driving innovation.

The company operates across Robotaxi, Robotruck, and Personally Owned Vehicles units.

Pony.ai collaborates with automotive manufacturers for seamless technology integration.

Upsides

Pony.ai plans to expand its robotaxi fleet to over 1,000 by 2025.

The company is introducing driverless services at Hong Kong International Airport.

Pony.ai received over $223 million in strategic investments in November 2024.

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