Platform Engineer – Imaging, Provisioning

Job Description:

• Design, build, and maintain OS images for Vultr's Cloud Compute and Bare Metal platforms, including Windows, Linux, and BSD distributions
• Convert images using legacy boot up configuration scripts to use cloud-init for consistent provisioning across all operating systems
• Expand Vultr's OS catalog by adding new distributions requested by the community
• Manage the full lifecycle of marketplace applications - from onboarding new apps to updating and maintaining existing ones
• Develop and maintain automation tooling for image creation, testing, and deployment using Ansible, Packer, and custom scripts
• Collaborate with the Provisioning, Bare Metal, and GPU teams to ensure image compatibility across all hardware platforms
• Debug and resolve image-related issues reported by customers and internal teams, providing root cause analysis and permanent fixes
• Implement and maintain CI/CD pipelines for image builds, ensuring consistent quality and rapid iteration
• Monitor and optimize image boot times, package freshness, and security patch compliance across the entire OS catalog
• Provide assistance with managing automatic installation templates used for deploying infrastructure servers
• Bring fresh perspectives to long-running initiatives

Requirements:

• 3+ years of experience in systems engineering, platform engineering, or DevOps with a focus on OS imaging and automation
• Deep familiarity with Linux distribution internals - automated installation of Debian, RHEL/Fedora/CentOS/AlmaLinux/Rocky, Ubuntu, and Arch-based systems
• Experience with BSD operating systems (FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD) and their installation frameworks
• Hands-on experience with cloud-init provisioning agent
• Proficiency in scripting languages: BASH, Python 3, and familiarity with PHP
• Strong experience writing, debugging, and optimizing Ansible playbooks for image automation
• Experience with image building tools such as Packer, Kiwi, or LiveBuild
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and version control (Git) for image build automation
• Understanding of virtualization technologies (KVM/QEMU) and bare metal provisioning (iPXE, PXE boot)
• Strong debugging skills - comfortable reading system logs, analyzing boot failures, and tracing provisioning issues
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work across remote, cross-functional teams

Benefits:

• 100% company-paid insurance premiums for employee medical, dental and vision plans.
• 401(k) plan that matches 100% up to 4%, with immediate vesting
• Professional Development Reimbursement of $2,500 each year
• 11 Holidays + Paid Time Off Accrual + Rollover Plan
• Commitment matters to Vultr! Increased PTO at 3 year and 10 year anniversary + 1 month paid sabbatical every 5 years + Anniversary Bonus each year
• $500 stipend for remote office setup in first year + $400 each following year
• Internet reimbursement up to $75 per month
• Gym membership reimbursement up to $50 per month
• Company paid Wellable subscription