Cloud Operations Administrator

DigitalOcean
Full_time$76k-95k/year (USD)Denver, United States

📍 Job Overview

  • Job Title: Cloud Operations Administrator
  • Company: DigitalOcean
  • Location: Denver, Colorado, United States
  • Job Type: On-site
  • Category: DevOps / System Administrator
  • Date Posted: June 30, 2025
  • Experience Level: Mid-Level (2-5 years)
  • Remote Status: On-site (Remote role available)

🚀 Role Summary

  • Maintain and troubleshoot DigitalOcean's global cloud infrastructure to ensure maximum uptime and minimal impact on customer experience.
  • Automate processes and build tools to improve operational efficiency and platform enhancement with minimal impact.
  • Collaborate cross-functionally with teams to coordinate operational work and enhance the platform.
  • Work a shift from 4 am to 12 pm UTC, with the possibility of working weekends.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role requires a strong focus on troubleshooting, automation, and cross-functional collaboration to maintain DigitalOcean's cloud infrastructure and improve operational efficiency.

💻 Primary Responsibilities

  • Infrastructure Monitoring & Troubleshooting: Ensure maximum uptime for global infrastructure by monitoring and troubleshooting issues that impact or could potentially impact customer experience.
  • Process Automation: Automate processes and build tools to improve operational efficiency and minimize manual intervention.
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work with teams across the organization to coordinate operational work and enhance the platform with minimal impact.
  • Incident Management: Research and troubleshoot issues from single droplets to cloud-wide disturbances, providing first-response support.
  • Shift Work: Work a shift from 4 am to 12 pm UTC, with the possibility of working weekends to ensure 24/7 coverage.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role requires strong problem-solving skills, a proactive approach to incident management, and the ability to work effectively in a shift-based environment.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: A bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience.

Experience: 2-5 years of experience in system administration, DevOps, or a related role, with a strong focus on Linux, networking, and virtualization technologies.

Required Skills:

  • Solid experience with Linux operating systems and day-to-day upkeep.
  • Familiarity with virtualization technologies and troubleshooting virtual machine instances.
  • Familiarity with containerization technologies and troubleshooting containers.
  • Strong knowledge of IPv4 Networking and troubleshooting (CCNA equivalent).
  • Basic storage concepts and technologies.
  • Experience with monitoring systems and incident management.
  • Experience scripting in one or more of the following languages: Bash, Python, or Ruby.
  • Experience with configuration management systems.
  • A passion for good documentation and open communication.
  • Proven ability to learn quickly.

Preferred Skills:

  • Experience with cloud infrastructure providers (e.g., AWS, GCP, Azure).
  • Familiarity with infrastructure as code (IaC) tools (e.g., Terraform, CloudFormation).
  • Knowledge of CI/CD pipelines and automation tools (e.g., Jenkins, GitLab CI/CD).

📝 Enhancement Note: This role requires a strong technical skill set, with a focus on Linux, networking, and virtualization technologies. Familiarity with cloud infrastructure providers and automation tools is a plus.

📊 Web Portfolio & Project Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

  • Demonstrate experience with Linux operating systems and virtualization technologies through relevant projects or case studies.
  • Showcase your troubleshooting skills by walking through a complex issue you've resolved in the past.
  • Highlight your scripting and automation skills by showcasing tools or scripts you've developed to improve operational efficiency.

Technical Documentation:

  • Provide detailed documentation of your past projects, including system architecture, setup instructions, and any relevant code snippets.
  • Include any relevant performance metrics or optimization techniques used in your past projects.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role requires a strong focus on troubleshooting, automation, and documentation. Be prepared to showcase your skills through relevant projects and case studies.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $76,000 - $95,000 per year (based on market data, relevant years of experience, and skills)

Benefits:

  • Competitive array of benefits, including an Employee Assistance Program, local employee meetups, and flexible time off policy.
  • Reimbursement for relevant conferences, training, and education.
  • Access to LinkedIn Learning's 10,000+ courses for continued growth and development.

Working Hours: 40 hours per week, with the possibility of working weekends to ensure 24/7 coverage.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range for this role is competitive and based on market data, relevant years of experience, and skills. Benefits include a comprehensive package to support employees' well-being and continued growth.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: DigitalOcean is a cloud computing platform provider, focusing on simplifying infrastructure for software developers and businesses.

Company Size: DigitalOcean has over 1,000 employees, providing a large and diverse team to collaborate with.

Founded: 2011, with a strong focus on innovation and customer-centric solutions.

Team Structure:

  • The Cloud Operations team is responsible for maintaining and enhancing DigitalOcean's global infrastructure.
  • The team works closely with other departments, such as Engineering, Product, and Customer Success, to ensure optimal customer experience.
  • The Cloud Operations Administrator reports directly to the manager of Cloud Operations.

Development Methodology:

  • DigitalOcean follows Agile methodologies, with a focus on continuous improvement and customer-centric development.
  • The company emphasizes open communication, collaboration, and a bias for action.

Company Website: DigitalOcean

📝 Enhancement Note: DigitalOcean's culture emphasizes innovation, customer-centric solutions, and open communication. The company provides a large and diverse team to collaborate with, fostering growth and learning opportunities.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Web Technology Career Level: Mid-Level (2-5 years) - This role requires a solid foundation in system administration, DevOps, or a related field, with a strong focus on Linux, networking, and virtualization technologies.

Reporting Structure: The Cloud Operations Administrator reports directly to the manager of Cloud Operations, with opportunities for cross-functional collaboration with other teams.

Technical Impact: This role has a significant impact on DigitalOcean's global infrastructure, ensuring maximum uptime and minimal impact on customer experience. The Cloud Operations Administrator plays a crucial role in maintaining and enhancing the platform's reliability and performance.

Growth Opportunities:

  • Technical Specialization: Deepen your expertise in specific technologies, such as cloud infrastructure providers, automation tools, or containerization.
  • Team Leadership: Develop your leadership skills by mentoring junior team members or taking on more significant projects that impact the team's goals.
  • Architecture Decisions: Contribute to strategic decisions that shape DigitalOcean's infrastructure and enhance the platform's performance and reliability.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant growth opportunities, with a focus on technical specialization, team leadership, and architecture decisions that impact DigitalOcean's infrastructure.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: DigitalOcean has offices worldwide, with a strong focus on remote work and collaboration. The Cloud Operations Administrator role is available as a remote position.

Office Location(s): DigitalOcean's headquarters are in New York, with additional offices in Cambridge, MA; Palo Alto, CA; and Bangalore, India. The Cloud Operations Administrator role is based in Denver, Colorado.

Workspace Context:

  • Remote Work: As a remote role, the Cloud Operations Administrator will work from a home office or co-working space, with the necessary equipment and tools provided by DigitalOcean.
  • Collaboration Tools: DigitalOcean uses collaboration tools such as Slack, GitHub, and Google Workspace to facilitate communication and teamwork among remote employees.
  • Shift Work: The Cloud Operations Administrator works a shift from 4 am to 12 pm UTC, with the possibility of working weekends to ensure 24/7 coverage.

Work Schedule: The Cloud Operations Administrator works a 40-hour week, with the possibility of working weekends to ensure 24/7 coverage.

📝 Enhancement Note: DigitalOcean's remote work environment fosters collaboration and flexibility, with a strong focus on open communication and teamwork. The Cloud Operations Administrator role requires a commitment to shift work and ensuring 24/7 coverage.

📄 Application & Technical Interview Process

Interview Process:

  1. Technical Phone Screen: A 30-minute phone call to assess your technical skills and understanding of the role's requirements.
  2. On-site Interview: A half-day on-site interview at DigitalOcean's headquarters or a nearby office, consisting of:
    • A technical deep-dive, focusing on your experience with Linux, networking, and virtualization technologies.
    • A system design exercise, evaluating your ability to design and troubleshoot complex systems.
    • A behavioral interview, assessing your problem-solving skills, communication, and teamwork.
  3. Final Decision: DigitalOcean will make a final decision based on your interview performance and fit with the team.

Portfolio Review Tips:

  • Highlight your experience with Linux, networking, and virtualization technologies through relevant projects or case studies.
  • Showcase your troubleshooting skills by walking through a complex issue you've resolved in the past.
  • Demonstrate your scripting and automation skills by showcasing tools or scripts you've developed to improve operational efficiency.

Technical Challenge Preparation:

  • Brush up on your Linux, networking, and virtualization technologies knowledge, focusing on troubleshooting and automation.
  • Familiarize yourself with DigitalOcean's products and services, understanding their infrastructure and customer base.
  • Prepare for system design exercises by practicing common system design patterns and considering performance, scalability, and availability.

ATS Keywords: (Organized by category)

  • Programming Languages: Bash, Python, Ruby
  • Web Frameworks: N/A (not applicable for this role)
  • Server Technologies: Linux, Virtualization (KVM, VMware), Containerization (Docker, Kubernetes)
  • Databases: N/A (not applicable for this role)
  • Tools: Monitoring (Prometheus, Grafana), Incident Management (PagerDuty), Configuration Management (Ansible, Puppet)
  • Methodologies: Agile, Scrum
  • Soft Skills: Problem-solving, Communication, Teamwork, Adaptability
  • Industry Terms: Infrastructure as Code (IaC), Cloud Computing, DevOps, System Administration

📝 Enhancement Note: DigitalOcean's interview process focuses on assessing your technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit. Be prepared to demonstrate your experience with Linux, networking, and virtualization technologies, as well as your ability to design and troubleshoot complex systems.

🛠 Technology Stack & Web Infrastructure

Frontend Technologies: N/A (not applicable for this role)

Backend & Server Technologies:

  • Linux: Ubuntu, CentOS, Debian
  • Virtualization: KVM, VMware, VirtualBox
  • Containerization: Docker, Kubernetes
  • Cloud Infrastructure Providers: AWS, GCP, Azure (familiarity is a plus)
  • Monitoring: Prometheus, Grafana, Zabbix
  • Incident Management: PagerDuty, OpsGenie, VictorOps
  • Configuration Management: Ansible, Puppet, Chef
  • Scripting Languages: Bash, Python, Ruby
  • Version Control: Git, GitHub, GitLab

📝 Enhancement Note: DigitalOcean's technology stack focuses on Linux, virtualization, and containerization technologies. Familiarity with cloud infrastructure providers and automation tools is a plus.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Web Development Values:

  • Customer-centric: DigitalOcean prioritizes customer experience and ensures minimal impact on customer experience through its infrastructure and services.
  • Innovation: The company encourages continuous learning and improvement, fostering a culture of innovation and experimentation.
  • Collaboration: DigitalOcean emphasizes open communication and teamwork, with a strong focus on cross-functional collaboration and knowledge sharing.
  • Quality: DigitalOcean is committed to providing high-quality infrastructure and services, with a focus on reliability, performance, and security.

Collaboration Style:

  • Cross-functional integration: DigitalOcean encourages collaboration between teams, with a strong focus on open communication and knowledge sharing.
  • Code review culture: The company emphasizes code review and peer programming practices to ensure high-quality work and continuous learning.
  • Knowledge sharing: DigitalOcean fosters a culture of knowledge sharing, with regular team meetings, workshops, and training opportunities.

📝 Enhancement Note: DigitalOcean's culture emphasizes customer-centric solutions, innovation, collaboration, and quality. The company fosters a collaborative environment with a strong focus on open communication and knowledge sharing.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Technical Challenges:

  • Infrastructure Troubleshooting: Troubleshoot complex issues across DigitalOcean's global infrastructure, from single droplets to cloud-wide disturbances.
  • Automation & Efficiency: Automate processes and build tools to improve operational efficiency and minimize manual intervention.
  • Shift Work: Work a shift from 4 am to 12 pm UTC, with the possibility of working weekends to ensure 24/7 coverage.
  • Emerging Technologies: Stay up-to-date with emerging technologies and trends in cloud computing, virtualization, and containerization.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

  • Technical Skill Development: Deepen your expertise in specific technologies, such as cloud infrastructure providers, automation tools, or containerization.
  • Conference Attendance: Attend industry conferences and events to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices in cloud computing and DevOps.
  • Certification: Pursue relevant certifications, such as AWS Certified Solutions Architect, Google Cloud Certified - Professional Cloud Architect, or Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert.
  • Technical Mentorship: Seek mentorship opportunities within DigitalOcean or through industry-specific communities and forums.

📝 Enhancement Note: DigitalOcean's technical challenges focus on infrastructure troubleshooting, automation, and shift work. The company offers numerous learning and development opportunities, with a strong focus on technical skill development, conference attendance, and certification.

💡 Interview Preparation

Technical Questions:

  • Linux & Networking: Describe your experience with Linux operating systems and networking. How have you troubleshot complex issues in the past?
  • Virtualization & Containerization: Walk through your experience with virtualization and containerization technologies. How have you used these technologies to improve operational efficiency?
  • System Design: Present a system design exercise, focusing on designing a scalable and reliable infrastructure for a given workload. Consider performance, scalability, and availability.
  • Automation: Describe your experience with automation tools and scripting languages. How have you used these tools to improve operational efficiency?

Company & Culture Questions:

  • Customer-centric: How do you ensure minimal impact on customer experience when troubleshooting infrastructure issues?
  • Innovation: Describe a time when you identified an opportunity for innovation and implemented a new solution to improve operational efficiency.
  • Collaboration: How do you collaborate effectively with teams across different departments? Can you provide an example of a successful cross-functional project?

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

  • Technical Walkthrough: Walk through your portfolio, highlighting your experience with Linux, networking, and virtualization technologies. Showcase your troubleshooting skills and automation tools.
  • System Design Exercise: Present a system design exercise, focusing on designing a scalable and reliable infrastructure for a given workload. Consider performance, scalability, and availability.
  • Behavioral Examples: Provide behavioral examples that demonstrate your problem-solving skills, communication, and teamwork.

📝 Enhancement Note: DigitalOcean's interview process focuses on assessing your technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit. Be prepared to demonstrate your experience with Linux, networking, and virtualization technologies, as well as your ability to design and troubleshoot complex systems.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Cloud Operations Administrator position at DigitalOcean:

  1. Submit your application: Click on the application link and submit your resume, highlighting your relevant experience with Linux, networking, and virtualization technologies.
  2. Prepare for the technical phone screen: Brush up on your Linux, networking, and virtualization technologies knowledge, focusing on troubleshooting and automation.
  3. Research DigitalOcean: Familiarize yourself with DigitalOcean's products and services, understanding their infrastructure and customer base.
  4. Prepare for the on-site interview: Practice system design exercises, focusing on designing a scalable and reliable infrastructure for a given workload. Consider performance, scalability, and availability.
  5. Prepare your portfolio: Highlight your experience with Linux, networking, and virtualization technologies through relevant projects or case studies. Showcase your troubleshooting skills and automation tools.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with DigitalOcean before making application decisions.

Application Requirements

Candidates should have solid experience with Linux, networking, and virtualization technologies. Familiarity with scripting languages and a passion for documentation and communication are also essential.