📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Systems Engineer (f/m/d)
Company: Aleph Alpha
Location: Berlin, Heidelberg, Germany
Job Type: Full-time, Hybrid
Category: DevOps, Infrastructure
Date Posted: 2025-06-24
Experience Level: 5-10 years
Remote Status: On-site/Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

Lead the design, development, and optimization of the Pharia AI stack and supporting infrastructure.
Maintain highly available Kubernetes clusters and ensure compliance with security and reliability best practices.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to align infrastructure with business and product goals.
Provide strategic guidance and hands-on assistance to customers for deploying and maintaining Aleph Alpha products on their infrastructure.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role requires a strong background in Kubernetes cluster management and a deep understanding of security best practices to ensure the high availability and performance of the Pharia AI stack and supporting infrastructure.

💻 Primary Responsibilities

Infrastructure Design & Maintenance:
- Design, develop, and maintain the Pharia AI stack and supporting infrastructure.
- Maintain highly available Kubernetes clusters on StackIT or similar cloud platforms.
- Ensure compliance with security and reliability best practices.
Kubernetes Expertise:
- Design, build, and maintain Kubernetes Operators.
- Provide guidance and hands-on assistance to customers for deploying and maintaining Aleph Alpha products on their infrastructure.
Automation & CI/CD:
- Drive automation efforts and improve CI/CD pipelines to enhance deployment efficiency and system resilience.
- Define best practices and guide teams in writing Helm charts and deploying their artefacts efficiently.
Collaboration & Strategic Guidance:
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to align infrastructure with business and product goals.
- Represent the team in audits and respond to security questionnaires.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field. Relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.

Experience: 5-10 years of experience in designing, deploying, and maintaining Kubernetes clusters in production environments.

Required Skills:

Extensive experience with Kubernetes, Helm, Ansible, Terraform, ArgoCD, GitLab CI, and JFrog.
Strong programming skills in Rust or Go.
Deep understanding of security, reliability, and scalability best practices for infrastructure.
Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with a track record of contributing to a culture of learning and innovation.

Preferred Skills:

Experience working in fast-paced startup environments.
Familiarity with AI and machine learning technologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the role's complexity and the company's focus on AI, candidates with experience in AI infrastructure or a strong understanding of AI technologies will be at an advantage.

📊 Web Portfolio & Project Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

Demonstrate your experience with Kubernetes cluster management, including high availability and security best practices.
Showcase your programming skills in Rust or Go, with a focus on infrastructure-related projects.
Include examples of your work on CI/CD pipelines and automation efforts.

Technical Documentation:

Provide clear and concise documentation for your infrastructure projects, including design decisions, deployment processes, and server configuration.
Include testing methodologies, performance metrics, and optimization techniques for your projects.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the role's focus on security and reliability, it's essential to highlight your understanding of best practices and provide examples of how you've implemented them in your projects.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: €80,000 - €120,000 per year (based on experience and local market standards)

Benefits:

30 days of paid vacation
Access to fitness and wellness offerings via Wellhub
Mental health support through nilo.health
Substantially subsidized company pension plan
Subsidized Germany-wide transportation ticket
Budget for additional technical equipment
Flexible working hours and hybrid working model
Virtual Stock Option Plan

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: AI and machine learning technology

Company Size: Medium (51-250 employees)

Founded: 2019

Team Structure:

The infrastructure team consists of 5-10 engineers, with a focus on Kubernetes cluster management and AI infrastructure.
The team reports directly to the CTO and collaborates with cross-functional teams, including product, engineering, and data science.
The company follows an Agile/Scrum methodology for development processes and emphasizes code review, testing, and quality assurance practices.

Development Methodology:

Aleph Alpha uses Agile/Scrum methodologies for development processes, with sprint planning for AI projects.
The company emphasizes code review, testing, and quality assurance practices to ensure the reliability and performance of its AI stack.

Company Website: aleph-alpha.com

📝 Enhancement Note: Aleph Alpha's focus on AI and machine learning technologies requires candidates with a strong understanding of AI infrastructure and a passion for staying up-to-date with emerging technologies in the field.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Web Technology Career Level: Senior Systems Engineer - Responsible for designing, maintaining, and optimizing the company's AI stack and infrastructure, ensuring high availability, security, and performance.

Reporting Structure: Reports directly to the CTO and collaborates with cross-functional teams, including product, engineering, and data science.

Technical Impact: Plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of Aleph Alpha's AI-powered solutions by driving improvements across the infrastructure and providing strategic guidance to customers.

Growth Opportunities:

Technical leadership and mentoring opportunities within the infrastructure team.
Potential to expand your role to include other aspects of AI infrastructure or take on a more strategic focus within the company.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the company's focus on AI and machine learning technologies, there are ample opportunities for growth and learning within the infrastructure team and across the organization.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid - A mix of on-site and remote work, with a focus on collaboration and team building.

Office Location(s): Berlin and Heidelberg, Germany - Both offices are easily accessible by public transportation and offer a modern, collaborative workspace.

Workspace Context:

The workspace is designed to foster collaboration and innovation, with multiple monitors and testing devices available for infrastructure engineers.
The team interacts regularly, with a focus on knowledge sharing, technical mentoring, and continuous learning.

Work Schedule: Full-time, with flexible hours and a focus on work-life balance. The company offers a hybrid working model, allowing employees to work remotely for part of the week.

📝 Enhancement Note: Aleph Alpha's hybrid work environment encourages a healthy work-life balance and provides ample opportunities for collaboration and learning within the infrastructure team and across the organization.

📄 Application & Technical Interview Process

Interview Process:

Technical Phone Screen (30 minutes): A brief phone call to discuss your experience with Kubernetes, automation tools, and programming languages.
Technical Deep Dive (60 minutes): A detailed discussion of your experience with Kubernetes cluster management, security best practices, and infrastructure-related projects.
Behavioral & Cultural Fit Interview (30 minutes): An assessment of your communication skills, collaboration style, and cultural fit within the team and organization.
Final Decision: A final decision will be made based on the results of the previous interviews and a review of your portfolio.

Portfolio Review Tips:

Highlight your experience with Kubernetes cluster management, including high availability and security best practices.
Showcase your programming skills in Rust or Go, with a focus on infrastructure-related projects.
Include examples of your work on CI/CD pipelines and automation efforts.
Provide clear and concise documentation for your infrastructure projects, including design decisions, deployment processes, and server configuration.

Technical Challenge Preparation:

Brush up on your Kubernetes, Helm, Ansible, Terraform, ArgoCD, GitLab CI, and JFrog skills.
Review your experience with Rust or Go, focusing on infrastructure-related projects.
Familiarize yourself with AI and machine learning technologies, as well as security best practices for infrastructure.

ATS Keywords: Kubernetes, Helm, Ansible, Terraform, ArgoCD, GitLab CI, JFrog, Rust, Go, Security, Reliability, Scalability, Automation, CI/CD, AI, Machine Learning, Infrastructure, Hybrid Work, Collaboration, Innovation

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the role's focus on Kubernetes cluster management and AI infrastructure, it's essential to highlight your experience with these technologies and provide concrete examples of how you've applied them in your previous roles.

🛠 Technology Stack & Web Infrastructure

Infrastructure Tools:

Kubernetes (K8s)
StackIT or similar cloud platforms
Helm
Ansible
Terraform
ArgoCD
GitLab CI
JFrog

Programming Languages:

Rust
Go

📝 Enhancement Note: Aleph Alpha's technology stack is focused on Kubernetes cluster management and AI infrastructure, requiring candidates with extensive experience in these areas to apply.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Infrastructure Team Values:

Innovation: Embrace emerging technologies and continuously improve our AI stack and infrastructure.
Collaboration: Work together to drive improvements across our infrastructure and provide strategic guidance to customers.
Security: Ensure the high availability, security, and performance of our AI stack and supporting infrastructure.
Reliability: Maintain highly available Kubernetes clusters and comply with security best practices.

Collaboration Style:

Cross-functional Integration: Collaborate with product, engineering, and data science teams to align infrastructure with business and product goals.
Code Review Culture: Participate in code reviews and provide feedback to help maintain high-quality infrastructure.
Knowledge Sharing: Share your expertise with the team and contribute to a culture of learning and innovation.

📝 Enhancement Note: Aleph Alpha's infrastructure team values collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement, requiring candidates who are passionate about staying up-to-date with emerging technologies and contributing to a culture of learning and innovation.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Technical Challenges:

Design, develop, and maintain the Pharia AI stack and supporting infrastructure while ensuring high availability, security, and performance.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to align infrastructure with business and product goals.
Provide strategic guidance and hands-on assistance to customers for deploying and maintaining Aleph Alpha products on their infrastructure.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

AI Infrastructure: Expand your knowledge of AI infrastructure and emerging technologies within the field.
Technical Leadership: Develop your leadership skills by mentoring junior team members and contributing to strategic decision-making processes.
Company Growth: Contribute to the growth and success of Aleph Alpha by driving improvements across the infrastructure and providing strategic guidance to customers.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given Aleph Alpha's focus on AI and machine learning technologies, there are ample opportunities for growth and learning within the infrastructure team and across the organization.

💡 Interview Preparation

Technical Questions:

Kubernetes Cluster Management: Describe your experience with Kubernetes cluster management, including high availability and security best practices.
Infrastructure Projects: Walk through your infrastructure-related projects, highlighting your programming skills in Rust or Go and your approach to CI/CD pipelines and automation efforts.
AI Infrastructure: Discuss your understanding of AI infrastructure and how you've applied it in your previous roles.

Company & Culture Questions:

Company Culture: Describe what you appreciate about Aleph Alpha's company culture and how you can contribute to its success.
Team Dynamics: Explain how you approach collaboration and knowledge sharing within a team, and provide an example of a successful team project you've worked on.
AI & Machine Learning: Discuss your understanding of AI and machine learning technologies and how you've applied them in your previous roles.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

Kubernetes Cluster Management: Highlight your experience with Kubernetes cluster management, including high availability and security best practices.
Infrastructure Projects: Showcase your programming skills in Rust or Go, with a focus on infrastructure-related projects.
AI Infrastructure: Demonstrate your understanding of AI infrastructure and how you've applied it in your previous roles.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the role's focus on Kubernetes cluster management and AI infrastructure, it's essential to highlight your experience with these technologies and provide concrete examples of how you've applied them in your previous roles.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for the Senior Systems Engineer (f/m/d) position at Aleph Alpha:

Customize Your Portfolio: Highlight your experience with Kubernetes cluster management, including high availability and security best practices. Showcase your programming skills in Rust or Go, with a focus on infrastructure-related projects. Include examples of your work on CI/CD pipelines and automation efforts.
Optimize Your Resume: Emphasize your experience with Kubernetes, Helm, Ansible, Terraform, ArgoCD, GitLab CI, JFrog, Rust, and Go. Highlight your understanding of security best practices and your ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams.
Prepare for Technical Interviews: Brush up on your Kubernetes, Helm, Ansible, Terraform, ArgoCD, GitLab CI, JFrog, Rust, and Go skills. Review your experience with AI and machine learning technologies, as well as security best practices for infrastructure. Familiarize yourself with Aleph Alpha's company culture and values.
Research the Company: Learn about Aleph Alpha's focus on AI and machine learning technologies, as well as its company culture and values. Prepare questions to ask during the interview process to demonstrate your interest in the role and the organization.

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

Senior Systems Engineer (f/m/d)