Platform Engineer Intern

Carnegie Mellon University • Pittsburgh, PA

23h • Onsite

About The Position

The Mission: In modern warfare, the speed of relevance is determined by the speed of software. The Software Engineering Institute (SEI) is at the forefront of this evolution. Our team is transitioning from traditional DevSecOps to Platform Engineering, focusing on building the resilient, automated, and secure developer and operational platforms that power the Department of War. We don't just solve technical challenges; we build the digital foundries that allow our nation’s most critical programs to deploy secure code at the tactical edge. Position Summary: As a Platform Engineering Intern, you won't be sitting on the sidelines. You will join the DevSecOps Innovation Team to bridge the gap between complex software engineering and operational reality. Your work will directly contribute to: Operationalizing Resilience: Helping government programs move past "checkbox security" to automated, continuous ATO (Authority to Operate) processes. Engineering the "Paved Road": Prototyping self-service tools and infrastructure-as-code (IaC) that reduce cognitive load for mission-critical developers. Rapid Prototyping: Identifying emerging technologies and building "proof of concepts" that solve rare and urgent defense challenges.

Requirements

• Enrolled in a degree granting program.
• Willingness to travel to various locations to support the SEI’s overall mission. This includes within the SEI and CMU community.
• You will be subject to a background check and must be eligible to work in the United States without Visa sponsorship.
• A passion for Platform Engineering and a "systems thinking" mindset.
• Familiarity with the DevSecOps lifecycle (Code, Build, Test, Release, Deploy, Monitor).
• Exposure to containerization (Docker/Kubernetes) and cloud environments.
• Strong communication skills—you can explain the why behind the how .
• The Drive to Serve: A desire to apply high-level engineering to protect and support those in the field.

Responsibilities

• Assist in designing and maintaining robust CI/CD pipelines and cloud-native ecosystems that prioritize security and developer experience.
• Work alongside SEI experts to analyze customer requirements and translate them into actionable engineering workflows.
• Use tools like Kubernetes, Terraform, and GitOps to ensure our systems are repeatable, scalable, and resilient against sophisticated threats.
• Research and demonstrate new techniques in software supply chain security and automated system recovery.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Intern
• Education Level: No Education Listed