Senior Manager of Reseller Platform Operation team (hybrid)

About the team:

Our OPS and Support team is distributed across three main locations – Munich, Regensburg, and Bucharest – and collaborates closely with other teams across the IONOS Group. We manage a diverse and modern tech stack, including Kubernetes, Proxmox, Ansible, and databases like MySQL, PostgreSQL, and MongoDB. We value collaboration, automation, and continuous improvement.

About the role:

We’re looking for a forward-thinking leader to oversee our internal platform operations and guide a dedicated team of professionals. In this role, you’ll blend hands-on technical expertise with leadership skills to manage a range of open-source solutions, including Unix/Linux-based systems, databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL, Cassandra), Kubernetes clusters and Kafka. You’ll also collaborate closely with external partners and customers, coordinating on-call rotations to maintain 24/7 service availability. If you’re passionate about fostering a culture of innovation, reliability, and open-source excellence, this position offers the opportunity to shape the future of our domain-focused business.

Main responsibilities:

Leadership & Team Culture

• Provide technical and disciplinary guidance to a committed platform and support team.
• Encourage engagement, growth, and accountability through regular feedback and goal-setting.
• Promote a mindset of continuous improvement throughout all processes.

Operations & Automation

• Ensure stable, secure, and high-performing operations across various Unix/Linux-based systems.
• Refine provisioning and configuration processes (e.g., Ansible) to boost efficiency and minimize manual interventions.
• Manage and scale Kubernetes clusters, and coordinate with open-source tools like Kafka to balance stability, cost, and performance.

Database Administration & Innovation

• Monitor and optimize databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL, Cassandra), including performance tuning, backups, and failover strategies.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and solutions to improve performance, availability, and scalability within an open-source ecosystem.

On-Call Coordination & Incident Response

• Design an effective on-call model to guarantee around-the-clock coverage.
• Act as the escalation point for critical incidents, leading swift mitigation in close collaboration with external partners or customers.
• Establish clear responsibilities and communication paths for rapid issue resolution.

Strategic Collaboration

• Work closely with cross-functional teams (DevOps, Product Management, Leadership) to align platform operations with core business objectives.
• Provide regular updates on system performance, project milestones, and resource requirements.
• Initiate cross-departmental projects to streamline workflows, encourage innovation, and strengthen collaboration throughout the organisation.

Requirements:

Leadership Experience: Proven track record in guiding or coordinating technical teams.

Technical Expertise: Strong background in Unix/Linux administration, open-source automation tools (e.g., Ansible), Kubernetes, and databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL, Cassandra). Experience with Kafka and similar technologies is highly beneficial.

Problem-Solving Skills: Skilled at diagnosing, prioritizing, and resolving complex operational issues under pressure.

Communication Strength: Able to convey technical topics effectively to both technical and non-technical stakeholders, including external partners or customers.

Continuous Learning: A passion for staying up-to-date with evolving open-source technologies and industry best practices.

Tech stack:

Our tech stack is diverse and modern — during your work with us, you’ll have the opportunity to learn and grow with technologies such as Debian Linux, SmartOS, Kubernetes, Proxmox, KVM, VMware, Ansible, GitLab CI/CD, MySQL, Percona Cluster, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Kafka, HAProxy, ProxySQL, Pacemaker, Heartbeat, Keepalived, PowerDNS, Prometheus, Grafana, Nagios, OpenVPN, pfSense, and networking components like routing, VLANs, and BGP.

What we offer:

• Access to local/international trainings, development and growth opportunities, including access to e-learning platforms, covering both technical and soft skills areas;
• Modern technologies, product responsibility;
• Flexible work schedule;
• Hybrid work option;
• Medical services package from one of two private providers;
• 25 vacation days per year;
• Substitute days off for public holidays that occur on the weekend;
• Meal tickets;
• Internal referral program;
• Team events, networking events organized to promote a passionate, creative and diverse culture;
• Summerfest and Winterfest parties;
• Of course, coffee, soft drinks and fresh fruits are on us in the office.