Freelance Platform Engineer · Kubernetes · DevSecOps

An internal platform your teams use to ship faster and safer

I design, build and improve Kubernetes platforms with GitOps, CI/CD and security by default. Your developers get a paved road from commit to production; your organisation gets control over cost, compliance and reliability.

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Reply within 1 business day · Netherlands, Belgium and remote

  • 20+years in IT
  • 800+Kubernetes clusters helped roll out
  • 5+years hands-on Kubernetes in enterprise

Sound familiar? Time for platform engineering

When every team builds its own pipelines, clusters and scripts, you pay twice: in time, in risk and in frustration.

Releases stall on tickets

Developers wait days for a namespace, a database or a firewall rule. Lead time and morale drop.

Every team does it differently

Ten ways to deploy, zero standards. Knowledge lives in people's heads and onboarding takes months.

Security comes last

Vulnerabilities and misconfigurations are found in production, or during the audit.

Kubernetes feels like a burden

The cluster runs, but nobody really owns upgrades, cost, monitoring and incidents anymore.

Services

What I build for you

From a first scan to a platform your teams use on their own. I work hands-on in your environment and hand everything over with documentation and coaching.

Internal Developer Platform

A self-service platform with golden paths: teams start a new service from a template and are running in a secure, monitored environment within an hour.

  • Golden paths & service templates
  • Self-service namespaces and environments
  • Developer portal (e.g. Backstage)

Kubernetes platforms

Production-ready clusters on Azure (AKS), AWS (EKS), GCP or on-premises with K3s/Rancher. Reproducible, scalable and upgradable.

  • Design, build and migration
  • Multi-cluster & fleet management
  • Upgrades and lifecycle management

GitOps & CI/CD

Git as the single source of truth. Every change can be reviewed, audited and rolled back, for applications and infrastructure alike.

  • ArgoCD or Rancher Fleet
  • Pipelines in GitLab CI, GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps
  • Helm and Kustomize standards

DevSecOps & Kubernetes security

Security by default instead of after the fact: scans in the pipeline, policy as code and runtime detection, without slowing developers down.

  • Trivy, Kyverno, Falco
  • RBAC, NetworkPolicies and Pod Security
  • Supply chain security and SBOMs

Infrastructure as Code

No more clicking in portals. Networks, clusters and cloud resources live in code, with review and reproducible rollouts.

  • Terraform / OpenTofu
  • Ansible for OS and configuration
  • Linux patching and hardening

Observability & reliability

See what is happening before your customers notice: metrics, logs and alerts that matter, tied to SLOs.

  • Prometheus & Alertmanager
  • Grafana dashboards
  • Loki for central logging

Approach

My approach: from scan to self-sufficient teams

Platform engineering is not a tool you install, it is a product you build for your developers. That is why I work in short, measurable steps.

  1. Week 1–2

    Platform scan

    I map your current landscape: clusters, pipelines, security, cost and your teams' biggest bottlenecks. You get a concrete report with quick wins and a roadmap.

  2. Week 2–4

    Design & golden path

    Together with your teams we define the standards: one paved road from code to production, with security and observability built in.

  3. Iterative

    Build & automate

    I build the platform as code, in sprints, with working results every iteration. One pilot team first, then scale out.

  4. Per team

    Onboard & migrate

    I guide teams through containerisation and migration to the platform, with reference implementations and hands-on pairing.

  5. Ongoing

    Handover & enablement

    Documentation, runbooks and knowledge sessions. The goal: your organisation can run it without depending on me.

Tools

Proven tooling, no hype

I choose tools based on your situation and maturity, preferring open source and open standards so you don't build up vendor lock-in.

Container platform

  • Kubernetes
  • K3s
  • AKS
  • EKS
  • GKE
  • Rancher
  • Helm
  • Kustomize

GitOps & CI/CD

  • ArgoCD
  • Rancher Fleet
  • GitLab CI
  • GitHub Actions
  • Azure DevOps
  • Jenkins

Security

  • Trivy
  • Kyverno
  • Falco
  • RBAC
  • NetworkPolicies
  • cert-manager
  • Pod Security Admission

Infrastructure as Code

  • Terraform
  • OpenTofu
  • Ansible
  • Bash
  • Python

Observability

  • Prometheus
  • Grafana
  • Alertmanager
  • Loki
  • OpenTelemetry

Cloud & OS

  • Azure
  • AWS
  • GCP
  • Private cloud
  • Red Hat
  • Debian
  • Alpine

DevSecOps

Security lives in the platform, not in a checklist

I think like a DevSecOps engineer: the secure way has to be the easy way. So I build the controls into the platform itself, and every team gets them automatically.

  • Shift left

    Images, dependencies and IaC are scanned in the pipeline. Critical vulnerabilities never reach production.

  • Policy as code

    Kyverno policies enforce it: no root containers, resource limits, trusted registries only.

  • Zero trust in the cluster

    Default-deny NetworkPolicies, least-privilege RBAC and secrets that never live in Git.

  • Runtime detection

    Falco flags unusual behaviour in containers, wired into your alerting.

  • Provably compliant

    Every change goes through Git and review: an audit trail for ISO 27001, NIS2 and SOC 2.

How we can work together

Whether you need a complete platform or an experienced engineer in your team, there is a model that fits.

Fixed price

Platform scan

An independent review of your Kubernetes, CI/CD and security setup, with a report, priorities and a roadmap.

Book a call
Outcome-based

Project

A well-defined engagement: a new platform, a migration to Kubernetes or introducing GitOps.

Book a call
Freelance

Contract / interim

I join your platform team as a senior platform engineer, for a set period or a fixed number of days per week.

Book a call
Knowledge transfer

Coaching & enablement

Workshops and guidance for your development and ops teams, so they can use and evolve the platform on their own.

Book a call

About

About Jesse Mirza

I am a senior platform engineer with more than 20 years in IT and over 5 years of hands-on Kubernetes in enterprise environments. I helped roll out more than 800 Kubernetes clusters and guide feature teams through onboarding, containerisation and migrations.

My strength is the combination: deep technical knowledge of Linux, Kubernetes and security, and the ability to pass it on. I turn the recurring problems teams run into into reusable standards, automation and a better developer experience.

  • Platform enablement for feature teams
  • GitOps with ArgoCD and Rancher Fleet
  • Kubernetes security with Falco, Trivy and Kyverno
  • Fluent in Dutch, English and Arabic
View my full profile LinkedIn

Frequently asked questions

What does a platform engineer do?

A platform engineer builds and runs the internal platform that development teams use to build, test and run their software. Think Kubernetes clusters, CI/CD pipelines, GitOps, security scanning and monitoring, offered as self-service so teams no longer wait on operations.

What is the difference between DevOps and platform engineering?

DevOps is a culture and way of working: teams own both building and running their software. Platform engineering makes that achievable at scale by bundling the shared tooling and knowledge into an internal platform, so not every team has to reinvent the wheel.

What kind of organisation is this for?

Organisations with several development teams that run on Kubernetes or in the cloud, or want to. From scale-ups that want to grow without chaos to enterprises and public sector bodies that need control over security and compliance.

How soon can you start?

Usually within a few weeks. After an intro call I write a proposal with scope, planning and cost. A platform scan can often start at short notice.

Do you work on-site or remotely?

Both. I like a hybrid setup: on-site for workshops and knowledge sessions, remote for build work. I work throughout the Netherlands and Belgium, and remotely across Europe.

Do you work with Azure, AWS or on-premises?

All three. I have extensive Azure experience (AKS, Azure DevOps) and also work with AWS, GCP and private cloud with K3s and Rancher. The choice depends on your situation, not on my preference.

How much does it cost to hire a platform engineer?

That depends on the model: a platform scan has a fixed price, contracting is based on an hourly or daily rate, and projects can be priced on outcome. Get in touch for a tailored, no-obligation proposal.

What is platform engineering?

Contact

Let's talk about your platform

Tell me briefly what you are running into. I reply within one business day with a suggestion for a free 30-minute call.

  • Free, no-obligation intro call
  • Honest advice, even if you don't need me
  • A concrete proposal with scope and planning

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