Senior Site Reliability Engineer

Job Posting Organization:
The Wikimedia Foundation is a nonprofit organization that operates Wikipedia and other Wikimedia free knowledge projects. Established with the vision of a world where every individual can freely share in the sum of all knowledge, the foundation believes in the potential of every person to contribute to shared knowledge and the importance of free access to that knowledge. The organization hosts Wikipedia and builds software experiences for reading, contributing, and sharing Wikimedia content. It supports volunteer communities and advocates for policies that enable Wikimedia and free knowledge to thrive. The Wikimedia Foundation is a charitable organization that relies on donations from millions of individuals worldwide, with an average donation of about $1

• It is a United States 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization with offices in San Francisco, California, USA. The foundation values diversity and strives to maintain an inclusive workplace, encouraging applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply. It operates as a remote-first organization with staff members in over 40 countries, ensuring a global reach and diverse workforce.

Job Overview:
The Senior Site Reliability Engineer (SRE) at the Wikimedia Foundation plays a crucial role in supporting and developing the platform that serves Wikipedia, one of the most visited websites globally. The SRE team is responsible for maintaining the health of the infrastructure that supports Wikimedia's mission of sharing knowledge. This position involves performing daily operational and DevOps tasks, including deployment, maintenance, configuration, and troubleshooting of Wikimedia's public-facing infrastructure. The engineer will implement and utilize configuration management and deployment tools, lead continuous improvement efforts by automating processes, and collaborate closely with product teams to design scalable services. The role also includes participating in a 24/7 on-call rotation for incident response and diagnosis of system outages, mentoring peers, and occasionally traveling for team meetings and events. The ideal candidate will thrive in a remote-first environment and share the organization's values.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Senior Site Reliability Engineer will be responsible for a variety of tasks, including but not limited to: performing day-to-day operational and DevOps tasks on Wikimedia's public-facing infrastructure, which encompasses deployment, maintenance, configuration, and troubleshooting. The engineer will implement and utilize configuration management and deployment tools such as Puppet and Kubernetes. They will lead continuous improvement initiatives by automating the installation, configuration, and maintenance of services on the platform. The role requires close collaboration with product teams to assist in the architectural design of new services, ensuring they operate at scale. Participation in a 24/7 on-call rotation is essential, which includes incident response, diagnosis, and follow-up on system outages or alerts across Wikimedia's production infrastructure. The engineer will also mentor peers in their areas of technical and operational strength and must be willing to travel 1-2 times a year for in-person events and team meetings.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must have at least 6 years of experience in an SRE, Operations, or DevOps role as part of a team. They should possess experience with shell scripting and any relevant scripting languages used in an SRE context, such as Python, Go, Bash, or Ruby, with a primary focus on Python. Familiarity with configuration management tools like Puppet and Ansible is required. Candidates should have experience designing and managing infrastructure security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security for large fleets of diverse services, as well as technical response during security incidents. Proficiency in package management on Linux systems, particularly Debian, is necessary, along with strong Linux system-level troubleshooting skills. A history of automating tasks and processes, identifying process gaps, and finding automation opportunities is essential. Strong English language skills, both verbal and written, are required, along with the ability to work independently and effectively as part of a globally distributed team across multiple time zones.

Educational Background:
While the job description does not specify a particular educational background, it is generally expected that candidates have a degree in a relevant field such as Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related discipline. Relevant certifications in systems administration, cloud computing, or DevOps practices may also be beneficial.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of 6 years of experience in an SRE, Operations, or DevOps role. Candidates should have a proven track record of working as part of a team in a similar capacity, demonstrating their ability to handle the responsibilities outlined in the job description effectively.

Languages:
Strong English language skills are mandatory for this position, both verbal and written. Given the global nature of the team, proficiency in additional languages may be considered a plus but is not explicitly required.

Additional Notes:
The Wikimedia Foundation is a remote-first organization, allowing for flexibility in work location. The anticipated annual pay range for this position for applicants based within the United States is between US$113,082 and US$175,725, with variations based on individual factors such as cost of living in the location. For applicants located outside the US, the pay range will be adjusted according to the country of hire. The foundation does not consider salary history in its compensation decisions, focusing instead on the skills, experience, and location of the successful applicant. The organization is committed to hiring in various US states and several countries, ensuring a diverse and inclusive workforce.