Hire the Top 3% of Freelance DevOps Engineers

The Importance of DevOps Developers Is Increasing

DevOps, a combination of “development” and “operations,” is a methodology that strives to enable collaboration and coordination between teams that develop, deploy, and support software applications. The size of the DevOps market is projected to increase significantly, growing from an estimated $10.4 billion in 2023 to $25.5 billion by 2028. Gartner predicts that by 2026, about 80% of IT-related organizations are likely to establish platform engineering teams, which will provide reusable services, components, and tools internally, with the goal of streamlining the software delivery process. This further establishes DevOps as a distinct—and increasingly important—company division.

In general, the role requires more than just entry-level experience. Its duties cover a wide range of tasks and technologies, making a diverse skill set and a “jack-of-all-trades” mindset essential. DevOps specialists are frequently called upon to automate the testing and deployment of an application. This requires familiarity with the application stack, as DevOps engineers often provide feedback on implementing features that facilitate automation and standardization, as well as monitoring and disaster recovery. The combination of specialized skills and the expertise level required for these tasks makes it challenging to find quality DevOps experts for hire.

This guide provides insights on how to hire a DevOps engineer, including tips on how to write a job description, as well as which questions to ask during interviews. It also features an overview of the required skills and tools that DevOps engineers use to automate and streamline the deployment process.

What attributes distinguish quality DevOps Engineers from others?

While technical skills and experience are paramount, there are several key attributes that define highly skilled DevOps engineers. Because enabling collaboration between different teams and stakeholders is one of their core responsibilities, solid communication skills are mandatory. DevOps engineers are skilled diplomats, keeping everyone on the same page and fostering a productive environment.

They are also problem-solvers; integrating several custom applications into a smooth and automated process is no small task. DevOps engineers are adept at unearthing the root causes of problems or bottlenecks and devising innovative solutions. They are experts at building automated workflows to streamline the software delivery life cycle.

Finally, DevOps specialists are strategic visionaries. A major part of their roles and responsibilities is to understand the big picture and align the goals of the development team with the initiatives of the organization.

Core Technology Skills for DevOps

In terms of technical skills, candidates should be evaluated based on their knowledge of the application’s technology stack and the scale at which it will be deployed. DevOps tools are effectively a continuation of an application’s technology stack for production deployment. There are two major technology verticals that applications are deployed on: Windows and Linux.

Candidates working with Windows should have expertise in Microsoft’s technology stack, which includes the .NET framework, SQL Server, the SharePoint and Web API platforms, and Azure. Candidates should also be familiar with C# and F#, languages created by Microsoft that provide seamless interoperation with the .NET ecosystem.

For Linux, there are several differentiated app development stacks on top of the general Linux stack, including Python, Django, Ruby on Rails, Java, Node.js, and Go. They are similar enough that a Linux specialist will probably be effective with all of them, but each of the stacks has differences in required resources (memory versus CPU) and maintenance tasks. It’s best to hire a DevOps engineer who has previous experience with a specific stack.

Aside from vertical-specific technology skills, DevOps experts should be versed in cloud, automation, testing, and security topics:

Cloud – Modern DevOps practices rely heavily on cloud technologies. Major cloud providers, such as AWS, Azure, and GCP provide tools and services that DevOps engineers can leverage for infrastructure procurement, testing, scaling, and management. DevOps engineers should have an understanding of cloud architectures, in addition to cloud concepts such as IaaS (infrastructure as a service), PaaS (platform as a service), and SaaS (software as a service). DevOps engineers should also have experience using the tools and services offered by cloud providers in past deployments.

Automation – One of the cornerstones of DevOps is automation. With modern DevOps practices, many tasks throughout the software development life cycle (SDLC) are automated, including infrastructure provisioning, testing, and code deployment. Not only does automation reduce manual effort, it also improves consistency and reduces the chance of human error. Automation streamlines processes and improves efficiency. DevOps engineers require a keen eye for identifying tasks that can be automated and the knowledge to build reliable pipelines.

Testing – Testing plays an essential role in the SDLC. Any time there is a code change, extensive testing must be done to ensure the quality and functionality of applications. DevOps engineers are heavily engaged in the testing process and should be adept at utilizing testing frameworks like Selenium, Pytest, and JUnit to develop and incorporate automated testing into the deployment pipeline.

Security – With cyberthreats on the rise, DevOps engineers need to be conscious of security throughout the entire software development process. Software applications, infrastructure, and sensitive data must be protected from unauthorized access, and vulnerabilities detected and addressed before they become issues in production. For deployed applications, security incidents must be identified and contained as quickly as possible, with the next release updated to prevent reoccurrence. DevOps engineers should have in-depth knowledge about secure coding and infrastructure hardening, in addition to experience with firewalls, encryption, and intrusion detection systems.

CI/CD – When hiring a DevOps developer, their experience and expertise with continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) should be a primary consideration. The integration of CI/CD into the software deployment process benefits applications in virtually every environment. CI/CD automates the testing and deployment of new code, increasing quality and enabling the shipping of new features and bug fixes much more quickly. CI/CD reduces risk because each deployment contains fewer changes and, if necessary, changes can be rolled back easily. Tools and frameworks used by DevOps engineers for continuous integration include GitHub Actions, Bitbucket Pipelines, Jenkins, CircleCI, AWS CodePipelines, and Azure Pipelines.

[Alt text: A software development flowchart with Plan, Code, Build, Test, Release, Deploy, and Monitor stages. The CI cycle connects Test and Code; the CD cycle connects Test and Deploy.]

Complementary Technology Skills for DevOps

There are several programming and scripting languages that DevOps engineers use when automating tasks and managing infrastructure. While expertise in every language is typically not required, working knowledge of several common languages makes it easier for an engineer to adapt when environments change:

Python – Due to its readability, versatility, and cross-platform compatibility, Python is becoming increasingly popular with DevOps engineers. Python’s syntax is clear and concise, making it easy to learn and lending itself well to scripting automated tasks. Python scripts can be used to automate tasks such as unit testing, infrastructure provisioning, and managing configurations. Python also has a wealth of readily available libraries, frameworks, and resources, many specifically designed for DevOps tasks, including Ansible, Fabric, and Terraform.

Java – Java may not be as popular as Python in DevOps, but it remains relevant due to its significant enterprise adoption. Many applications rely on Java due to its robustness and maturity, and DevOps developers are often required to work with Java applications. Additionally, Java is frequently used to develop microservices, and DevOps engineers should have familiarity with the frameworks used to build them, such as Spring Boot and Eclipse Jersey.

Shell – Many of the scripts that DevOps engineers use to automate processes are executed in a command-line interpreter called the shell. Shell scripts are essentially commands written in plain text that are executed consecutively. There are several different shells available; two of the more popular modern shells are Bash and PowerShell. In particular, Bash is the default shell on most Linux distributions, and as such, Bash scripting is required knowledge for any DevOps engineer working in the Linux domain. Many DevOps tools, including Terraform, Docker, and Ansible, use Bash scripts for configuration, deployment, and execution.

Ruby – Ruby is a newer language that is growing in popularity with DevOps developers who frequently use it for scripting and automation tasks. Like Python, Ruby has an easy-to-learn syntax and is cross-platform compatible. It also features a growing library of DevOps tools, including Rake, Chef, Nanobox, and Puppet. Ruby skills are beneficial for DevOps engineers, not only for scripting and automation, but also for supporting the numerous applications developed with Ruby on Rails.

Go – You may occasionally hear a DevOps developer say “Go is the new Python.” Go, also known as Golang, is playing an increasingly important role in DevOps. Go is designed for speed and efficiency, and has built-in support for handling concurrent tasks and parallel processing. Go has a rapidly growing ecosystem, offering libraries and frameworks designed specifically for DevOps tasks. Many DevOps tools, including Docker, Kubernetes, and Terraform, were built with Go in order to leverage its performance, efficiency, and cross-platform capabilities. While Go is not required for every role, its performance and features make it a valuable tool in any DevOps developer’s toolkit.

How can you identify the ideal DevOps Engineer for you?

Because their skill set covers such a wide range of platforms and technologies, it can be difficult to identify and hire the ideal DevOps engineer for your specific project. Several factors must be considered. In addition to knowledge of the platform, infrastructure, and technology stack, team structure and dynamics must be taken into account, as well as existing processes for testing, deployment, and support. Once you’ve defined your requirements, you can identify the appropriate candidate experience level for your initiative.

How to Distinguish Between Junior, Mid-level, and Senior DevOps Engineers

Junior DevOps engineers are able to design and implement straightforward deployment architectures, as well as follow plans developed by more senior engineers to implement complex architectures. They can also implement basic automation tasks and provide support for the infrastructure. In their day-to-day work, junior DevOps engineers manage app deployments, communicate with developers and other stakeholders, and build tools and infrastructure that aid deployment, troubleshooting, and technical support.

Mid-level DevOps engineers are capable of working independently, executing established strategies, and developing complex deployment architectures. Some of the daily duties of a mid-level DevOps engineer include setting up and managing CI/CD pipelines, troubleshooting production issues, writing and maintaining automation scripts, and managing infrastructure.

Senior DevOps engineers have a deep understanding of DevOps practices and can be called upon to shape an organization’s DevOps strategy. Their expertise lies in analyzing the applications and infrastructure, and implementing a deployment architecture that seamlessly integrates the application’s needs with the overall goals of the business. They have experience with a wide range of platforms and can give valuable insight about the trade-offs between functionality and reliability. Senior DevOps engineers are authorities in areas like performance optimization, advanced automation, security, and cloud-native technologies, often leading and mentoring junior and mid-level engineers.

Senior DevOps engineers are also well versed in cost allocation. Major cloud platforms like AWS, GCP, and Azure are flexible and provide powerful features, but different platforms can have very different costs for similar types of deployments. Even if an application is deployed on a VPS-based (virtual private server) infrastructure instead of a managed cloud, costs and reliability can vary wildly.

Business Use Cases: Large- vs. Small-scale Applications

An application’s scale, often expressed as its number of active users, is generally limited by its underlying architecture. In some cases, DevOps practices and tools can improve scalability; however, they are not able to compensate for a poorly architected application. Smaller-scale environments, such as internal company apps, smaller web shops, or B2B businesses, often use different DevOps solutions than larger-scale and B2C platforms. As a result, there are different skill requirements when hiring for these two use cases.

Streamlining Workflows for Small-scale Applications – A small-scale application can be effectively managed by a DevOps expert familiar with commonly available tools. These include Ansible and Docker for infrastructure automation, Git for version control, and Prometheus, Grafana, and ELK (Elasticsearch, Logstash, and Kibana) for monitoring. For scripting, the languages used are typically Bash or Python. These tools should be enough for a developer to manage applications, even ones built on an older stack like LAMP.

Optimizing Large-scale Applications for High-volume Traffic – Achieving massive scalability requires a different approach. The focus of developers working in a large-scale environment is automating the horizontal scaling of identical instances, usually paired with implementing a flexible architecture, such as microservices. DevOps experts working on microservices leverage tools like Kubernetes or Terraform, or cloud-specific offerings such as AWS ECS, AWS CloudFormations, Google Cloud Deployment Manager, and Azure Resource Manager. While large-scale environments don’t inherently require it, deploying on the cloud is often more time-effective, especially when combined with the security best practices offered by the major platforms.

Large-scale environments typically require a team of DevOps engineers, whereas a single engineer may be enough for a smaller environment. In addition, a large environment often requires engineers to be on call in different time zones to handle emergencies that happen in different regions.

How to Write a DevOps Engineer Job Description for Your Project

A DevOps engineer job description should contain detailed information about the project, including its scope and scale, the tech stack, and relevant infrastructure. In some cases, a company will hire DevOps engineers to join an existing DevOps team with an existing infrastructure; while in other cases, DevOps engineers might be hired to develop a deployment architecture from scratch. All relevant DevOps engineer skills should be identified, including the project’s software languages and frameworks, cloud providers, and databases.

The job description should also contain a high-level description of the project and its business goals, identifying any required domain knowledge. Include information about the teams that the candidate will be working with, as well as an overview of the company culture. It is also helpful to point out soft skills that you consider essential to the job; these might include communication, problem-solving, and adaptability. Mention the job’s location; as many modern applications are deployed on remote infrastructures, companies often hire remote DevOps engineers. Finally, list the perks and benefits that the company offers. The more focused the job description is, the easier it will be to hire the right DevOps specialist.

What are the most important DevOps Engineer interview questions?

An interview for a DevOps role should assess both the candidate’s technical expertise and practical experience. Match technical questions to the candidate’s skill set and discuss recent projects and challenges to gain insight into their problem-solving approaches. The following questions can lead to discussions relevant to a DevOps role:

What is the key purpose of DevOps?

The primary objective of DevOps is to bridge the gap between the software development and IT operations teams in order to deliver more reliable and higher quality software more efficiently. DevOps encourages collaboration and communication, ensuring that team members are able to work together efficiently. DevOps leverages automation, rapid iteration, and constant feedback to streamline the software deployment process. While this question doesn’t directly evaluate technical skills, it gives the candidate an opportunity to share their big-picture vision of DevOps and its core principles.

What is the DevOps life cycle for a typical application?

Asking about a typical application’s DevOps life cycle gauges the candidate’s understanding of the core principles of DevOps and modern software deployment practices. DevOps relies heavily on automation for efficiency and reliability, with CI/CD playing a key role. The continuous integration (CI) aspect of the CI/CD pipeline ensures that any changes to the code are quickly integrated and tested, while the continuous deployment (CD) part handles their automatic deployment. The CI/CD pipeline also creates a constant feedback loop, where developers are informed of every bug or anomaly found during testing. Monitoring tools are vital in DevOps; performance, resource usage, and logs are continuously monitored, and the appropriate teams are alerted to any potential issues.

Integration, deployment, testing, and monitoring are a cycle that is repeated, sometimes for every change in an application’s codebase. However, the DevOps life cycle is not rigid; it is constantly adapting to feedback, as well as changing when requirements evolve.

What are some of the most common tools used in DevOps?

Because DevOps spans every stage of the SDLC, there is a wide range of tools available, each one addressing a specific DevOps need. Software version control is handled by platforms such as Git and GitHub, which help track changes in source code during development. Configuration management tools help with infrastructure configuration and automation; these include Ansible, Chef, and Puppet. Many modern software applications are deployed in containers. Docker is currently the most popular tool for building containerized applications, while Kubernetes is widely used for container orchestration.

CI/CD platforms like Jenkins and CircleCI are instrumental in streamlining automated testing and deployment. After an application is deployed, monitoring and logging can be done with tools such as Prometheus, Grafana, and ELK. Other commonly found tools include Selenium and JUnit for automated testing and Terraform for building and configuring infrastructure. This question will yield insights into the candidate’s preferred tools and can be a good springboard for a conversation about their experience and comfort level with various technologies.

How does automation increase reliability and efficiency?

One of the most important goals of DevOps is automating the testing and deployment process. Automation increases efficiency by creating standardized processes and reducing the manual workload, allowing developers and administrators to focus on design and problem-solving. Automation also reduces the chance of human error in repetitive tasks such as unit testing and builds, leading to fewer bugs and configuration errors. Asking this question can help identify candidates who have strong knowledge of automating deployments, one of the most fundamental principles of DevOps. The candidate’s response can also lead to further discussion about automation strategies and challenges they may have faced when automating deployments in the past.

What are private networks, and how do you use them in app deployments?

When developing applications, a general rule of thumb is to put resources like databases, file servers, or any other kinds of critical infrastructure into private networks (internal networks that are inaccessible from the public internet), allowing access via proxies and gateway only to specific operations. An understanding of best practices regarding private networks reflects a developer’s ability to implement secure solutions and avoid cyberattacks. In addition, private networks offer greater control over configuration, traffic management, and access policies. Many companies use hybrid networks, combining public and private networks for an optimal balance of security, scalability, accessibility, and cost.

Why is containerization good for app deployments?

A container is a lightweight package that encapsulates an application and its dependencies, including runtime and libraries, providing a consistent environment for deployment. DevOps candidates should be familiar with containerization and the advantages it provides, including increasing an application’s portability and scalability, as well as simplifying and speeding up deployments. Containers also run in their own isolated environment, improving overall stability and security. The majority of applications can benefit from containerization. Strong candidates will have experience deploying applications in containers using tools such as Docker and Kubernetes.

How do you increase the reliability of the production environment?

This is an open-ended question, which sheds light on the candidate’s problem-solving skills, collaborative mindset, and aptitude for risk management. Responses will differ depending on the scale and architecture of the application but will generally involve steps like deploying the app back end to multiple availability zones, using content delivery networks, and replicating the database for failover. In any case, candidates should discuss increasing application monitoring and log aggregation, as well as strategies for mitigating security issues both in the application and in the deployment environment.

How do Agile and DevOps interrelate?

Agile and DevOps are both designed to increase efficiency and responsiveness in software development. Agile focuses on setting goals and defining the development workflow, while DevOps delivers the tools and techniques to execute the workflow. Essentially, Agile asks “Why?” and DevOps asks “How?” This question explores a candidate’s understanding of the core principles of DevOps and Agile, and how they complement one another.

Why do companies hire DevOps Engineers?

Modern software applications are complex and use a multitude of technologies and environments. Traditionally, software developers focused on writing code, while IT operations managed the infrastructure, a siloed approach that often led to bottlenecks. DevOps bridges the gap between development and operations by automating and streamlining the deployment process. Companies hire DevOps programmers to improve not only the efficiency of the software life cycle, but also the reliability of the deployment architecture. Because of the complexities involved in modern deployments, especially those involving highly scalable and highly available apps, the DevOps role is becoming more and more specialized, and increasingly present as a distinct part of company structures.