Need DevOps Engineers Before Your Infrastructure Breaks?
Your deployments are manual. Your CI/CD pipeline is duct tape and prayers. The one person who knows how Kubernetes actually works is interviewing at Stripe.
You tried to hire. Posted the job two months ago. Got fifty applications from people who listed “Docker” after watching a YouTube tutorial. Your recruiter keeps sending you “DevOps specialists” who’ve never been paged at 2 AM.
Or maybe you went the platform route. Waited three weeks for Toptal to match you. The “senior DevOps engineer” they sent couldn’t explain the difference between a deployment and a service in Kubernetes.
You don’t have another month to figure this out. Your team is shipping slower every sprint.
To receive vetted candidate profiles
From discovery call to engineer onboarded
Less than US-based DevOps engineers
Of applicants pass our vetting
No recruiter runaround. No four-week matching games. No “DevOps engineers” who’ve never managed production infrastructure. 90-day replacement guarantee if it’s not a fit.
Why Engineering Leaders Switch to Ideaware for DevOps
Tired of waiting a month for a staffing platform to send someone who can’t actually build pipelines? You’re not alone. Most of our clients come to us after a failed hire, a ghosted contractor, or a “senior” DevOps engineer who needed more supervision than the junior developers.
Here’s what they tell us:
"We needed someone who could take over our AWS infrastructure immediately. The first two agencies sent people who'd only done tutorials. Ideaware sent us three candidates who'd actually managed production Kubernetes clusters. Our pick started the next week."
What makes us different isn’t a secret: it’s preparation. We’ve spent over a decade building a pipeline of 1,300+ pre-vetted senior engineers across Latin America. When you call us, we’re not starting a search. We’re pulling from engineers who’ve already passed our 5-step vetting process.
We actually test for DevOps expertise. Not ops engineers who learned Docker last month. We test for infrastructure design, Terraform module architecture, incident response, security mindset, and real production experience. Only 3% pass.
We handle the operational burden. Payroll, benefits, equipment, HR, retention programs, career development. You manage the infrastructure work. We manage everything else.
We guarantee results. 90-day replacement guarantee, no questions asked. Our retention rate is 2x the industry average because we invest in engineers staying and growing with your team.
What Our DevOps Engineers Do
Our DevOps engineers don’t just “maintain servers.” They build the platforms and pipelines that let your developers ship faster with confidence. Here’s what they actually do:
- Design and implement CI/CD pipelines that automate testing, building, and deploying across environments
- Build infrastructure as code with Terraform, Pulumi, or CloudFormation for reproducible, version-controlled infrastructure
- Containerize applications with Docker and orchestrate with Kubernetes, ECS, or other platforms
- Implement GitOps workflows using ArgoCD, Flux, or similar tools for declarative infrastructure management
- Configure monitoring and alerting with Prometheus, Grafana, Datadog, or CloudWatch for proactive issue detection
- Establish logging and observability using ELK stack, Loki, or cloud-native solutions
- Implement security best practices including secrets management, vulnerability scanning, and compliance controls
- Optimize for cost and performance across compute, storage, and networking resources
- Design disaster recovery and high availability architectures with proper backup and failover strategies
- Collaborate with development teams to improve developer experience and reduce friction in the deployment process
When to Hire DevOps Engineers
You need DevOps engineers if you’re:
Deploying Manually If releases involve SSH, manual scripts, or “that one person who knows how to deploy,” you need automation.
Experiencing Frequent Incidents Downtime, slow deployments, and firefighting indicate infrastructure that needs engineering attention.
Scaling Your Team More developers means more infrastructure complexity. DevOps engineers ensure your platform scales with your team.
Moving to the Cloud Cloud migrations require expertise in cloud-native services, networking, security, and cost management.
Adopting Containers or Kubernetes Container orchestration is powerful but complex. You need engineers who’ve done it in production.
Improving Developer Experience Long build times, flaky deployments, and environment inconsistencies slow everyone down.
Common Tech Stack & Skills
Our DevOps engineers are fluent in modern infrastructure tools:
CI/CD:
- GitHub Actions
- GitLab CI
- Jenkins
- CircleCI
- ArgoCD
Infrastructure as Code:
- Terraform
- Pulumi
- CloudFormation
- Ansible
- Chef/Puppet
Containers & Orchestration:
- Docker
- Kubernetes
- Helm
- ECS/EKS/GKE
- Docker Compose
Cloud Platforms:
- AWS (EC2, ECS, EKS, Lambda, RDS, S3)
- Google Cloud Platform
- Azure
- DigitalOcean
Monitoring & Observability:
- Prometheus
- Grafana
- Datadog
- New Relic
- CloudWatch
- ELK Stack
Networking & Security:
- VPC design
- Load balancers
- DNS management
- SSL/TLS
- Secrets management (Vault, AWS Secrets Manager)
- IAM and RBAC
Scripting & Automation:
- Bash
- Python
- Go
- Make
The Ideaware Difference
1. Senior-Level Talent Only
80% of our clients hire an engineer from our initial list because we pre-screen for actual expertise. Our DevOps engineers average 5+ years of professional experience, have built production infrastructure from scratch, and understand the difference between demo environments and enterprise-grade systems.
2. Time Zone Alignment That Actually Works
Your DevOps engineers work during US business hours (EST, CST, PST). That means real-time incident response, instant Slack responses during your workday, and collaborative debugging without 12-hour delays. 0-3 hour difference, not 12+ like offshore alternatives.
3. Retention You Can Count On
Our retention rate is 2x the industry average because we invest in our engineers’ growth. Career pathing, continued education, certification support, community building, competitive compensation. Your DevOps engineer isn’t a contractor looking for the next gig—they’re a long-term team member.
4. Full-Cycle Support
We’re not a recruiting agency that disappears after placement. We handle:
- Payroll & benefits administration
- HR support & conflict resolution
- Equipment & workspace setup
- Career development & training
- Performance reviews & growth planning
- Team events & culture building
You get an extended team member. We handle everything else.
Our Vetting Process for DevOps Engineers
Only 3% of applicants pass our screening. Here’s how we ensure quality:
Step 1: Technical Assessment (Async) Candidates complete a DevOps-specific technical assessment covering infrastructure design, CI/CD pipeline creation, troubleshooting scenarios, and security considerations. We evaluate their approach to real-world problems.
Step 2: Live Infrastructure Challenge 90-minute session designing or debugging infrastructure for a real scenario. We assess their problem-solving approach, tool proficiency, and communication style.
Step 3: Production Experience Review Candidates present a past infrastructure project, explaining design decisions, scaling challenges, incident handling, and lessons learned. We dig into operational maturity and collaboration skills.
Step 4: Cultural Fit & Communication We evaluate English proficiency, collaboration style, work preferences, and alignment with startup or enterprise culture depending on your needs.
Step 5: Reference Checks We verify past work, speak with previous managers, and validate the engineer’s track record with production systems and on-call responsibilities.
Result: You only meet engineers who’ve been thoroughly vetted across technical ability, communication, and cultural fit.
Pricing & Engagement Models
Transparent Pricing
Senior DevOps Engineers: $5,000-8,500/month Includes: Full-time employment (40 hrs/week), benefits, payroll taxes, HR support, equipment, retention programs
Compare to US-based engineers:
- US Senior DevOps Engineer Salary: $140,000-190,000/year ($11,667-15,833/month)
- Payroll taxes (7.65%)
- Benefits (health, 401k, etc): $1,500-2,500/month
- Recruiting fees (20-30% of salary): $28,000-57,000 upfront
- Onboarding & ramp time cost
Your savings: 40-60% compared to US-based hires, without sacrificing quality, communication, or collaboration.
Engagement Options
1. Staff Augmentation (Most Popular) Add 1-3 DevOps engineers directly to your existing team. They work as full team members, attend your standups, use your tools, and report to your engineering leads.
2. Dedicated Platform Team Build a full infrastructure team including DevOps engineers, SREs, and a platform lead. We handle team coordination while you define priorities.
3. Project-Based Engagement Define a scope, timeline, and deliverables. We assemble the right DevOps talent and deliver CI/CD implementations, cloud migrations, or Kubernetes rollouts.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to hire DevOps engineers through Ideaware?
Senior DevOps engineers cost $5,000-8,500/month depending on experience level and specialization. This is a flat monthly rate that includes:
- Full-time employment (40 hours/week)
- Benefits and payroll taxes
- HR support and retention programs
- Equipment and workspace
- Ongoing training and certification support
Compared to US-based DevOps engineers ($140,000-190,000/year = $11,667-15,833/month), you save 40-60% while getting the same quality, time zone alignment, and communication.
There are no recruiting fees, placement fees, or hidden costs. If an engineer doesn’t work out, we replace them at no additional charge.
What's the difference between DevOps and SRE engineers?
DevOps focuses on the development-to-deployment pipeline: CI/CD, infrastructure as code, automation, and developer experience.
SRE (Site Reliability Engineering) focuses on production reliability: monitoring, incident response, SLOs/SLIs, capacity planning, and operational excellence.
In practice, there’s significant overlap. Many of our engineers have experience in both areas. When you describe your needs, we’ll match you with engineers whose experience aligns with your priorities.
Our recommendation: If you need someone to build CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure automation, focus on DevOps experience. If you need someone to improve uptime, reduce incidents, and manage on-call rotations, prioritize SRE experience.
What skills should I look for in a DevOps engineer?
Essential skills for senior DevOps engineers:
Infrastructure as Code:
- Terraform or Pulumi (most important)
- Version-controlled infrastructure
- Module design and reusability
- State management
CI/CD:
- Pipeline design and optimization
- Automated testing integration
- Deployment strategies (blue-green, canary)
- Artifact management
Containers & Orchestration:
- Docker
- Kubernetes (or ECS/other orchestrators)
- Helm charts
- Container security
Cloud Platforms:
- Deep expertise in at least one (AWS, GCP, Azure)
- Networking (VPC, load balancers, DNS)
- IAM and security
- Cost optimization
Monitoring & Observability:
- Metrics, logs, traces
- Alerting strategies
- Incident response
Soft Skills:
- Clear communication in English
- Collaboration with developers
- Documentation
- On-call reliability
All Ideaware DevOps engineers are vetted across these technical and soft skills before you ever meet them.
What time zones do your DevOps engineers work in?
Our DevOps engineers work in your time zone or with minimal offset (0-3 hours).
Why this matters for DevOps:
- Real-time incident response during your business hours
- Same-day pipeline fixes and deployments
- Live collaboration on infrastructure changes
- On-call coverage during US business hours
This is the biggest advantage of nearshore over offshore—you get cost savings and real-time collaboration when infrastructure matters most.
What if a DevOps engineer doesn't work out?
We replace them at no additional cost.
We’re confident in our vetting process, but we also know that sometimes fit isn’t perfect. Maybe the chemistry isn’t right, maybe priorities shifted, maybe the role requirements changed.
Our Replacement Guarantee:
- If you’re not satisfied with an engineer’s performance, communication, or fit within the first 90 days, we’ll find a replacement immediately
- No fees, no penalties, no questions asked
- We handle the transition and ensure minimal disruption to your infrastructure
You’re not stuck. You’re supported.
Next Steps: Get DevOps Help This Week
Here’s how to get started:
Monday: Share your infrastructure challenges. 30-minute discovery call, no sales pitch.
Wednesday: Review 2-4 vetted DevOps engineer profiles. Full backgrounds, infrastructure experience, certifications.
Next Week: Interview your top picks. Conduct infrastructure challenges or architecture discussions.
Day 10-14: Your DevOps engineer is onboarded and improving your systems.
Related Guides:
- Ideaware vs Toptal — Speed, cost, and quality compared
- Cost to Hire Developers — Complete pricing guide
- Hire Nearshore Developers — Why Latin America
- Hire AWS Developers — Cloud infrastructure specialists