Sounds like they want a devops person and not a developer. I understand the line is often blurred. I think it comes down to if the role is deploying K8’s etc. or just using it. If they are administering it then I’d hope that they would be able to answer those questions.

Good teams contain a balance of skills and abilities. It’s not unreasonable to want someone stronger in some areas than others to compliment the team. A diversity of talents also helps so that people teach each other.