diff --git a/torchx/schedulers/kubernetes_scheduler.py b/torchx/schedulers/kubernetes_scheduler.py
index e1e73b91b..c06eebc8a 100644
--- a/torchx/schedulers/kubernetes_scheduler.py
+++ b/torchx/schedulers/kubernetes_scheduler.py
@@ -169,6 +169,17 @@
 
 LABEL_INSTANCE_TYPE = "node.kubernetes.io/instance-type"
 
+# role.env translates to static env variables in the yaml
+# {"FOO" : "bar"}               =====>      - name: FOO
+#                                             value: bar
+# unless this placeholder is present at the start of the role.env value then the env variable
+# in the yaml will be dynamically populated at runtime (placeholder is stripped out of the value)
+# {"FOO" : "[FIELD_PATH]bar"}   =====>      - name: FOO
+#                                             valueFrom:
+#                                               fieldRef:
+#                                                 fieldPath: bar
+PLACEHOLDER_FIELD_PATH = "[FIELD_PATH]"
+
 
 def sanitize_for_serialization(obj: object) -> object:
     from kubernetes import client
@@ -183,7 +194,9 @@ def role_to_pod(name: str, role: Role, service_account: Optional[str]) -> "V1Pod
         V1ContainerPort,
         V1EmptyDirVolumeSource,
         V1EnvVar,
+        V1EnvVarSource,
         V1HostPathVolumeSource,
+        V1ObjectFieldSelector,
         V1ObjectMeta,
         V1PersistentVolumeClaimVolumeSource,
         V1Pod,
@@ -303,9 +316,20 @@ def role_to_pod(name: str, role: Role, service_account: Optional[str]) -> "V1Pod
         image=role.image,
         name=name,
         env=[
-            V1EnvVar(
-                name=name,
-                value=value,
+            (
+                V1EnvVar(
+                    name=name,
+                    value_from=V1EnvVarSource(
+                        field_ref=V1ObjectFieldSelector(
+                            field_path=value.strip(PLACEHOLDER_FIELD_PATH)
+                        )
+                    ),
+                )
+                if value.startswith(PLACEHOLDER_FIELD_PATH)
+                else V1EnvVar(
+                    name=name,
+                    value=value,
+                )
             )
             for name, value in role.env.items()
         ],
diff --git a/torchx/schedulers/test/kubernetes_scheduler_test.py b/torchx/schedulers/test/kubernetes_scheduler_test.py
index 8ad0b0e87..a03b2834b 100644
--- a/torchx/schedulers/test/kubernetes_scheduler_test.py
+++ b/torchx/schedulers/test/kubernetes_scheduler_test.py
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
     KubernetesOpts,
     KubernetesScheduler,
     LABEL_INSTANCE_TYPE,
+    PLACEHOLDER_FIELD_PATH,
     role_to_pod,
 )
 from torchx.specs import AppState
@@ -75,7 +76,7 @@ def _test_app(num_replicas: int = 1) -> specs.AppDef:
             "--rank0-env",
             specs.macros.rank0_env,
         ],
-        env={"FOO": "bar"},
+        env={"FOO": "bar", "FOO_FIELD_PATH": f"{PLACEHOLDER_FIELD_PATH}bar"},
         resource=specs.Resource(
             cpu=2,
             memMB=3000,
@@ -149,7 +150,9 @@ def test_role_to_pod(self) -> None:
             V1ContainerPort,
             V1EmptyDirVolumeSource,
             V1EnvVar,
+            V1EnvVarSource,
             V1HostPathVolumeSource,
+            V1ObjectFieldSelector,
             V1ObjectMeta,
             V1Pod,
             V1PodSpec,
@@ -188,7 +191,15 @@ def test_role_to_pod(self) -> None:
             ],
             image="pytorch/torchx:latest",
             name="name",
-            env=[V1EnvVar(name="FOO", value="bar")],
+            env=[
+                V1EnvVar(name="FOO", value="bar"),
+                V1EnvVar(
+                    name="FOO_FIELD_PATH",
+                    value_from=V1EnvVarSource(
+                        field_ref=V1ObjectFieldSelector(field_path="bar")
+                    ),
+                ),
+            ],
             resources=resources,
             ports=[V1ContainerPort(name="foo", container_port=1234)],
             security_context=V1SecurityContext(),
@@ -303,6 +314,10 @@ def test_submit_dryrun(self) -> None:
           env:
           - name: FOO
             value: bar
+          - name: FOO_FIELD_PATH
+            valueFrom:
+              fieldRef:
+                fieldPath: bar
           - name: TORCHX_RANK0_HOST
             value: localhost
           image: pytorch/torchx:latest