Senior Cloud Engineer (Top Secret or Q clearance )

candidates MUST have a clearance (Top Secret or Q) and be local because there are onsite requirements, at least 4 days per week. 12 month contract to hire the candidate after 12 months
Rate : Open for DOE

We have an opening for a Senior Cloud Engineer to join our team. In this position, you will be responsible for designing, implementing, and managing cloud solutions that support the National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) business services and programmatic missions, including scientific research and mission-critical operations. This position is in the Enterprise Infrastructure Services (EIS) Division within the Computing Directorate.

You will work closely with multidisciplinary teams to drive innovation, improve scalability, and ensure the secure and efficient utilization of cloud resources for NNSA initiatives. This role supports multiple sites across the country and occasional travel is required to collaborate with stakeholders and partners. This position offers the opportunity to work in a dynamic and highly technical environment, supporting critical infrastructure for enterprise-level applications.

This position requires full-time on-site presence due to the nature of the work.

This position will be filled at either level based on knowledge and related experience as assessed by the hiring team. Additional job responsibilities (outlined below) will be assigned if hired at the higher level.

You will

• Deploy and manage cloud infrastructure in support of scientific, engineering, and business applications.
• Develop and architect automation scripts and Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) solutions for cloud resource provisioning and management.
• Apply application development skills using Python for automation, Infrastructure as Code tools for provisioning, and cloud provider SDKs to deploy cloud and AI services.
• Collaborate with researchers, engineers, and IT staff to migrate workloads and optimize applications for cloud environments.
• Monitor cloud performance and usage, and implement solutions for high availability, scalability, and cost efficiency.
• Ensure compliance with Department of Energy (DOE) and NNSA security policies and federal regulations for cloud operations.
• Provide technical support, documentation, and training for cloud users across the enterprise.
• Stay abreast of emerging cloud technologies and recommend adoption of innovative solutions.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Additional job responsibilities, at the SES.4 level

• Lead the development of and implement advanced cloud computing. environments that align with customer needs and enterprise system strategies, ensuring optimal performance and scalability.
• Independently lead the configuration and use of systems and cloud management tools to monitor, maintain, and optimize complex infrastructure operations effectively.
• Identify, troubleshoot, and document highly complex system and network issues to ensure timely resolution and minimize disruptions.

Qualifications

• Ability to obtain and maintain a US DOE Q-level security clearance which requires U.S. Citizenship.
• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of technical education and relevant experience.
• Significant experience in cloud platform administration and support, with experience in technologies such as AWS, Azure, Google Cloud Platform, or hybrid cloud environments.
• Advanced knowledge of cloud AI/ML platforms and services, such as AWS Bedrock, SageMaker, Azure AI services, Google Vertex AI, or vector databases.
• Advanced knowledge of cloud infrastructure operations, including resource provisioning, automation, and the use of infrastructure management tools.
• Advanced understanding of cloud support systems, such as virtual networking, identity and access management, Service control polices and monitoring solutions.
• Significant experience documenting and deploying cloud services in a secure manner, adhering to industry best practices and NIST guidance to ensure compliance and adherence with an organization's cyber security policies.
• Significant experience managing and troubleshooting cloud-based resources and services, including performance monitoring and incident response.
• Advanced interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills, with the ability to work independently while effectively collaborating with customers and team members and present and explain technical information and provide advice to management.

Additional qualifications at the SES.4 level

• Expert experience managing enterprise cloud environments, including platforms such as AWS, Azure, and hybrid cloud networking.
• SME knowledge of troubleshooting techniques, with strong skills in resolving issues through analysis of logs, metrics, and cloud-native diagnostic tools.
• Highly advanced experience with resource provisioning, automation, and infrastructure as management tools, such as Python, Terraform, CloudFormation, Cloud Development Kit(CDK), or similar platforms.
• Significant experience with hybrid cloud architecture and expertise in integrating on-premises environments with cloud platforms in air-gapped environments.
• Significant experience training and mentoring team members, focusing on cloud engineering best practices and architectural design principles.

Qualifications We Desire

• Active Department of Energy (DOE) Q-level clearance or active Top-Secret clearance (TS/SCI) issued by another U.S. government agency at the time of hire.
• AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional, AWS Certified DevOps Engineer - Professional, or an equivalent advanced cloud certification.
• Comprehensive knowledge of compliance frameworks, such as National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), FedRAMP, and related standards, with proven experience implementing and maintaining compliance within cloud environments.