Description

The DevOps Engineer (Development Lead) provides a reliable, highly available platform that orchestrates the microservices of a modernized operational system using cutting-edge technologies. The contractor leads sprint planning and team tasking, drives infrastructure technical direction, and owns CI/CD pipeline management and cloud infrastructure cost optimization.

This is a senior individual-contributor and team-lead role requiring strong Agile execution discipline, AWS architecture depth, and the ability to communicate and collaborate across engineering and program stakeholder communities.

Requirements

AWS Infrastructure Architecture & IaC

Architect, build, and maintain AWS infrastructure including EC2, Lambda, S3, SNS, SQS, EventBridge, Athena, and Step Functions using Terraform with auto-scaling
Develop Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and scripting to automate tasks, provision managed services, and build internal tooling using Python, Ansible, and Terraform
Apply AWS networking principles including VPCs, NAT gateways, and IP gateways to design secure, segmented environments
Evaluate infrastructure costs iteratively; recommend and implement cost-savings measures to reduce AWS service spend and maintenance burden

Containerization & Orchestration

Install, configure, performance-tune, and operate Kubernetes environments with focus on EKS, ECS, and/or Fargate
Manage containerized workloads using Docker and Docker Compose across the microservices architecture
Troubleshoot infrastructure issues and ensure system uptime and availability for mission-critical operational systems
Collaborate with development teams to optimize application performance and reliability in containerized environments

CI/CD Pipeline Management

Develop and manage GitLab CI/CD pipelines to automate build, test, and deployment processes
Implement and maintain Argo CD for GitOps-based continuous delivery workflows
Track ticket execution and drive technical direction of infrastructure to align with program and product needs
Perform high-level functional systems analysis, design, integration, documentation, cost analysis, and complex issue resolution

Agile Team Leadership & Sprint Execution

Decompose sprint priorities and generate tickets aligned with internal team priorities and program objectives
Manage team tasking and sprint workloads; keep the team on task and executing in an orchestrated manner
Participate in all Agile ceremonies: sprint planning, stand-ups, refinement, reviews, and retrospectives
Communicate and collaborate with engineers, product owners, and program stakeholders across the program

Required Qualifications

Current DoD 8140 (CWIP) certification — must be active prior to start
Extensive experience architecting and managing AWS infrastructure using Terraform and IaC practices
Strong background in containerization and orchestration: Kubernetes (EKS, ECS, Fargate), Docker, Docker Compose
Experience developing and managing GitLab CI/CD pipelines and Argo CD GitOps workflows
Proficiency in DevOps scripting languages: Python, Ansible, Terraform
Experience performing high-level systems analysis, design, integration, documentation, and cost analysis
Experience managing sprint workloads and driving team technical direction in an Agile environment
Strong communication and collaboration skills with engineers, product owners, and program stakeholders

Preferred Qualifications

Two or more of the following:

AWS services depth: EC2, Lambda, S3, SNS, SQS, EventBridge, Athena, Step Functions with auto-scaling
AWS networking: VPCs, NAT gateways, IP gateways, and network segmentation design
GitLab CI/CD pipeline design and deployment automation
Application performance and reliability optimization in collaboration with development teams
Infrastructure troubleshooting and system uptime management for mission-critical environments
Kubernetes advanced operations with EKS, ECS, and/or Fargate focus
Cloud infrastructure cost optimization and AWS spend reduction strategies

Education and Clearance Requirements

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college in a related discipline
OR Master's degree and 10 years of professional experience
OR equivalent combined education and experience (12 or more years of professional experience)
Active TS/SCI clearance with Full Scope Polygraph (FSP) — must be active prior to start
CI Polygraph within the last 7 years — must be active prior to start

About Us. Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Marshall, VA, ALEX - Alternative Experts, LLC (ALEX) is an ISO 9001:2015-certified Women Owned Small Business that's changing the way government does business by delivering a powerful, industry-leading array of core services to help its clients achieve mission-critical objectives. ALEX provides a variety of benefits designed to help meet the needs of our employees. See a summary of ALEX's Employee Benefits for more information.

ALEX is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability. Applicants must be able to perform the essential functions of the job.

In order to comply with the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, we reasonably believe the pay range for this position is between $175,000 - $195,000. Multiple factors are taken into account with any offer of employment by ALEX, including experience, education, and skills.

Reasonable accommodations will be made to allow employees to meet the essential functions of the job unless those accommodations cause undue hardships to the employer. To request a reasonable accommodation, contact the Human Resources Department at hr@alexinc.com.