AWS Lead Cloud Engineer

LightFeather is seeking a Lead Cloud Engineer – AWS will oversee the design, implementation, and optimization of AWS-based infrastructure, ensuring security, scalability, and compliance with federal regulations. This role requires strong leadership, expertise in AWS architecture, DevOps practices, cloud security, and automation, as well as the ability to guide teams in deploying and managing cloud solutions for mission-critical government operations.

This role provides the opportunity to lead high-impact cloud transformation initiatives in the federal sector, ensuring secure, efficient, and scalable AWS platform solutions.

• Location: In-Person (5 days/week) in Washington, DC 20036
• Job Type: Full Time
• Citizenship: U.S. Citizenship Required
• Clearance Requirement: Active Secret or higher clearance

Responsibilities:

• Cloud Architecture & Strategy: Design and implement scalable, resilient, and high-performance AWS environments for enterprise applications.
• Technical Leadership & Mentorship: Lead a team of cloud engineers, providing guidance on AWS best practices, DevOps strategies, and cloud security frameworks.
• Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Develop and manage AWS infrastructure using Terraform, CloudFormation, and Ansible to automate provisioning and configuration.
• Security & Compliance: Enforce AWS security best practices, including IAM policies, AWS Shield, AWS Macie, encryption, and FedRAMP compliance.
• CI/CD Pipeline Management: Oversee CI/CD processes using GitLab, Jenkins, AWS CodePipeline, and AWS CodeDeploy for automated deployments.
• Cloud Monitoring & Optimization: Utilize AWS CloudWatch, CloudTrail, and AWS Security Hub to track system health, optimize performance, and detect anomalies.
• Multi-Cloud & Hybrid Cloud Solutions: Support hybrid and cross-cloud environments, ensuring seamless integration between AWS, Azure, and on-premise systems.
• Networking & Load Balancing: Configure VPCs, Route 53, Elastic Load Balancers (ELB), and AWS Direct Connect for secure, high-performance cloud networking.
• Disaster Recovery & High Availability: Implement AWS backup, disaster recovery, and multi-region failover strategies to enhance system resilience.
• Stakeholder & Client Engagement: Work closely with government agencies, security teams, and cloud engineers to ensure alignment with business and security objectives.
• Automation & DevSecOps: Develop and implement automated security monitoring, logging, and compliance reporting solutions.

Required Qualifications and Skills:

• US Citizenship.
• Active Secret or higher clearance
• Minimum 7+ years of experience in cloud engineering, DevOps, or technical leadership, with a strong focus on AWS cloud environments.
• Certifications: AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional (or equivalent AWS certification preferred).
• Cloud Security & Compliance: Deep understanding of AWS security tools, IAM best practices, encryption standards, and DoD/Federal compliance frameworks (FedRAMP, NIST, RMF, Zero Trust Architecture).
• Technical Tool Proficiency: Strong expertise in Terraform, Ansible, Kubernetes, AWS Lambda, and AWS DevOps services.
• Multi-Cloud & Hybrid Cloud Knowledge: Experience integrating AWS solutions with Azure and GCP environments.
• Scripting & Automation: Strong proficiency in Python, PowerShell, Bash, and YAML/JSON for automation and cloud management.

Preferred:

• Experience working with federal agencies or DoD cloud modernization projects.
• Knowledge of AWS AI/ML services, container orchestration (EKS), and serverless architectures.
• Expertise in cloud cost optimization and performance tuning strategies.

Why Join LightFeather?
At LightFeather, you're not just taking a job—you're joining a purpose-driven team that delivers innovative, mission-critical solutions to make a real difference. You'll work on diverse, meaningful projects that challenge and inspire you, alongside some of the best minds in the industry.